Social Media guide

Now that you’ve built your app, you’re ready to show it off to the world. The goal is for your audience to know how much information the app holds, as well as how interactive it can be. This guide will provide examples on how to effectively use social media as a promotional tool.

Different platforms

It’s important to note the strengths of every social platform before you begin pushing your content.

The four main platforms of active participation from the majority of your audience will most likely be the following : Instagram / Facebook / Twitter. To access to a breakdown of content work well per platform, as well as the features you could use, just click on each icon.

 The content itself

The question that arises quite often is, “how do we promote our app?” and “how are other festivals promoting it?”

The ultimate goal is to make the attendee aware that the app exists and all the features it contains over the traditional paper book. On each post, make sure to always provide the download link for the app. You want to make it as simple as possible for the audience to find what you’re promoting.

A simple list of benefits is an easy way to start. The app might hold exclusive contests, have features that allow them to skip the lines, get alerts to when their favorite shows are going to start, etc. Promote what you think is useful to your attendees.

 The importance of timing

The engagement of your followers varies depending on when you post. There are three points to take into account:

• Big moments. There’s a small window of anticipation from the audience and typically that’s when the tickets go on sale or when the lineup is announced. The audience is actively watching your platforms for news and it’s prime time to push any special announcements.
  
  
• Strategic times. Depending on the social network, there are peak posting times based on your followers social media habits.  Look at your analytics carefully and pick the times where you’ve noticed your audience is most engaged. It’s all dependant on your fan base however, statistically it’s best to post around 1pm-6pm.
  
  
• Consistency. Post regularly to make sure you reach as many people as possible and to build up a following. People want to follow a social media account that’s active and up to date.

Engagement

Beyond regular posting, there are other ways to ensure that your content will go further than your current audience.

• Hashtag. Creating a special hashtag for your festival serves a dual purpose. First, it’s easy for you to brand your event but also allows you to view what your attendees are getting up to. Reposting fan created content is a great way to boost audience engagement.
  
  
• Interaction. Any time the app is mentioned or a question is asked about it, answer it.
  
  
• Ideally, you should have the links to download the app in bio section on each platform. This will cement the app as part of the festivals identity.
• Collaborate. Don’t forget to tag any sponsors or partners to ensure that you also tap into their audience. With that said, don’t forget to mention us @Greencopper on Twitter and Facebook and @lifeatgreencopper on instagram!
  

Don’t underestimate the impact that good social media communication entails. Using the app provides more benefits to the user. They receive up to date information and you have a better understanding of your attendees behavior through data analytics. It’s a win win situation for everyone.