Twitter

It makes sense that if you’re using Twitter already, you tweet information and links to events you’re running or helping to promote.

• Tweet often.  People who are online at 07:30am may not be online at 3pm, or 10pm. Experiment, to see which times get the best results.  You can measure this in simple ways, by engagament (i.e. Replies, Mentions and Retweets) or by using a URL shortener for example, such as Ow.ly (an URL shortener and link visit tracker).
• Experiment with different phrases.  As people expand the number of Twitter users they follow, things become unmanagable.  This is where tools such as Tweetkdeck and Hootsuite play a role in helping users filter tweets for keywords. As you might expect, not everyone follows the same keywords as may be obvious to you.
• If you’re not already on Twitter and open an account solely to promote a single event, don’t expect too many bookings.  People like to get to know you first.

Also, take a tour of Twitter for Business, to learn about other promotional tools.

Your Own Website

There is no better place to promote an event than your own website.

• Twitter aside (in our case), it is probably the source of the majority of visitors to your event booking page.
• Remember to use Google Analytics, or some other website statistics package, to record the source of all visits.

Facebook

We’ve already blogged How to Use Facebook to Promote an Event, but there’s no harm mentioning this again.  (Remember to come back once you’ve read this post.)

Eventbrite

The three best things about Eventbrite are:

Event invitation, booking, payment, reminder and notifcation management

OK, that’s five. But, this (almost free) application is worth its weight in handbags.  See Eventbrite pricing for further details.

• Automate sending of invitations, notifcations and reminders (including complimentary tickets) to a pre-existing list of contacts
• Take bookings – with multiple payment options – online

Tracking links

• Would you like to be able to see which online marketing effforts are sending most links to your booking page?
• Would you like to identify which affiliates are sharing your links more effectively than others?
• Would it help focus future marketing events if you could see which tracked links were ineffective?

Customisation

There are buckets of customisation options in Eventbrite.  One of my favourites is the facility to create ticket forms, widgets like this one, calendars and links to promote your event with a clean, professional look.

WhatsOnNI

Register and add your event (free) to WhatsOnNI.com.  Events are uploaded along with an image and approved on the same day.

Email Newsletter

Using a legitimate email contact list, sign up to Mailchimp today.  I’ve surveyed the best of the rest, and this is the one that was consistently easy to use and written with non-tecchies in mind.

Advantage NI

Advantage shares Northern Ireland news and events and has a Business Directory that you can add your details to.  Register with Advantage NI to being making use of the website’s promotional facilities.

InvestNI

NI Business Info is an InvestNI webiste where you can read crucial business information and view business events in Northern Ireland.  Register with NI Business Info, to begin accessing information and sharing events.

SyncNI

SyncNI publishes a Northern Ireland business calendar listing varying types of events, though its focus is business, technology, science and innovation.  Register with SyncNI (for free) to list business events, post news, share press releases and blog posts.

Addictive Creatives

Addictive Creatives lists news and Northern Ireland creative events.  Contact Addictive Creatives with details of your event.

LinkedIn Events

You can add LinkedIn Events as long as you already have a LinkedIn profile.  Like Facebook, you, attendees and other interested parties can add their name to the list.  You can also send invitations to anyone in your contact list.

Business Events Hub

The Business Events Hub Facebook page is added to regularly by business people sharing and promoting events.  As long as you already have a Facebook profile, you can Like the Page, then share links to events.

Allen at BookCamp

“How do you keep up to date with things?”, someone asked on Facebook this week. Here is how I keep up to date with business events at least…

SYNC NI

Technology, Science and Innovation events in Northern Ireland.  Email them and they will supply a login so you can add your own.

NI Business Info

This is the main page, with all events displayed (174 at time of writing).  However, you can also filter by keyword, location, date, topic and type.  Subscribe to event alert emails here.

Addictive Creatives

News and events for creative addicts in NI.

BookCamp

Book club for businesspeople, enterpreneurs and professionals, run by Allen Baird (seen in photo above).

Belfast Entrepreneurs Network

Register to receive event alert emails.

WhatsOnNI

Quickly becoming Northern Ireland’s go-to site, for finding out anything that’s happening in NI.  I think it’s so successful, as content is user-generated!  This link leads to the Business/Coaching/Training section.  Set up an account and add your own events, free, here.

Business Events Hub on Facebook

Intended for sharing, you can write on the Wall and it’s all moderated by Tracy Gilpin.

Eventbrite

This is the Northern Ireland eventspage – see categories for business and conferences.

Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce

Some events are free, some are free for members, and some are charged.  If you email them details, they will add your event for free.

ScribeTribe

Business and professional writers’ network, run by Dawn Baird.

Women on the Move

Networking and business events, normally based in Ballymena.  They’re also on Facebook.

Women in Business

Events for women in business.

QUB Short Courses Programmes

Take a look a the PDF, which contains a list of CPD workshops run by QUB’s School of Education.  Allen and I both deliver several workshops a year for CPD.

QUB

Open lectures, performances and courses.

Social Media Association for Business

Business association for all those keen to use social media to promote and manage their business.

Digital Circle

For technology-focused events.  You can add your own.

Refresh Belfast

“Refresh is a monthly event for designers, developers, geeks & nerds to get together to discuss design, debate emerging technologies, share ideas and meet new people from the local creative industries. Every third Monday of the month we organise a couple of presentations from local industry experts to be enjoyed over a few beers in the The Black Box.”

Northern Ireland Microsoft Technologies Group

Loads and loads of events for geeks.

Open Coffee Mid-Ulster

Monthly networking event in the Magherafelt district.  There are other locally-organised groups who meet in Lisburn, Newry, Ballyclare Derry and Coleraine.

Belfast City Council

Belfast events and programmes.

B4B

Events happening mainly around Belfast.  As a member, you have an account and can add your own events, lsited under Other Events.

MLN

Includes Champion events and Management Month.

Additional Ideas

• Twitter and Facebook users share freely.  Pay attention to your News Feed.
• Set up a Google account and add RSS feeds to Google Reader.
• Add Events pages to your IE Favourites or Bookmarks.
• Sign up for email events alerts.

I’d be delighted to hear about any others.  Please add your suggestions in a comment.

This session is for anyone who wants to know which social media tools are being used successfully by businesses based in Northern Ireland. It is most suitable those who are aware of social media and in the very early stages of thinking about using it for business.

Sink Your Teeth Into Social Media

This information session will introduce you to the concept of social media and how it can be used to promote (yourself and) your organisation. Following a brief introduction, the session will consist chiefly of a practical, live demo of the main tools.

Date: Friday, 15 Jan 2010, 10:00-12:00

Venue: Antrim Enterprise Agency

Speaker: Dawn Baird

What are the session objectives?

The objectives of the session are as follows:

• To introduce you to the look and feel of the social media tools being used for business in NI
• To highlight NI businesses successfully using them to market and network
• To illustrate how to integrate profiles on your existing websites
• To reveal which social media tools will help you efficiently manage the time spent in raising your profile and brand awareness

Who is the session for?

This workshop is FREE to those who attend Antrim Enterprise Centre’s monthly Business Bites networking meetings.

Book your place by contacting Antrim Enterprise Agency on 028 9446 7774 or kerry@antrimenterprise.com.