Whether it be your mom, your grandpa, your aunt, your dog, or your distant cousin, everyone uses social media. Doesn’t everyone have an account for their dog, or should I have kept that to myself? Social media has made itself a part of our everyday lives, and most of us rely on it for personal entertainment and also a business. Although it is mostly used for hours of senseless scrolling and looking at cat memes, social media is a crucial aspect in today’s business world.
Everybody’s nose is always on their phone, so as event planners and business owners, it is only necessary that you use this to your advantage. The power of social media and virality is incredible, so finding fun ways to get people to talk about your event can be extremely beneficial (not to mention, it’s free advertising.) There are so many ways you can incorporate social media into your event, but one fun way is to do a networking picture challenge. This can be done by handing out little cards at the beginning of your event that has different challenges for your guests to do. For example, a card could say “take a photo with someone who shares the same favorite food as you,” this not only encourages people to engage, but it also creates content for social media. Another entertaining activity would be to create a custom hashtag for your event (#greatesteventever.) This hashtag will not only make it easier to find photos that were posted from your event, but it will also create an awareness of the event itself. An additional feature you could have is photo op walls. You could decorate different walls with themes and props that allow guests to create the perfect photo to post (a unicorn wall with horn headbands sounds cool, but that could just be me.) Lastly, you could use social media as a currency! For example, you could have vending machines, cotton candy stations, or a snow cone station. Instead of your guests using money for these items, it could require a tweet or Instagram post (this is genius, I know). As soon as the post is uploaded, the guest can then redeem whatever treat or item they desire. These fun ideas can create a social media buzz while your guests are engaging and having fun.
Using social media can not only be more cost-effective, but it can also have a more significant reach than regular print ads. In this generation, where everything is digitalized, and people are constantly thinking about what their next post is going to be, it only makes sense to incorporate social media into your event. Your guests will inevitably be on their phones at your event, so why not make it a part of the fun!
