Facebook Events are a great way to publicize an upcoming event and invite guests. With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook provides immense exposure and makes it easy to spread the word about your event to large groups of people. Whether you’re hosting a concert, conference, fundraiser or any other type of gathering, Facebook Events allow you to provide key details, invite friends and followers, promote ticket sales and communicate with attendees.
Benefits of Announcing an Event on Facebook
There are several advantages to creating a Facebook Event for your upcoming gathering:
- Exposure – Your event will appear in the News Feeds of all the guests you invite, as well as their friends depending on privacy settings. This gives you access to a wide audience.
- Engagement – Guests can easily share your event page, allowing it to spread organically. They can also click “Going” or “Interested” to RSVP.
- Details – The event page provides a central place to share important information like date, time, location, description, ticket sales, parking and more.
- Updates – You can post updates that will appear in guests’ News Feeds to notify attendees of any changes or additions.
- Reminders – Facebook sends reminder emails leading up to the event so guests don’t forget to attend.
- Integration – The event seamlessly integrates with guests’ existing Facebook accounts and calendars.
- Metrics – You can view analytical data about your event’s exposure and engagement.
- Communication – Guests can post on the event wall to ask questions or discuss the event with each other and the host.
Clearly, hosting your event directly on the Facebook platform comes with numerous promotional and logistical advantages.
Step 1 – Create a Facebook Page
If you don’t already have one, the first step in announcing any event on Facebook is to create a Page for your business, venue, organization or brand. Pages allow you to establish an ongoing presence on Facebook that is separate from your personal profile. Here’s how to make one:
- Go to facebook.com/pages/create.
- Select the category that best describes your business, organization, venue or brand.
- Fill out the required information including name, category and address.
- Click “Get Started” and add a profile photo and cover image.
- Invite friends to like your new Page and publish your first post.
It’s important to build up your Page’s followers prior to announcing an event. This will ensure your event reaches the maximum number of people. Share your Page often and post engaging content regularly.
Step 2 – Create the Facebook Event
Once your Page is established, it’s time to create your event:
- Go to your Page and click “Events” in the left menu.
- Click the “+ Create Event” button.
- Select if this is an online or in-person event. If in-person, enter the venue details.
- Fill in the name, date/time and other event details in the right sidebar.
- Click “Create” and your event page will be live on Facebook.
Your event page will have tabs for About, Discussion, Attendees and more. Fill out additional details in each section like description, ticket sales links, schedule, FAQs and photos.
Step 3 – Invite Guests
Now it’s time to populate your event by inviting guests:
- Go to the About section and click “Invite” next to the date and time.
- Check the boxes to invite your Facebook friends, Pages and groups.
- Invite specific people by name or email if they aren’t on Facebook.
- Customize the invitation message.
- Click “Send” and the invites will be sent!
Your invited guests will receive a notification. They can click Going, Interested or Ignore on the invite. As people start responding, the Attendees list will grow.
Step 4 – Spread the Word
While inviting guests directly is a good start, you also want to get the word out more broadly:
- Share the event on your personal Facebook profile and ask friends to share it as well.
- Post the event details in relevant Facebook groups and on other social media networks.
- Tweet the event and guests can easily RSVP from Twitter.
- Add an “RSVP on Facebook” link or button to your organization’s website.
- Include the event in your email newsletter and other marketing campaigns.
- Promote the event through Facebook Ads to reach thousands more people.
Leverage all promotional channels to maximize visibility and increase attendance. Share event updates regularly to keep it top of mind.
Step 5 – Engage Attendees
With your event page created and guests invited, you can now interact with everyone leading up to the big day:
- Respond to comments and questions posted on the Discussion tab.
- Create Facebook Live videos to generate buzz and excitement.
- Share photos and tag attendees to get them engaged.
- Send updates about speakers, activities, venue logistics and more.
- Spotlight sponsors by showing how they are supporting the event.
The more you engage attendees, the more likely they are to attend, participate and share your event with others. Make it a two-way conversation.
Step 6 – Use Tools and Apps
Facebook offers additional tools to enhance your event page:
- Facebook Live – Broadcast live video before, during or after your event.
- Mentions – Tag your event location so it appears when people check in on Facebook.
- Message Button – Lets guests contact you without leaving Facebook.
- Comment Ads – Run ads pointing people to your event’s comment section.
- Live Chat Plugin – Add live chat support to instantly interact with guests.
There are also many third-party apps that integrate with Facebook Events for registration, ticketing, email marketing and more.
Step 7 – Stay in Touch Afterward
Your event may be over, but the engagement doesn’t have to stop:
- Post a recap with stats, highlights and photos from the event.
- Tag people who attended and ask them to share photos and testimonials.
- Send a follow-up email thanking attendees and including any additional info.
- Gather feedback through a survey to improve your next event.
- Share video footage from the event after editing it together.
Continue the conversation by providing attendees with a way to relive the event and share their experiences.
Conclusion
Facebook Events provide an unparalleled platform to spread the word about your upcoming gathering. By creating an engaging event page, inviting guests, promoting it widely, interacting with attendees and leveraging Facebook’s tools, you can attract maximum attention and participation. Use this guide to successfully announce any event and get people excited to attend and share it with others.