chapter 6
Creating Facebook Events
Hosting a crowd is one thing, but how should your small business get the word out about events? Well, sure enough, Facebook has a tool for announcing events. Facebook Events lets you organize gatherings with your customers, partners, employees, and other people in your community.
Professional event managers or businesses with a frequent exhibit production schedule can leverage the Facebook Events app. Successful event management requires an understanding of the audience you are trying to attract. There’s no better way to manage your message than within Facebook, given that so many of its tools enable you to reach your desired event attendees with ease. This chapter looks at some details specific to the Events app and how to best use it.
Creating an Event in Facebook
So you have a special event planned for your business and now it’s time to let everyone know. Facebook is the perfect tool to get the information about an event to your customers and your larger following. The Events app within Facebook allows you to create Events and post them to your business Page. It also enables you to invite individual followers or groups. Who might post an Event on Facebook? Here are some examples:
• A music artist promoting a new album has a launch party
• A writer promoting the latest novel or nonfiction book has a book signing
• A retailer creating an in-store promotion
• A small business owner mentioning an upcoming webinar
• An organization offering an open house mixer
• A nonprofit creating a fundraising project
Events that you post on Facebook appear in a separate box in the views and apps on your business Page and, once created, are public by default. The Events Page displays your upcoming Events, any invitations you have pending, and links to your own Events.
To create an Event using Facebook Events, follow these steps:
1. Go to your Facebook business Page and click Event, Milestone below your cover photo (see Figure 6.1).
2. Click the Event button to go to the Event details box.
3. Fill out the Create New Event dialog box. It is pretty straightforward (see Figure 6.2):
a. Type the Event name.
b. Add details about the event.
c. Add the location.
d. Select the date and time.
e. Select or deselect the Show guest list check box and the Only admins can post to the Event wall check box.
6.1 To create an event, click Event, Milestone on your business Page to access the event details screen.
6.2 Add the Event specifics.
When you finish, click Create Event, and you are off to the races. You have created an Event ready for everyone to share. The new Event appears in the Events box under your cover photo on your business Page so that anyone visiting your Page can click to see the details of this Event and all Events you have (see Figure 6.3).
6.3 Your current and past Events appear in the Events box under the cover photo of your Page.
Unlike an Event you create under your personal account, business Page Events are public by default and anyone can join them, therefore there is no invitation list for the Event.
In addition to the basic Event information, you can also add a picture in the Event details to entice more attendees. You can do this by opening the Event and simply hovering your mouse over the large date box on the left until you see the Add Event Photo link. Click that link and select an image to include on the Event posting (see Figure 6.4).
6.4 Add a photo to your Event to make it more appealing to potential guests.
Announcing Your Event
There are several ways that people on Facebook can discover your Event announcement:
• Sidebar announcement on their home page. The right column lists a few of the most current upcoming Events. The Event can also appear in a listing on the left column as well.
• Their News Feed. When the Event is created, it appears in the News Feed of those who like your business Page.
Events created in a profile Page can be directed to followers as a personal invite. The notification appears in the person’s Messages in Facebook or is delivered via personal e-mail (if that person’s e-mail notification is on).
When you set up your Event using your business Page, you are required to post your Event on the Timeline and do not have the option of sending invites to individual guests during the setup.
To recap, when the Event is created on a business Page, you can only send updates to the Timeline as a notification. Profile Page setup lets you send personal e-mails to people directly for Event updates. The e-mails typically are more visible to recipients because they are direct.
There are minor notification differences with business Pages and profile Pages that you must keep in mind when starting out on Facebook and planning to promote Events. The difference makes sense: Think of a personal profile as your own home. You may be having a party, but you wouldn’t invite the whole world.
Another notable detail is that Events do not permit repeated notifications. This means you have to manually issue the Event notices to get people to know your Event is forthcoming. That can be a little challenging, but you can use social media dashboards to schedule Event notifications automatically.
Creating Livestream Events
Live events have become all the rage online. Increases in computing capability and better video technology have made live video available for virtually everyone. Adding a live stream can be helpful for regularly scheduled programs as well as one-time events such as panel discussions. It shows what people can expect from participating in your event in-person, displaying the immediate interactions of attendees. Organizations of all types have leveraged live streaming. Even some churches have live stream services to help those who cannot attend a regular service. So live streaming can accommodate a number of varied services.
There are a number of applications available to stream events live on Facebook. Some vendors include Ustream, Vpype, Justin.tv, and Livestream. Naturally, each has a variation of features, with free and paid versions available.
Here is an example of how to live stream on Facebook using Livestream:
1. Go to the Livestream app on Facebook at http://apps.facebook.com/livestream.
2. Click Get Started (see Figure 6.5).
6.5 Click Get Started on the Livestream app Page to begin installing to your Facebook Page.
3. Click Allow to allow the app to access your Facebook Page (see Figure 6.6).
Livestream also offers custom design services for Facebook apps. For more information or for pricing inquiries, go to http://new.livestream.com/broadcast-live/design-custom-facebook-apps.
6.6 As with most apps, you have to allow the application to access your Page information.
4. Click the Add Page Tab button beside the Page where you want the Livestream app to appear (see Figure 6.7).
5. Click Add Livestream.
6. Click the Livestream link on the left side of your Facebook Page (see Figure 6.8).
6.7 The application asks you to choose which Page you want to add the application to.
7. Click Start New Channel.
8. Open a new Livestream account and click Signup (see Figure 6.9).
9. Install the Livestream software on your PC or Mac.
10. Connect your video camera.
11. Review your video camera instructions for details on how your video camera can connect to your PC and transmit video signal via USB or other connectivity. Once your camera is properly transmitting, you see what the camera is capturing on your computer screen in the Livestream. This sounds complicated, but I’ve taught many nontechnical people to do this many times.
You’re now ready to start streaming your first live event on Facebook.
6.8 Once the app is installed, you can click the link box in the views and apps section of your Page to access Livestream.
Livestream is widely used in Facebook, and offers a number of services that permit you to create broadcasts with full capability ranging from simple broadcast to a network. Here are a few other live streaming options:
• Vpype. (http://vpype.com) Founded in 2009, Vpype is specifically designed for Facebook. It provides an application for greeting your connections as well as other versions that relate to specific types of events.
• Ustream. (www.ustream.tv/facebook) Ustream also has similar features. It permits the display of past performances as well as the main event front and center.
• Justin.tv. (www.facebook.com/Justintv) Justin.tv organizes streams around searchable topics such as sports, news, and entertainment.
6.9 Once you set up a Livestream account, you begin to stream live events through your Page.
Live events are not easy, but successful ones can build your brand in a big way. Beyond live streaming of events, there are other online networks and communities that can complement Facebook. Some of these services are focused on a particular audience, such as ReverbNation, for example. It has sharing features specific for the needs of music artists and professionals. You can combine your use of these specialty platforms with Facebook for more efficient notification of offers and events.
Econsultancy, an information site and community for digital marketing and e-commerce professionals, posted a number of great tips for conducting a live event on its blog (http://econsultancy.com/us/blog). Here are some of those tips:
• Pick a hashtag for people to tweet if they want to share details in Twitter. Have the hashtag visible at the app window or on points on-screen.
• Use some of the best comments from the live event to generate online content.
• Respond to comments quickly — the positive comments as well as the negative comments.
• Partner with other organizations that sponsor the event to promote the live stream. Doing so can help spread the word to a large audience.
• If you have employees, ask them to share the live streaming event on their profiles as well as updates leading to the event.
• Try to keep the conversation on topic. It’s great to allow spontaneity when appropriate, but eliminate spam-like topics when the chatter seems to eat up time.
• Have an emergency plan for disruptors if your event addresses a controversial topic.
• Let people know if the event is being recorded. Tell them when you expect to post the program (usually a few days after the live event is acceptable) as well as where viewers can see the post.
Promoting Your Event
Once your event details are submitted and your notification is sent, you must decide the degree of promotion you want to conduct. Sending a reminder or two is okay for a small event where you are looking for an intimate gathering of contacts. However, for business, more than likely you should have an active effort that builds up to the event.
Keep Facebook general rules and acceptable behavior in mind. For example, like posting repeated statuses on a Timeline, sending repeated updates is not a great idea. Let your community know about the event, but do so without a heavy-handed sales approach. A repeated message is ignored on most social media channels, but it is especially a bother on Facebook. Who wants a Facebook Timeline full of “Come to my play”? Many organizations forget this in social media without stepping back and realizing that people decide what they want to pay attention to. To prevent spamming, send event reminders periodically. Use social media dashboards to schedule the static reminders: You can make periodic spur-of-the-moment I-am-excited-for-XYZ-event posts to stir things up. A little spontaneity is acceptable and natural.
A second tip is to develop teaser content for the event. Photos showing event preparation or simple “Look what is coming soon” posts are great ways to share the excitement of your event. Posting teasers that lead up to the event lets people understand your offering without spamming everyone’s profiles. You can also post photos from past events to show proof of past success to newcomers.
Remember that not everyone sees your update the instant you share it. It’s good practice to repost your posts later in the day or even later in the week. I post many of my posts a week later, sometimes with a different angle or spin.
Aside from sharing your events on your website or blog, you can participate in communities and talk to members who potentially share an interest in your event theme. Keep in mind the spam rule in any community — do not butt in with your “grand” announcement. Instead, try to participate in communities prior to the event; either do it yourself or assign an employee. Even better, make a contribution to community needs, such as the question-and-answer panels. Your community effort will help make your promotions softer instead of intrusive hard sells.
For promoting within Facebook, all the standard tools can be applied (such as Facebook ads and Sponsored Stories). You should use tools that will make your event discoverable by your intended audience and augment other marketing efforts. For example, you can set Facebook ads for a region in which you cannot penetrate due to limited budget or limited resources.
As in the real world, give yourself ample time for your event to catch on. Instant response is not always the case when posting online — people discover your announcement when they do. So make sure you have enough buildup to the day of the event.
Finally, following up on an event is a sign of thoughtfulness. Sending follow-up material can encourage someone to attend future events. Particularly in the cases of missed attendance, a “Sorry you couldn’t make it” note helps. Links to webinar recaps or video replays can be shared by others and provide a way to see the missed event. Even better, you can ask people to share their thoughts about the event recaps on your Facebook business Page or the Event Page, itself.
Using Other Event Apps
There are other apps that permit posting event announcements to your Facebook Page. Eventbrite, for example, connects your events to Facebook (see Figure 6.10). Events created in Eventbrite are automatically added to the Facebook Events app, permitting easy integration of event awareness among followers. Go to www.eventbrite.com/t/facebook-connect-eventbrite for more information. Although the ability to sell event tickets cannot be natively integrated into the Facebook Event Page, Mashable notes that “Eventbrite will include a link to your event’s ticketing Page in the event description and a link to ‘Order Tickets’ in the News Feed insertion about your event.”
Another popular community site, Meetup, permits announcements of events created on its site on Facebook profiles. This permits a Meetup user to share with others who are on Facebook as well as on Meetup. As a member of a Meetup, you can determine who also uses Facebook and notify them of your event.
Probably the nicest feature of Facebook is being able to integrate the best of other sites into the notification system of the world’s most active community. No matter what your event, you’ll find that consistent use of the aforementioned tips will bring great success to your event.
6.10 Eventbrite allows you to post your event directly to your Facebook Page and links back to the Event Page for those who want to purchase tickets.