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To EBUFU Event Organizers:
DO YOU WANT TO ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO YOUR EVENT MORE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY? WANT TO EXPAND YOUR REACH? READ ON!
I want to reach out to you directly with a message from the AC. First off, we are just as invested as you are that your event is a success. If you have been granted a folder here at the site, or if your announcement post has been accepted, this means we are all in to promote your event. Each EBUFU or Adjunct Event that is a success leads to more interest for the next one. That is our mission statement and we are fully-prepared to back it up with action.
We fully realize that times have changed. We understand that your Facebook Groups have become the primary source for real-time information, BUT, if you are only using your FB page to disseminate info, you are greatly selling yourselves short. Allow me to explain.
We are blasting out the announcements you make here on the forums on a regular basis. If you keep a steady stream of updates in your folder, it will go out to over 12,700 people on Facebook and almost 1,300 on Twitter. This expands not just the reach of the forums, but the reach for your event. By only posting updates to the people on your Event Facebook Page, you are marketing to a bubble. Your reach is limited to those people and depending on your privacy settings, not many more than that. We want to help and are in fact designed to help.
I have mentioned previously that our goal here with social media has been to expand the reach of Authentic Living History. These days, we no longer have to wait for someone to go through the mainstream ranks before they come to us. Today, we can go directly to those who are just getting started in the hobby. There is a science to this approach. This is not being done by accident.
We are specifically targeting a younger demographic by using marketing techniques that are provided within the Facebook software. With their platform, we can choose which demographic we want to market to and select keywords to tailor our message to their interests. This is being done on a macro level to attract people to the AC, but along with that, on a micro-level, the idea is to attract people to the events that you are producing. In other words, we are acting as a marketing umbrella for your efforts, with no cost to you. All we ask is that you provide updates here in return.
So, the bottom line here is that if you are not utilizing the marketing we are providing, you are passing up a substantial opportunity to attract people to your event. We play no favorites. If updates are provided, they are posted to our Facebook page. If they are not, then we have nothing to post for you. It is that simple.
Now, let's discuss some specifics. What kind of updates will help you attract people to your event? What kind of threads can you post here at the AC that will generate interest? Here are a few:
1) Registration Lists - I highly suggest that you keep a running registration list and every time it is updated, post it here. These lists draw a lot of people. I have seen it numerous times over the last few years. It shows people who else is going and it puts their name in lights, on the AC.
2) Provide Links - Whenever you post an update on the AC, don't make it a dead end. If it is a registration update, post the link directly to your registration page. Give people a direct line to sign up. Same goes on your Facebook page. If people have to hunt down where to sign up, they won't do it. In this modern age, it is all about minimizing clicks. Make it easy for them. If you want to get people to sign up for your Facebook Page/Group, give them a link in your post. It won't hurt our feelings if you want to gather people on your page. Once you have them there, it is the best tool available today to keep them in the loop. I cannot stress enough how important links are to your efforts. If there is nothing else to take away from my post, remember this one. Trust me.
3) Photos - If you have nice color photographs, there is no better way to gain attention to your posts. This applies here and on Facebook. I have read several studies that prove that if your post has photos - especially in color, they reach 75% - 80% more attention than those without. A picture speaks a 1,000 words. This is not just a cliche. It works.
4) Deconfliction - This is an old buzzword that is coming back now that there are more EBUFU event choices available than there were during the 150th Cycle. We have observed a noticeable uptick in the number of events that are now being hosted within our community. For this, you should be patting yourself on the back. The EBUFU schedule was practically disintegrating just a couple of years ago. The AC doesn't make the schedule, but we take great pleasure in adding events to the master schedule that we keep here, as long as it meets the guidelines. By referencing our master schedule, we hope that can can help you decide when is the best time to put on your event. Many times deconfliction is as simple as a phone call. Your event can be wrecked if it is stacked right on top of another event. And remember, we draw people from the mainstream. If there is a mainstream event happening at the same time that you want to do your event, don't be surprised if your announcement lands with a thud.
So, Event Organizers, here are the takeaways for you to consider: Use the AC. This is why we are here. Update your registration lists and get them out to the masses. Make it easy for people to sign up. Use links. Get outside the bubble. Facebook is the perfect place for you to get information to attendees, but marketing is about numbers. The more people you attract to your FB pages and groups, the more attendees you will have. Again, this is what we are providing for you. You concentrate on what you want to do to make your event memorable. Use us to help attract an audience. We look forward to it.