TIPS & TRICKS

A few months ago, Julius Solaris at Event Manager Blog pushed out a great post centered around his Slideshare presentation on avoiding the most common event management social media mistakes.

We laughed. We cried. We blew kisses at the screen. So true. So, so true. Check it out:

Julius mentions that his original post received a lively response, and I m not surprised. I kind of wish I was surprised. Social media isn t a new-baby business tool anymore, but it s alarming how often event managers still need these tutorials, crave them, lust after them. It means we re behind. It means it still feels new and optional to know everything there is to know about social media. It s not optional anymore, but that s ok, because you wanna know a secret about becoming a social media expert?

It s just not that hard.

Time consuming? Absolutely. Even scary at times. But it s just not that hard.

Julius has a lot of specific, and spot-on, pointers. But if you look at the cohesive root of his message, Julius is just saying one thing: there are real people on the other side of those keyboards. Those are real people that might be willing to help you promote your event, or to attend it, if you re nice to them. Real people like to be treated courteously. They like being treated like cherished friends and treasured customers. They like feeling unique, irreplaceable, interesting and smart. Just because there s a computer between you doesn t morph other human beings into Enigma Machines.

Real people like it when their messages are replied to, directly, by a real person. Real people don t like getting form letters, or talking to an automated answering machine which is what it feels like to them when your social media software sends an automated response to their direct message.

Real people feel cool when someone re-tweets or otherwise re-publishes their posts. If we re gonna get all cynical and Psych 101 about it, we might even say that it fills a very human need for external validation. Re-tweeting is a form of flattery. People like flattery. And when it s genuine, it costs very little to give.

Julius says: Don t Beg. And he s right. Why? Because real people don t like to be forced into awkward charity situations. Even our best friends, who presumably owe us at least a little loyalty, don t enjoy that. Why is it then OK to ask strangers, with whom we have no emotional capital, for favors?

There are real people sitting behind those keyboards. Your event s social media strategy will thrive if you remember that.