How to Market an Event on Social Media

Promoting your event on social media doesn't have to feel like shouting into the void. With a structured approach, you can build genuine excitement, drive ticket sales, and create a memorable experience that starts long before the doors open and lasts long after they close. This guide breaks down a proven framework for event marketing into three simple phases: before, during, and after, giving you actionable steps for each stage of the journey.

Phase 1: Before the Big Day - Building Buzz and Driving Registrations

This is where the magic really begins. Your goal during the pre-event phase is to build anticipation and convert interest into attendance. A scattered approach won't cut it, you need a well-oiled plan that systematically takes your audience from awareness to action.

Map Out Your Content Plan

The most successful event promotions follow a clear narrative arc. Think of it like a movie trailer: you tease, you reveal the value, and then you create a sense of urgency. A great way to structure this is over a 4-6 week timeline before the event.

• Weeks 6-5: The Teaser. Start by building curiosity. Post "Save the Date" announcements, share behind-the-scenes photos of your team planning the event, or create cryptic graphics that hint at the theme or big-name speakers without giving it all away. The goal here isn't to sell tickets, it's to get your event on people's radar.
• Weeks 4-2: The Reveal. Now it's time to connect the dots. Formally announce your speaker lineup, session topics, venue, and sponsors. This is where you heavily emphasize the "why" - what value will attendees get? Share short video clips from speakers, create slick graphics with powerful quotes, and run polls asking followers which session they're most excited about. Start your main push for ticket sales here.
• Final 2 Weeks: The Countdown. Urgency is your best friend. Create daily countdown posts, announce "last chance" ticket price alerts, and share testimonials from past attendees. This is also the time to post helpful logistical content, like parking guides, event schedules, and answers to frequently asked questions to reduce friction for attendees.

Create a Unique and Simple Event Hashtag

An event hashtag is more than just a tag, it's your digital filing cabinet. It organizes all conversations, photos, and excitement around your event into one searchable feed. A good hashtag is:

• Unique: Make sure it's not already in use for another popular purpose. A quick search on Instagram or X will tell you.
• Short & Memorable: Avoid long, complicated names. #DesignConf2024 is great. #SanFranciscoAnnualDesignersConference2024 is not.
• Easy to Spell: Don't use confusing words or inside jokes that attendees might misspell.

Start using this hashtag on every single post related to your event from day one. Encourage your speakers, sponsors, and early-bird ticket holders to use it, too.

Leverage Your Speakers and Partners

Your speakers, sponsors, and partners have their own audiences - use them! Don't just ask them to share, make it incredibly easy for them. Create a simple pre-event media kit that includes:

• Pre-written social media copy: Draft a few post options they can copy, paste, and customize.
• Branded graphics and video clips: Supply them with high-quality "I'm speaking at!" graphics featuring their headshot, the event logo, and key details.
• A unique affiliate link: Give speakers or partners a special discount code or link to share. This not only adds value for their audience but helps track who is driving the most sign-ups.

Use Ads to Reach Beyond Your Bubble

Organic reach is great, but don't count on it alone to fill the room. Targeted social media ads are a powerful tool for getting your event in front of the right people.

• Retargeting Campaigns: Install a tracking pixel on your event registration page. This allows you to serve ads directly to people who visited the page but didn't buy a ticket. A gentle "Still thinking it over?" reminder ad can be incredibly effective.
• Lookalike Audiences: Upload your list of past attendees or early registrants. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram can build a "lookalike" audience - a group of new users who share similar characteristics and are highly likely to be interested in your event.
• Interest-Based Targeting: Target users who follow influential people in your industry, belong to relevant groups, or have demonstrated interest in topics related to your event.

Phase 2: During the Event - Capturing the Moment and Fostering Community

The event is live! Your social media role now shifts from pure promotion to real-time community management and content creation. The goal is to make your online followers feel like they're part of the action, creating valuable "fear of missing out" (FOMO) for your next event.

Commit to Live Coverage

Capture the energy as it happens. Going live on Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn is the perfect way to give non-attendees a peek inside. But don't just hit the record button aimlessly. Go live with a purpose:

• Do quick interviews: Grab a speaker for a 5-minute Q&A right after they step off stage. Talk to energized attendees during a coffee break to ask about their favorite moment so far.
• Livestream a key segment: Choose one compelling (but not gatekept) part of a keynote or panel to stream live. This showcases the quality of your content and can tempt followers to grab a last-minute ticket if it's a multi-day event.
• Designate a "virtual host": Have a team member dedicated to managing the live content. Their job is to narrate what's happening, read comments from the online audience, and keep the energy up.

Focus on User-Generated Content (UGC)

The most authentic marketing for your event comes directly from your attendees. Dedicate someone on your team to scour your event hashtag and location tag throughout the day to find, engage with, and reshare great content from attendees.

When someone posts from your event, don't just "like" it. Leave a thoughtful comment or reshare their post to your Instagram Stories. This simple act of acknowledgment makes your attendees feel seen, encourages more people to post, and floods your feed with genuine social proof.

Design 'Grammable Moments'

Encourage sharing by creating moments people want to capture. These are physical installations designed with social media in mind. Think about a beautifully designed photo wall with your event hashtag in big letters, quirky props related to your industry, or even just exceptional lighting in a networking area. When the environment is visually appealing, attendees will do the marketing work for you.

Phase 3: After the Event - Keeping the Momentum Going

Your work isn't over when the cleanup crew arrives. The post-event phase is your chance to solidify the positive experience, provide lasting value, and build a pipeline of interest for your next event.

Share the Highlights Immediately

The post-event glow is real, but it fades fast. Within 24-48 hours, be ready to share:

• A "Thank you" montage: Create a quick highlight reel with energizing music, showing smiling faces, engaged crowds, and key speakers. This serves as a warm thank you to everyone who attended.
• Key quote graphics: Pull the most powerful one-liners from your top sessions and turn them into shareable quote cards. It's easily digestible content that reinforces the value delivered.
• Tag everyone: In your photo carousels and wrap-up posts, take the time to tag speakers, sponsors, vendors, and even attendees you snapped pictures of. This increases reach and shows you appreciate everyone involved.

Build an 'On-Demand' Content Library

You spent months planning this brilliant event, don't let the content die. Repurpose your event materials into an ongoing content engine:

• Turn full session recordings into clips for YouTube or podcasts.
• Write blog posts summarizing key panel discussions.
• Bundle speaker slides into a downloadable PDF that you can offer in exchange for an email signup.

This extends the life of your event and provides value to your community long after the day is done.

Open the Waitlist for Next Year

The absolute best time to market your next event is right at the peak of excitement from the current one. Even if you don't have a date or location set, you can seize the momentum. In your thank you email and social posts, include a link for followers to join an "early-bird" waitlist for next year's event. This gives you a pre-qualified list of warm leads to market to when you're ready to launch.

Final Thoughts

Effectively marketing an event on social media is a marathon, not a sprint. By thoughtfully planning your content strategy across the pre-event, during-event, and post-event phases, you can move beyond simply announcing an event to building a vibrant, engaged community around it.

Managing this entire process can feel overwhelming, which is why we built a tool to simplify it. Inside Postbase, we designed our visual content calendar specifically to help you map out that complete before, during, and after timeline in one clear view. You can schedule all your countdown posts, speaker announcements, short-form videos, and post-event highlight reels across every platform at once, freeing you up to focus on what matters most: engaging with your community and making your event a success.