In this update, PhoCusWright teased potential attendees with the list of speakers.
The competition for conference attendees is as fierce as ever.
If you’re hosting a conference then you know that it can be difficult to get people to signup.
It’s no long enough to go on brand recognition alone. You’ll get some repeat visitors (if you’re established) and you’ll get referral signups, but if you want more than that you have to put in extra effort.
The good news is that there are new avenues for attracting brand new attendees.
One of the avenues is social media.
You’ve probably used social media for your conference before. Many conferences use social media during the conference to keep attendees plugged-in to all the action going on.
But you can use social media to increase your attendance.
Here are some ideas for generating more signups.
Share Video Clips
Video is huge in the online world right now. It’s worth the time and effort (and money) to have clips made from previous conferences to use on your website and on social media.
It’s up to you if you want to publish full presentations, but you don’t really need to anyway. People seem to like video clips.
So get your team together and figure out a top ten list of things mentioned during presentations. Aim for really useful information, tools and other actionable items that were shared. This type of content does well when shared on social media.
Publish the clips on a YouTube channel and embed them on your site. Then share the videos periodically on your social media profiles leading up to the next event.
Share Powerful Quotes
Quotes generate incredible engagement on social media. In fact, one study found that Facebook updates that use quotes get 26% more likes and 19% more shares.
While you’re looking back on last year’s event and doing your video clips, look at the powerful quotes shared by presenters and share those on your social accounts.
In fact, during the conference you probably provided live social updates of the presenters. Go back and check your feed for really great quotes. Re-post the best ones and make sure to mention the presenter with their social media handle.
They might see your mention and could re-share the quote with their followers.
And if you’re bringing back a presenter, give an update with a quote they had last year when you announce that they’re coming back for another presentation this year.
More on this later when we talk about announcements.
Share Useful Stats
Statistics are popular in all forms of communication. Any time your presenters share great information that includes stats or studies, take down notes and stock them away for use throughout the year on your social media account.
Stats can be really useful to your followers. They’ll also see the kind of info they could get if they attended your next conference.
Talk About Upcoming Speakers And Events
You probably do this one already, but it’s a reminder that you want to share updates about your upcoming speakers and special events.
People get excited when they hear about the topics and speakers. Share the stories about all the things that will be shared this year. Say something like, “This topic was very popular last year and this year promises to be even better!”
Get people excited and make your conference a can’t-miss event.
Announce Partners
Most conferences have sponsors and partners. Each time a new one signs up for the next conference, announce it on social media. Mention the brand so that they can re-share the update with their followers. This exposes you to potential attendees.
Maintain A Conference Blog
Throughout the year, maintain a blog on your conference website. Provide the kind of information that your target audience looks for at your conference each year.
One way to create amazing blog posts is to curate the best information from previous years.
You could create a “Top 10 Trends According To Industry Experts” post. Use information shared by the speakers. Share the post on social media and let each speaker know that you included their predictions. They’ll likely share the post with their followers and fans.
A blog keeps you involved in the industry throughout the year and gives you something to share on social media throughout the year and leading up to this year’s conference.
Conclusion
Social media is a great channel for increasing attendance at your conference this year. The trouble is that simply adding any old update to your social profiles won’t cut it. You need to share the right kind of information to get attention for your conference so people are interested in signing up.
Use the tips above to improve your conference social media strategy this year and you should see an increase in engagement and sales for this year’s conference.
Want more?
Check out this post – 7 Elements That Will Improve Your Conference Website
