Experiential Marketing: How to Nail Your Social Strategy

REEFExperiential Marketing Blog
experiential marketing social strategy
Experiential marketing and social media are inextricably linked, at least they should be. There is so much brand power in creating experiences and interactions, why wouldn’t you want to leverage that further with coverage online? You can use social media in so many creative ways, why wouldn’t you want brand exposure before, during and after an event? With the potential worldwide audience that social media provides you need to nail down a social strategy with every experiential marketing campaign deployed, here are some ideas on exactly how to do that.

Jaw Dropping Experiences

We hate to use this line but sharing is caring and if your experiential marketing campaign is incredible then chances are those interacting will want to share their experience with it. The ease of transition from face-to-face interaction to an online share is why experiential marketing is a must-use marketing strategy. So nailing your social strategy starts with providing an incredible experience be it an event opening, a guerilla street deployment or simply a sampling campaign. Give them a reason to want to share their experience with others and they will.

Building Buzz Before with Social Media

Leading up to any event social media is critical! Look to utilize the social media networks available to you to promote your event with little effort. In 2019, every brand knows that without a social strategy, event marketing initiatives aren’t the same. Whether you choose to incorporate one or more social media platforms, social media strategies can open up a wide variety of followers that may not have had the opportunity to attend your event without the use of social media. We see a lot of value in promoting on Instagram stories and on SnapChat platforms but there are other ways too! Creating a Facebook event before your event takes place, gives you the opportunity to announce details and provide reminders and updates to those who show interest. Boosting your event through ads on Facebook is another inexpensive way to promote prior to your event. With every social media post created, combining photographs, videos, infographics, etc., visual experiences are designed, allowing users to feel drawn to the post and to share your content. Through these posts, introducing influencers into your social strategy can encourage promotion from the elites. Everyone wants to follow the footsteps of an influencer, why not use that to your advantage!

Leverage Social Media at the Event or Activation

If you’ve nailed your experience and are confident in its ability to get social media activity then your next step is leveraging those interactions. Creating a catchy hashtag to go along with your event can start a trend on social and could make your event a hot topic if there is enough online FOMO. Encouraging people to post photos of their experience with this hashtag gives your brand exposure with no added costs. Did someone say photo op? Setting up photo booths or a photo wall around your event will encourage attendees to take pictures of your event. Captivate your attendees with a social wall. Allowing for attendee interaction through a big screen, people can’t resist seeing themselves in the spotlight. Visual design elements added to photo booths or social walls can promote your brand as well. Adding logos, your website address or the creative hashtag you created will give your photo opportunities value.

Up Your Social Media and Experiential Marketing Game

Social media is just part of the puzzle, all the details matter to be successful in experiential marketing. Want to learn more about how experiential marketing can be an incredibly valuable brand building initiative for your brand? Get in touch with the Reef team today.