Trying to boost your attendance at an event? Get more people to register for your program? Generate awareness of your latest initiative?
Social media can be a very effective tool to supplement your marketing mix, which may include printed materials, email, website, event calendar post, and WINGS announcement.
Some tips to help you get the most out of your organic (unpaid) posts:
- Match the message to the audience: Each platform has a unique audience. Make sure the event or program is appropriate to that audience and is promoted in a way that makes it meaningful to them. This means that an event or program with a specific target audience may not be appropriate to promote on a channel that has a very broad audience.
- Have a single, clear call to action (CTA): Want them to visit your website for more information? Want them to register at a specific page? Tell them and provide the link. Don’t add multiple CTA’s (e.g., multiple websites or phone numbers) or they will be confused. Do not use QR codes on social media; use web links.
- Use photos or videos: Want your content to get seen? Add a compelling photo or video. Visuals catch a user’s attention. If the visual looks interesting, they will be more likely to read the content. The photos or videos should not have words or logos that cover more than 20 percent of the image in a grid format.
- Do not use flyers, posters, postcards, or other designs with many words on them: This includes most content created through Canva or similar products and most materials that were created to be printed and distributed. This is tough, because it’s so easy to just throw a digital file online, right? Unfortunately, this method dooms your post to failure. Facebook algorithms (which also extends to a small degree to Instagram) will flag your post and you’ll get a noticeable decrease in post views. On Twitter, the platform will only display a part of your poster, which will look choppy and confusing; users will not be inclined to click on it to expand.
- Make sure it looks like something that is coming from Wright State: Will your event be on Wright State’s campus? Is it a Wright State program or initiative? Then make sure it looks that way from a glance. Do not use pink, purple, orange, red, blue, or other schools’ color combinations. Use variations of green and gold with white and black accents. If you add our logo, do not squish, stretch, change the color, split up, or otherwise modify it. View our Wright State Brandbook for more info on making your promotions look more official: www.wright.edu/brand
- Choose your words carefully: Don’t just type the who, what, where, and when (though don’t forget to include them, either!). Make sure you include the WHY—why people should bother to attend, enroll, or participate. What’s in it for them?
- Shorter is better: Social media algorithms and user preferences both demand shorter posts. Try to keep your copy to under 90 characters, if possible. That’s not always possible, but if you can user fewer words, do so.
- Use appropriate hashtags: Research hashtags before you randomly use them. Make sure the way they are being used online matches the tone of your event. Also try to always use the hashtag #WrightState if it will take place on campus. This also helps us to find your content to engage with it from the main Wright State accounts.
- Schedule multiple posts with increasing frequency as you approach the event: Start promoting your event as early as possible with a save-the-date post. Then do reminder posts about once every week or two until you are within two weeks of the event. At that point, start increasing your frequency to once every few days. Change the content each time so it does not look like you are spamming your audience, or they will stop following you. This is easy to do with the university’s social media management platform. Contact us if you need help getting started.
- Tell the social media managers group: The university's social media managers group (SMMG) is a vast network of campus social media admins who may elect to help broadcast your message if it is appropriate for their audience(s). Contact the social media team at socialmedia@wright.edu to request the email address for the SMMG.
Still need help? Or would you like more information on paid social media promotion? Email the social media team at socialmedia@wright.edu and let us know what you’re working on.
