Social Media Weapons for Your Event-Planning Arsenal

Social Media Weapons for Your Event-Planning Arsenal

Anyone who thinks it's easy to plan, promote, and execute a successful event has never planned, promoted, or executed a successful event. In any case, social media tools can make events easier.

 "Whether you need to work with organizers, generate buzz, or share post-party photos, social media should be a primary weapon in your arsenal," writes Ben Parr at Mashable.

Here are Parr's recommendations for each stage of the process:  . 

·         Planning. No matter the size of your event—a small party or a large conference—ease planning with a trio of tools: Skype facilitates productive brainstorming; PBworks is a business-friendly wiki that makes it easy for everyone on your team to manage, edit, and share information; and a collaborative calendar like Google Calendar can arrange meetings. 

·         Organization. "PBworks is once again a great tool for keeping information on the event organized—you can publish guest lists, speaker lists, and more," notes Parr. Also publish updates at a WordPress or Drupal blog. 

·         Invitations. Set up a Facebook event listing (this is where many people will go for information) and consider sites like Anyvite and Eventbrite for invitation and RSVP management. 

·         Promotion. According to Parr, Facebook and Twitter are your go-to promotion channels. When tweeting, be sure to use event-specific hashtags. 

·         Optimization. Provide high-speed wifi so guests can easily tweet from your event; and consider a live stream through Ustream or Mogulus for those who can't attend.

Conclusion: Remember that the event isn't over when your guests leave—continue the social media conversation with thank-you emails and updates.