How to Promote Your Event on Instagram by @dancarthy2

Why should you use Instagram? Well, it’s really more of a question of why not. The statistic says it all. According to one report, the social network giant has 500 million monthly users and 300 million daily active users as of June 2016. With these stats, it makes all the sense to use this powerful social media resource for getting word out about your next event.

Here’s a few tips to help you connect and build a receptive audience.

1. Create a Funny Meme

Photo credit: Frabz

Memes are a great way of adding a humorous post or two to your Instagram. This can be a post of you or a staff along with a funny quote. It can even be an image of a celebrity, an animated character, or even an animal.

Preferably, the quote should be something industry-related. If there is a well-known figure in your industry, then consider using that person in your meme. For a tech-related event, for example, you may want to consider Steve Jobs or Ashton Kutcher in his role as Steve Jobs.

2. Add a Countdown

Countdowns help build anticipation and excitement. You can add a countdown widget on your main event site. This includes a timer that counts down the days, hours, and minutes in real time. You should also do a countdown on your Instagram.

For each day, include a post that shows the number of days left before the event. This can be a graphical animation or even a photo of a helium balloon in the shape of the number. It can also be a photo of you or a staff member holding up a piece of paper with the number written on it.

For one of its event tours, the band Tenth Avenue North used the following image for one of its countdown days:

Photo credit: Tenth Avenue Nation

Here’s another example of countdown days:

Photo credit: Google Plus

3. Post Images of the Event Venue

When you’re scouting potential venues, you should take pics of pertinent areas within the facility. Once you have a location secured, post those pics on your Instagram to show attendees a preview of what they can expect once they walk through the doors.

Since Instagram also lets you film short videos, this can also include a brief video tour of the place. Images can also include descriptions. You can, for example, post a pic of the venue’s podium and add that this is where speakers X and Y will be presenting.

You can also post pics of the exterior or nearby landmarks, so attendees will recognize the place once they arrive.

4. Trendjacking

Trendjacking is the act of capitalizing on a current trend, image, meme, GIF, etc. If there is a piece of content out there that is a social media trend, then include it as part of your Instagram post. Of course, you should find a way to tie it back to your industry or event.

What trend can you capitalize on at this moment? Pokémon Go is a huge trend as of the date of this post. There’s quite a few Instagram posts of places with Pokémon creatures edited in. Perhaps you can do the same thing with the venue and joke that the event – due to its location – is also a great place for capturing rare Pokémon monsters.

Another trend that’s been out for a while is the “keep calm and…” slogan. Complete the slogan using a witty and industry-related phrase.

5. Add Images of Your Flyer

You can upload a digital pic of the event flyer. This is simple yet effective because the flyer contains all the essential information. Here’s an example from a Valentine’s Day event held by Incognito Radio:

Photo credit: Ticket Bud

Keep in mind, though, that this should be done sparingly. Post it several weeks out and again just a few days before the event. You don’t want to overdo it here because flyers do come off as promotional, and uploading a flyer – even a different version of the original – will make your audience feel like they’re being sold to.

Instagram is your canvas for posting visually rich images. Use it to your advantage to hype up your next event. Pictures, after all, are worth a thousand words, thus making Instagram a powerful social media promotion tool.