How to use social media to get your next event noticed

I recently hosted the first in a series of Social Media Workshops and used Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to get support for spreading the word. It felt a bit like crowdsourcing, without steroids.

Here's what I found worked:

1. Share your goal/dream

Sharing your plans with your online community demonstrates your genuine need for them to be a part of your journey.

I explained why their support was so important to me, and how it would help me achieve my goal.

People are generally quite willing to help, especially if they have context around what impact their involvement would have. When you've already built a relationship with a community by supporting their initiatives, the much-needed connection is already there.

2. Ask outright for support

We often overlook "asking" as a useful tool in business and in life, in general.

Social Media has made it really easy to elicit support by simply asking for it. What's the worst thing that could happen? They'll ignore you/they'll say NO.

Once you've given your online community context, minding your Ps and Qs while you're at it, there's no reason why they wouldn't support you.

3. Show some vulnerability

Most people - including me - dread the vulnerability that comes with asking others for things. Allowing this unfounded fear to reign could hurt your progress.

I bared my insecurities as highlighted above [gulp]. It was then up to them whether to oblige, or not.

4. Share progress/victories

Once they've had a glimpse of your vulnerable side, most people are likely to warm to you.

Keep their attention by sharing your progress as you go. Who knows, this could empower someone who may be considering tackling a similar project.

5. Close the loop by giving feedback

When your audience has shown support, keep them in the loop (without spamming them) by sharing the outcome.

Share visuals/stats/delegate feedback - anything that will make the result a bit more tangible for them. This should add meaning to the support they've shown you.

After the event, I briefly shared the outcome of my début Social Media Workshop for SMEs, and quoted some of the delegate feedback. This was my way of allowing my online community to share in my success.

6. Say THANK YOU

Saying "thanks" goes a long way in cementing relationships.

I thanked my Facebook friends and Linkedin connections for their part in spreading the word around my Workshop, and used the opportunity to invite them to the next one.

7. Objectivity-check

Manage your own expectations by understanding the dynamics of an online community.

• Don't get discouraged: You may not get the level of support that you'd anticipated. Chin up. Remember, yours is not the ONLY post that passes their congested Social Media
  newsfeed.

• No tit-for-tat: Avoid the temptation to get angry at the lack of reciprocation from those whom you may have supported online.

• Don't mind the hoverers: We all have them in our online communities. They're logged on, but hardly respond to direct messages; they refrain from commenting on your posts; and simply don't oblige when asked for support. Let them be.

• Be gracious: Thank EVERYONE at the end of your project/event, rather than singling out anyone.

Social Media holds a lot of untapped opportunities to get your next event noticed. Seek them out and optimise them to the success of your event, and the advancement of your biz!