8 Ways To Use LinkedIn For Event Marketing | Event Always

 

There are more than 82 million LinkedIn users in India. This means that there is a good chance that your potential delegates use the platform. It is, however, often overlooked as a social networking tool to use when you are trying to attract attendees.

These are the top eight ways to use LinkedIn for event marketing - making your event the most talked about, and anticipated event ever.

1. LinkedIn Status Update

Posting a personal update on LinkedIn to your connections with a link to your site or Eventalways webpage is the best way to communicate with them.

You would normally do this by simply typing a few words and then copying and pasting the URL into your update. LinkedIn will scan the page for images, and allow you to choose which one to display in your update. You could also use the Eventalways button to share to LinkedIn.

To grab more attention than the LinkedIn link, you can attach a standout image to this post. You can add a prominent image by clicking on the image icon at the top right of the update field. Then, locate the file from your computer. To increase your visibility in your activity feed (connections of people who like or comment on your posts), it is important to make your post engaging and interesting.

2. LinkedIn published a post

LinkedIn allows you to publish long-form content straight onto the platform. This is a great way for events to increase their numbers.

The 'Published Post' tool allows you to reach a wider audience. This will be visible to your direct connections via their notifications and feeds. If it is popular, it may also appear in one of LinkedIn's channels. To increase your chances of being noticed, keep posts interesting and relevant rather than advertising.

3. LinkedIn Direct Messages

Promoting an event is not something you can do lightly. You should also be comfortable contacting people directly. There are three types of messages you can send to LinkedIn direct:

• InMail
  This is the paid way to communicate on LinkedIn. You can send an InMail to anyone if you have credits that come with premium accounts or can purchase them separately.
• First-tier connection message
  To send a direct message free of cost to any connected person, simply type their name in the send too' field. Remember to uncheck the box that shows email addresses at the bottom.
• Group message
  You can share a group or message with someone by finding them in the member's tab and clicking the "send message" link.

4. LinkedIn Company Page Update

Status updates can be sent from company pages if you have administrator rights. Although company pages can't connect to individuals, individual users can follow updates from your page. This page will usually have a smaller audience depending on how familiar your brand is, but it can still be a great place to inform people about event news.

5. Make a LinkedIn Showcase Page

Showcase pages can be subpages of a company's page with their own followers. A showcase page could be created for your event. This will allow you to post updates and invite people to follow it. This is a better option for larger events and event series that require regular updates.

6. Make a LinkedIn group

Groups are community-based discussion forums. They can be very useful for publicising events and running them. You can create a group for your event and invite others to join it. This could include speakers, organizers, and delegates.

It is possible to have discussions about the topics that will be covered at the event, and invite speakers to participate. This will allow the speaker to gauge audience interest and generate more buzz about the event. Delegates can also continue discussions after the event, allowing them to keep in touch with speakers and other attendees.

7. Speaker posts

Ask speakers to give an overview of their talks and ask questions related to the topic. You could share this post with them on your profile. Or, you could just email the copy to them.

8. LinkedIn Advertising

You can place paid ads on LinkedIn in two ways. An advert block can be purchased that works very similarly to Google Adwords. However, a sponsored update is the best and most efficient way to post paid ads on LinkedIn.

This allows you to target your update at any LinkedIn user (location, job title, and seniority), rather than just your connections. Because users scroll through the updates stream, updates are more likely than standard ad posts to be seen. Sponsored updates can also be viewed via mobile and tablet applications, which account for over half of all LinkedIn traffic.

Conclusion

These are eight easy ways to use LinkedIn for event promotion. These methods can make a big impact but if you only promote your events on LinkedIn, they won't be as effective.

Communicating effectively on LinkedIn, as in all marketing, is about posting regular, useful, and interesting content. This will allow you to earn the right to occasionally post something more promotional.

Best of luck at your next event.