Explore how to effectively harness social media to drive traffic and attendance for your nonprofit event, plus maximize the on-site experience. Learn practical strategies, tactics, and resources to ensure maximum engagement from the communities you serve using Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

1. Leveraging Social Media for
Nonprofit Events
Ritu Sharma
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Ritu@sm4np.org
@RituSharma1
www.sm4np.org

2. The Agenda
Understanding the event ticketing
lifecycle
Social media tips, tricks and time savers
to maximize engagement
Leveraging social media before, during
and after your event
Tying it all together with data
2

3. Defining Event & Social Media
ROI
ROI =
Increasing donations + Raising
awareness + Maximizing ticket
sales
3

4. Average Ticketing Lifecycle
4
On average,
fundraiser
tickets go on
sale 4-6 weeks
before the event.
(Hint: People procrastinate. Don’t let them.)

5. Ticketing Lifecycle
You can
influence the
ticketing
lifecycle!
5

6. Communication & Content
Calendar
6
Create a communication plan
• Work backwards from the date of the event until the
first invite goes out
strategic times to email?
• 9-11am, Tuesday-Thursday
Where to post information?
• Your website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, local
community calendars

7. Sample Content Calendar
Event Date: June 25th— Calendar Highlights Content Plan
Leading up to the Event

8. Sample Content Calendar

9. Create your Registration Page
9

10. Create a Facebook Event
10

11. Further your Facebook Presence
Pro Tip: Integrate ticket purchases in Facebook via apps
11

12. The Agenda
Understanding the event ticketing
lifecycle
Social media tips, tricks & time savers
to maximize engagement
Leveraging social media
before, during and after your event
Tying it all together with data
12

13. Promote
1. Post regular updates:
Pictures, performers, VIPs, auction
items, partners & even attendee stories
2. Post more pictures & videos
(cute stuff helps!)
3. Invite attendees to RSVP as they register
4. Be sure to tag attendees, VIPs, partners, and
others
13

14. pre-
purchase
40%post-
purchase
60%
The motivation to share is
higher once the purchase has
been made
Facebook Shares
14

15. • Post 6-7 times a day
• Reach out to
influencers
• Retweet & thank!
• Use a Hashtag- word
preceded by # sign – keep it
short!
(6 – 8 characters)
15
#sm4np

16. Twitter Direct Message
Campaign
Step 1: Create Twitter
List
Hootsuite Publisher Window
Download all your twitter followers in an excel sheet &
segment by location

17. Step 2: Draft Direct
Message
Twitter Direct Message Campaign
d @Twitteruser Join us in Vancouver for Our Social Media Marketing
Conf 6/25, save $20 w/code SM4NP http://bit.ly/sfshoih33

18. Step 3: Upload to
Hootsuite
Twitter Direct Message Campaign

19. • Create Groups & Cultivate Community
for your Members
• Pre-approve/Invite all Attendees to LI
• Share Exclusive Content on LI
• Host Post Event Chats/Discussions
• Participate in Industry Groups

20. The Agenda
Understanding the event ticketing
lifecycle
Social media tips, tricks and time
savers to maximize engagement
Leveraging social media
before, during and after your event
Tying it all together with data
20

21. Keep the
Conversation Going
During the event:
• Provide a twitter wall
• Prominently display the
#hashtag
• Display the conversation
• Use free services like
tweetchat.com or
twitterfall.com to display
tweets about the event
21

22. The Conversation Lives On
After the event:
• Ask for feedback, share a
survey
• Create and share recaps
• Post event pictures
•
Use platforms like Storify
to summarize event
experience
• Review your tracking and
analytics to know which
social channels were
most effective
22

23. The Agenda
Understanding the event ticketing
lifecycle
Social media tips, tricks and time
savers to maximize engagement
Leveraging social media
before, during and after your event
Tying it all together with data
23

24. Track your Sales Sources
1• Create unique links
for each of your sales
sources
• Monitor throughout
the promotion process
• Review which
sources not only brought
in traffic, but ultimately
sales and donations
24

25. Productivity Tools
Hootsuite
Automatic scheduling
Mass tweeting (Only when
appropriate)
Mass direct messaging
(Be very selective)
25

26. Productivity Tools
26
www.simplymeasured.com

27. Wrap Up
27
• Decide which channels are right for you &
your Organization
• Encourage early ticket purchasing
• Collect donations from those who can’t attend
• Encourage post-purchase sharing
• Give attendees A reason to engage before, during, & after
your event
• Analyze which social media efforts Work

28. 28
Questions?
Ritu Sharma
Co-Founder &
Executive Director
Ritu@sm4np.org
@RituSharma1
www.sm4np.org