5 Musts of Social Media 5 Musts of Social Media EventsEvents

Interviews with 5 Professionals, 5 Questions, Interviews with 5 Professionals, 5 Questions, Resulting in 5 Musts (and must NOTs) for Most Social Resulting in 5 Musts (and must NOTs) for Most Social

Media EventsMedia Events

By Mallard HollidayBy Mallard Holliday

Follow me on twitter Follow me on twitter @mallardholliday@mallardholliday

Graduate StudentGraduate Student

S.I. Newhouse School of Public CommunicationsS.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University

5 Musts of Social Media Events5 Musts of Social Media Events

1.1. Must have great contentMust have great content

2.2. Must have great technical deliveryMust have great technical delivery

3.3. Must promote early and afterMust promote early and after

4.4. Must have great talentMust have great talent

5.5. Must measureMust measure

1. Must have Great Content1. Must have Great Content

Content Counts:Content Counts: You must have most of the these 5 key content You must have most of the these 5 key content elements: Great info, great talent, great food, great location or great elements: Great info, great talent, great food, great location or great entertainmententertainment

““Gone are the days when people would just show up because twitter was Gone are the days when people would just show up because twitter was the newest thing. People don’t go to the movie just to see what a movie the newest thing. People don’t go to the movie just to see what a movie is, they go for great content—the same applies to Tweet Ups.”is, they go for great content—the same applies to Tweet Ups.”- - Danica Kombol @danicakombol

Example:Example: Cox Partners Cox Partners with National Center for with National Center for Missing & Exploited Missing & Exploited Children to survey Tweens Children to survey Tweens and their Internet habits; and their Internet habits; Holds Holds #CoxTakeCharge Tweet U#CoxTakeCharge Tweet Upp to share results, provides to share results, provides tipstips to keep kids safer to keep kids safer online.online.

2. Must have great Technical Delivery2. Must have great Technical Delivery

It Must Work:It Must Work: Great events Great events go nowhere fast when the go nowhere fast when the technology doesn’t work. Use technology doesn’t work. Use reliable vendors at reliable reliable vendors at reliable venues.venues.

““It’s got to work. You have to manage technical needs well, especially at It’s got to work. You have to manage technical needs well, especially at a field location.”a field location.”--Amani Channel @amanichannelAmani Channel @amanichannel

Example: Cox’s event Example: Cox’s event was held at the was held at the National Press ClubNational Press Club using using their state of the art their state of the art production and production and broadcasting facility.broadcasting facility.

3. Must Promote Early and After3. Must Promote Early and After

Promote Early:Promote Early: Create a hashtag early Create a hashtag early and a url to include in and a url to include in all promotions. all promotions. Invitation should be Invitation should be social, like your event. social, like your event. Find creative ways to Find creative ways to promote the event promote the event and the content and the content shared.shared.

Example: Cox’s event included Example: Cox’s event included original research original research findings to get the conversation findings to get the conversation started. Cox created a started. Cox created a social media animationsocial media animation and an and an infographic and multi-media news releaseinfographic and multi-media news release to explain the survey results. The to explain the survey results. The Cox web siteCox web site provided more information for parents and provided more information for parents and caregivers.caregivers.

Promote After:Promote After: Record the event, Record the event, make it available make it available online; Use stats from online; Use stats from survey to drive traffic survey to drive traffic to view the recorded to view the recorded event.event.

4. Must have great Talent4. Must have great TalentTalent can carry Talent can carry the event:the event: Choose Choose talent who have a talent who have a built-in following in built-in following in the social media the social media space and understand space and understand how to use the how to use the medium.medium.

Example: Cox chose former CNN correspondent Example: Cox chose former CNN correspondent Jeanne Meserve Jeanne Meserve (left) to moderate the Tweet Up; (left) to moderate the Tweet Up; John WalshJohn Walsh (center), Children’s Advocate and Host of America’s Most Wanted (center), Children’s Advocate and Host of America’s Most Wanted on LifeTime and on LifeTime and Leticia BarrLeticia Barr (right), well-respected blogger to (right), well-respected blogger to moms known as TechSavvyMama.moms known as TechSavvyMama.

Amy (Burton) Storey Amy (Burton) Storey ““One of the biggest One of the biggest errors I see clients errors I see clients making is forgetting to making is forgetting to include social media include social media rights in their contracts rights in their contracts with talent.”with talent.”

5. Must Measure5. Must MeasureUse measurement tools to determine if your event is Use measurement tools to determine if your event is successful.successful.

Example Measurement report Example Measurement report from Cox Event:from Cox Event:

7.1 million social media 7.1 million social media impressionsimpressions

11 Washington, DC parent 11 Washington, DC parent bloggers bloggers attended the event in attended the event in personperson

5.2 million Twitter impressions 5.2 million Twitter impressions to-to-date from pre-promotion to post-date from pre-promotion to post-promotion promotion

451 people contributed451 people contributed to the to the Twitter conversation Twitter conversation

1,600 tweets 1,600 tweets (using hashtag (using hashtag #CoxTakeCharge)#CoxTakeCharge)

5 5 posts posts from bloggers, from bloggers, including a pre-including a pre-event post by panelist event post by panelist Leticia Barr on Parents.com Leticia Barr on Parents.com that that generatedgenerated more than 1.8 million more than 1.8 million impressionsimpressions

5 Must NOTs5 Must NOTs

1.1. Must not over market your productMust not over market your product

2.2. Must not over market your productMust not over market your product

3.3. Must not over market your productMust not over market your product

4.4. Must not over market your productMust not over market your product

5.5. Must not over market your productMust not over market your product

The ExpertsThe ExpertsDanica Kombol @danicakombol: www.beEVERYWHERE.tv““Gone are the days when people would just show up because Gone are the days when people would just show up because twitter was the newest thing. People don’t go to the movie just twitter was the newest thing. People don’t go to the movie just to see what a movie is, they go for great content—the same to see what a movie is, they go for great content—the same applies to Tweet Ups.”applies to Tweet Ups.”

Amani Channel @amanichannel www.amanichannel.com Amani Channel @amanichannel www.amanichannel.com ““It’s got to work. You have to manage technical needs well, It’s got to work. You have to manage technical needs well, especially at a field location.”especially at a field location.”

Amy (Burton) Storey, Vice President, KEF Media Amy (Burton) Storey, Vice President, KEF Media www.kefmedia.com www.kefmedia.com ““One of the biggest errors I see clients making is forgetting to One of the biggest errors I see clients making is forgetting to include social media rights in their contracts with talent.”include social media rights in their contracts with talent.”

Todd Smith @toddpr, Cox Communications, Media Relations Todd Smith @toddpr, Cox Communications, Media Relations Director, www.cox.com Director, www.cox.com ““Don’t forget to invite traditional media to cover your social Don’t forget to invite traditional media to cover your social media event.”media event.”

Stephanie Davis, @therealsteph Cox Communications, Stephanie Davis, @therealsteph Cox Communications, Corporate Communications Manager, www.cox.com Corporate Communications Manager, www.cox.com ““Original research acts as a 3Original research acts as a 3rdrd party endorsement. It adds party endorsement. It adds credibility and extends the life of the event.credibility and extends the life of the event.