Wondering what your attendees are into? Find out what they share on social media. As 2016 comes to a close, we took a look at the most shared events on Eventbrite — across Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
While many of the usual suspects were highly shared (big music festivals like Lightning in a Bottle, and BottleRock, for example) we also found some…less usual events.
Here are some of the most unexpected 2016 event pages — all shared tens of thousands of times on social media — and lessons we can learn from them:
1. JAWS Boat In Movie on Dale Hollow Lake at Mitchell Creek Marina
Who wouldn’t want to watch JAWS on a floating screen, in the dark, in the water, in an inner tube? Okay, maybe a lot of people wouldn’t. But over 25,000 of those people still shared the Tennessee summer event with their potentially more daring friends. And those who stayed in the water for the entire movie got a T-shirt as a prize. But sorry, no refunds on shredded inner tubes. The takeaway: Weird = sharable. If there’s something unique or niche about your event, let it show!
2. Adopt a Grandparent for Christmas
What an adorable idea! Of course, cleverly hidden behind the sweetest marketing message ever is an invitation to buy Mary Kay products. This Fall event page did a great job of spinning a product sale as a thoughtful way to donate. Over 32,000 people liked the message and shared the event. The takeaway: Tap into people’s desire to share acts of kindness. And of course, it’s all in how you spin it.
3. 12th Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival
The event page for this Alabama hot air balloon festival has a big, beautiful banner and a concise, deliberate description — just a few of the prime ingredients that make an event page shareable. The event was also kid-friendly and free. Doubtless, a lot of the 24,000 shares were from families psyched to share a great weekend activity. The takeaway: Make it easy for attendees to see themselves at your event. The festival also shared photos of families enjoying last year’s event on their Facebook page — so potential attendees knew exactly what to expect.
4. MassChallenge, Dorm Room Fund, and Rough Draft Ventures Info Session
In February, these three entities came together to train young entrepreneurs on how to seek capital for a good cause. The event was shared over 39,000 times. The takeaway: We suspect that the young go-getters helming all three organizations focused their marketing efforts on social media channels, and their Millennial audience was happy to share a great opportunity.
5. Jun Curry Ahn’s September Concert in Kuala Lumpur
Never heard of him? Doesn’t matter. The Korean American violinist has more than one million YouTube subscribers, and a September concert he headlined in Malaysia got over 42,000 shares on social media. The takeaway: Be a charismatic YouTube star! But seriously: don’t underestimate the power of a strong online following, grassroots marketing efforts, or (of course) a headliner with big talent.
6. Documentary Boot Camp (with filmmaker Melody Gilbert)
Combine an award-winning expert in her field with a hot topic like documentary filmmaking, and an event sells itself. This March 2016 event at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago garnered over 39,000 shares on social media — even at $100 a ticket. The takeaway: people will pay for (and share) valuable insider knowledge.
7. Costco Mom Hour 2016
Let’s hear it for the moms! In 98 Costco warehouses across the U.S., moms were invited to show up an hour before doors opened to the public on a select day in November. Inside, they were greeted with special swag, snacks, samples, and giveaways. This collaborative effort across stores meant a much bigger social reach — earning the event over 16,000 shares. The takeaway: Treat your attendees like the VIPs they are. (Bonus takeaway: people love their moms.)
8. 2-Hour Paranormal Guided Tour of Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Back on the subject of “so scary you can’t help but share,” the historic Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Kentucky offers a two-hour tour of such gems as the morgue room, the body chute, and room 502 (we don’t want to know what that’s all about). People shared this event — wait for it — over thirteen thousand times. The takeaway: Tell your story. Waverly Hills Sanatorium’s website devotes a page to the (truly spooky) history of their space. Even if your event’s history is a little less remarkable, consider the power of storytelling to make your event share-worthy.
9. Pokémon Go Bar Crawl
Remember Pokémon GO? The trend that single-handedly caused over 100,000 car accidents, and two people to fall off of cliffs? Milwaukee stressed safety in numbers with a July pub crawl — which was shared almost 8,000 times. With ten participating venues and lots of enticing drink specials, what else could a pub crawl need? Oh, free WiFi — naturally. The takeaway: Hop on trends while they’re hot. (The new Super Mario Run has already beat Pokémon GO in first day downloads.)
There’s no doubt that social shares translate to event popularity — and many times, higher attendance. Learn how to use social media to your event’s advantage with 9 Simple Steps to Master Social Media for Events.
