How to Go Viral: Social Media for Conferences

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More and more, social media is becoming the go-to source for the newest industry insights. Social media for conferences and tradeshows is critical to be taken seriously among industry leaders, it’s increasingly vital to boost — and nurture — your social presence. Granted, this is easier said than done. So how do you translate your in-person event into a Twitter trend?

Eventbrite partnered with Mashwork to learn how attendees really talk about industry events online. We analyzed a year’s worth of  social media conversation around 60 of the most popular events across all verticals, using keywords, handles and hashtags to ensure we captured every tweet. Whether it was media reports, quotes from the keynote, or glowing post-event reviews, we read it all, and found some surprising trends:

  • Buzz peaks post-event. Attendees speak fondly and frequently about conferences and tradeshows after the fact.. The largest share of online conversation occurs after the event (40%), a huge jump from the average of 18% of conversation across all event types. Good news: 40% of this post-event conversation is positive feedback and reflections.
  • Media matters. Media analysis accounts for a remarkable 34% portion of the conversation both before and after the event.. These posts not only promote your event but also help build relationships with the press.
  • Hash out hastags. Only 21% of the hashtags used in posts about industry events were branded by the conference or tradeshow. So how can you use hashtags to collect conversation and make the biggest splash on and offline?

Despite these positive trends, conferences and tradeshows are still underrepresented  in the overall conversation surrounding  events. This was especially true during  pre-event conversation which drives 36 event page views and $4.86 in future ticket sales and registrations, per share.

With so much latent potential online, conferences and tradeshows are in a unique position to enter and influence the online dialogue. We found that one of the most successful ways to grow conversation is through contests — a strategy with the power to bump pre-event ticket promotion to 19% of the total conversation and drive early-bird ticket sales

In our free Britepaper we analyze more specific findings from our study, and how to apply these insights to create strategic contests that:

  • Engage your audience before, during, and after your event
  • Encourage attendees to use  your branded hashtag
  • Integrate sponsors into your contests
  • Take advantage of ongoing  industry conversations

Download our free Britepaper and get the insight you need to become the trending industry leader on social media.