Social Media 101: Social media and dealership events

Liz KeenerJuly 22, 2014

How can social media promote events organized by your dealership? There are more than a few articles, ideas and case studies that prove how beneficial social media can be for marketing an event. This brief outline shares what you can do before, during and after an event via social media.

Pre-event

Begin generating positive buzz, engagement and awareness a couple months before your scheduled event(s). The more time means the more buzz-worthy opportunities you can create and track.

Add your event to local online calendars and include a link to your website in the posting. The inbound link will increase exposure and SEO.
Create event hashtag(s), such as #bikenight and apply on Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Facebook. Hashtags are important because they are identifiers or keywords, which increase niche and vast audience exposure.
Create and upload a Facebook cover photo of your event’s logo, symbol or representation. HINT: Your dealership’s logo and event hashtag should ALWAYS be represented on your event’s graphics.
Create a public event and/or page on Facebook.
Create a page on Google+ and connect with likeminded communities to share the event on their pages.
Announce via Facebook and Twitter the need for volunteers and donations.
If applicable, connect with partners, donors or charities via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest and/or YouTube.
Take snapshots and videos of the preparations. Post clips on Instagram, YouTube, Tumble and Flickr and share links to Facebook and Twitter.
Create and advertise contests and trivia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube. Example: Enter NOW to win a free gift card at the event. Be mindful of Facebook’s contest rules.
Create registration forms to get an idea on attendance and advertise this link on Facebook and Twitter. You can use tools like Eventbrite or customized registration forms designed by your website provider.
Capture your creative marketing in action via Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram. Example: Balloons with the event screen printed on them and scattered around town. Announce (via social media) these are free to the public and capture the reaction of locals finding these fun souvenirs.
Add a post to Facebook and Twitter linking to prior events’ photos and videos on Flickr, Pinterest and YouTube.

Present

During the event promote, capture and post pictures and video of food, animals, products and happy people. These are instantly popular categories that generate positive responses on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram.

Provide live video streaming, record interviews and add video clips to your YouTube channel. Share the links to Twitter and Facebook.
Live Tweet and Instagram the general ambiance of your event. You want to make people wish they were at the live experience and encourage those close enough to stop by.
Post pictures and statuses of contest winners, charity reps, celebrities and donors on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram.
Share attendees’ selfies, pictures, videos and comments on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Use Twitter Vine to capture and share short 6-second videos.
Identify and use the positive, trending hashtags that your event attendees are using on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Post-event

Generate various “Thank you” posts and videos for your attendees, donors, charities and clubs via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and YouTube.
Create and organize a photo gallery and tag as many as you can on Facebook, Instagram, Tumble, Flickr and Pinterest.
Create a blog post, via Blogger or WordPress, wrapping the event in a story from a personal point of view from ownership, staff or volunteer. Share the link on Facebook and Twitter.
Share any media coverage via Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and your YouTube channel.
Share positive comments and quotes generated by the event on Twitter.
If any negative comments pertaining to your event are encountered, combat the negative feedback by not ignoring, but rather by addressing it publicly and personally reaching out via a direct message to the upset poster.

Event promotion doesn’t end when your fliers are distributed. Marketing an event on social media is an ongoing process from start to finish. The keys to creating a successful event campaign via social media are commitment, content and creativity.