Social Media

Increase Your Event’s Social Presence by Creating Photo-Worthy Moments

by Catherine Reed
5 years ago
4 min read
social presence
Written by Catherine Reed
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Social media is a big part of many people’s day-to-day; it gives them methods for connecting with family and friends, as well as other professionals working in their field. In fact, many of your attendees may have even connected with something related to your event over social media.

While many event professionals focus on finding ways to use social media to garner excitement about a meeting personally, you can also increase your event’s social presence by creating photo-worthy moments designed to catch the attention of your attendees. These vignettes give them a reason to stop and take a selfie or group shot and share it with the people in their networks. It also gives your conference additional coverage across a range of popular platforms, as participants can as easily tweet the photo as they can post it on Instagram.

But, how do you create a photo-worthy moment? Here are just a few suggestions.

Don’t Ignore Décor

If your event is full of plain white walls, you likely aren’t going to see many spontaneous photos being taken. Taking a selfie is about more than capturing the person’s image, it’s about showing them in a place that is fun and exciting. This means you need to craft spaces that are worth sharing, and the décor will play a substantial role.

Create an area with a fun background and high-impact, aesthetically pleasing furniture and accessories. Frame the area with a makeshift arch or similar boundary to help bring attention to the space and add signage that clearly notes a hashtag associated with the event. This approach helps immediately clarify what the space is for and encourages people to jump in and participate. You can even have props store alongside the space, letting attendees be as serious or silly as they desire.

Think About Happenings

Is there something new and exciting going on in the industry? Can it be demonstrated in a physical way? If the answer is yes, then bringing an example in can help create a photo-worthy moment that is definitely worth sharing.

People like posing with unique and interesting things, especially when they speak to an interest of theirs on a personal level. So, if there is a product that taking the industry by storm, and not many people have had an opportunity to get their hands (or even just their eyes) on it, see if one can be brought in as a potential focal point.

You can also get similar results by bringing in something fun with wide appeal. For example, the opportunity to try VR technology can catch a lot of attention, and photos of friends wearing the headsets can be quite shareable. When in doubt, find a technology that is fun to use and requires the person to be somewhat active. Encourage them to post on social media with signage that includes the product name, event name, and associated hashtag.

Bring in a Celebrity

Few things get people snapping pics like celebrity sightings, so setting up a few of these photo opportunities can certainly encourage social media sharing by your attendees.

While traditional celebrities like movie, television, music, or sports stars will gain attention, you aren’t necessarily limited to them as options. Every industry and field have their own unique celebrities that appeal to professionals working in those areas. This means your keynote speaker and presenters may be ideal choices for photo ops.

Create a space for the celebrity photos to take place, and set it up with strong décor as we discussed previously. Then, work the time into the speaker contracts to ensure you’re well covered and let attendees know who will be available when.

Just like with the other photo spaces, include signage to display your event’s chosen hashtag. Then, let the attendees spread the word.

By using any (or all) of the techniques above, you can increase your event’s social presence with relative ease. Make sure the participants have ample opportunity and reason to take a quick selfie and add the hashtag, and the rest will happen almost automatically.

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Catherine Reed

Catherine is a content creator, article writer, and web copy specialist who has translated her professional and educational experience into a full-time writing career spanning categories as diverse as technology, education, finance, and staffing. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology and has nine years of experience working specifically in the mobile device field.
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