This time we are telling you how to promote your event through Google +: a social media which plays a major role in Search Engine Optimization by making it easier for marketers to show up in search results. Despite its late start, Google + is one of the largest social network and is definitely to include into your marketing strategy.

Here are some highlights of the video:

• Join communities: They are the best way to promote your event. This is a place to meet and engage with people on topics you’re interested in. You can join communities related to any business or topic you want and they often have different categories so it allows you to target the right audience. If you cannot find a community related to your content, you can create you own.

• Include keywords and hashtags: Keywords are essential on Google + whether it is in your company description, personal profile or your posts. Make sure that they are SEO friendly and to include hashtags in all your posts. They will increase your visibility on google search so they are very important for your event promotion.

• Create your event: Like on Facebook, you can create your own event and invite all the persons in your circles. You can give all the details related to your event such as the date, the location, etc. People that you invited can let you know if they will be attending or not. This is also a great way to communicate any extra details, or answering questions of the attendees.

• Engage: There is no secret to buzz on social media, you have to engage with people and not simply post your content. This means that you have to join communities, comment and like others posts, but also share content from others that you find interesting. Google + is the best place where you can interact with people that could be interested in your events.

Watch our video below for more complete information and tips

 
Thank you for watching, and don’t forget to like this video, share it and subscribe to CityEvents to gain valuable knowledge about planning your future events.

This time we are telling you how to promote your event through Linkedin: a professional social network, where you can connect with companies and other professionals. Linkedin is one of the most popular social media counting more users than Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Despite its popularity, Linkedin is often forgotten by marketers which makes it the best platform to promote your event without too much competition. We don’t recommend LinkedIn for your next music festival but it could be a perfect place to get the word out for your next networking event or conference.

Here are some highlights of the video:

• Keep your profile and company page updated: A properly optimized profile or page will increase your search visibility, so you have to make sure to use relevant keywords in your description, use descriptive wording in your job title and company name, Complete all fields in your profile and company page and to include links to your website and blog in your profile, description and posts.

• Join groups: Groups are the best way promote your event. This is a good way to select a specific audience and to promote your event to the right target. You can find groups very easily by using the search tool. You can also create your own group which will help you to connect with attendees before and after the event, to provide a central place for them to ask questions and facilitate discussion around the event topics.

• Send invitation and messages: You can’t be shy when promoting an event, so you should be familiar with contacting people directly. Using the Advanced People Search, you can filter the results by how you’re connected as well as by keyword, industry, and location.You can send invitations to your event using the Advanced People Search function to find people that would benefit by attending your event, media contacts that may be interested in covering the event for their outlet or potential event sponsors. You can also send direct messages to your contacts or members of groups you are part of.

Watch our video below for more complete information and tips

Thank you for watching, and don’t forget to like this video, share it and subscribe to CityEvents to gain valuable knowledge about planning your future events.

This time we are telling you how to promote your event through Snapchat: a messaging mobile app where you can share exciting pictures, videos and daily life stories to others in a 10 second window. Snapchat sends pictures and videos that you will be able to see from 1 to 10 seconds before they disappear. This application is used by millions of young users which makes it the perfect place to market your event to this type of attendee.

Here are some highlights of the video:

• Snapchat is easy to use. You only have to download the application on your phone and create your account.

• Snapchat has its own terminology such as: snaps which are photos or videos, and stories which are series of snaps that you can send to your friends. You can personalize any of your snaps with filters, emojis or drawings.

• Unlike other social media, Snapchat has a time constraint on the shared content, which means any snap you send will expire and will not be seen ever again. Stories are the best tool for your marketing campaign as the snaps can be seen during 24h. The extended view time opens the door to all kinds of creative marketing campaigns. For example, you can create a series of videos and images showing the progress of the preparation for your event or the teams working on certain aspects of the event.

• Snapchat is an exciting application as it allows you to be very creative and to stand out from other companies. There are different ways you can market your event and create buzz such are creating offers & promotions, teasers like a behind the scenes of your event, giveaways and storytelling.

Watch our video below for more complete information and tips

Thank you for watching, and don’t forget to like this video, share it and subscribe to CityEvents to gain valuable knowledge about planning your future events.

This time we are telling you how to promote your event through Periscope: an application that allows you to “go live” via your mobile at anytime and anywhere. This mobile application allows you your own “on the go” broadcasting station, streaming video and audio to any viewers who join your broadcast. Periscope is an amazing tool to promote your company and your events as it is free, easy to use and is a unique way of promotion. Periscope is  also a great tool to interact with your attendees and subscribers as you can live stream during your event or conduct interviews live.

Here are some highlights of the video:

• Periscope is easy to use. You can use your twitter account to log in so it will be easier to share that you are going live on social media.

• Periscope is only composed of 4 tabs: the list of people you are following and are live, the live public broadcast to join, your broadcast booth and the people to follow.

• Periscope is a great tool to promote your event before, but also during and after. It allows you to show all the different aspects of your event and can help you get more attendees or make your event more popular. For example, run a giveaway, hold a behind the scenes broadcast, interview special guests or speakers, or live stream the opening of your event.

• Announce on all your social media when you are going live! Since your Twitter account is connected to your periscope account, it makes it easier to promote your live broadcast. You want as many viewers as possible, so it is important that you share in advance when you are doing your broadcast. Share this information on all your social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. and announce it in your newsletter.

Watch our video below for more complete information and tips

Thank you for watching, and don’t forget to like this video, share it and subscribe to CityEvents to gain valuable knowledge about planning your future events.

If you have been following our series of how to market and create the buzz on social media, here is our new video!

This time we are telling you how to promote your event through Youtube: the number 1 video-sharing website used by millions of users. Youtube is a great tool to promote your events as it is free, easy to use and can increase your exposure on the web. The more popular your videos are, the more visibility you will get. In this video, we are explaining you how to use Youtube and how to create an interesting, as well as tips on how to create the buzz and to promote your event efficiently.

Here are some highlights of the video:

• Use a catchy title and focus on the description: before posting your video, make sure to use a title that will drag the attention of your viewers, but also a good description of the content of your video. Keywords are everything on youtube as they will help you be more findable. Make sure to use specific keywords on the description and to use any other related keywords in the tags field.

• Create good videos: Creating a good content is essential to create the buzz and attract more viewers. Make sure you are prepared for the filming of your video by choosing a specific location, having a script ready to structure your video.

• Create the buzz: many companies use Youtube to promote their company, so it is essential to stand out from the crowd. Creating an original content will help you create the buzz and attract viewers. Also, it is essential to increase your brand awareness so add your logo and colours to your videos so people will recognize you more easily.

In order to create the buzz, make sure to make your audience the star of your video. You can interview the attendees of your event or create a vlog to show the organization of the event.

Watch our video below for more complete information and tips

Thank you for watching, and don’t forget to like this video, share it and subscribe to CityEvents to gain valuable knowledge about planning your future events.

There were so many different vendors selling unique items targeted for women.  Everything from hair products to organic foods.  There was a huge spectrum of items.  Aswell as giveaways there were also free gifts.  Everyone was getting free pasta, razors and other samples.

The National Women’s Show had something for everyone.  There was social media interactions, shopping and mingling with other women.  We stayed in the Social Media and Contest Lounge for the majority of the time.  We had live feeds from Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and more.  The live feeds were great for people for the online Twitter contests.  The online Twitter contests were great because we had many people competing for the prizes and it was simple to enter the contests.  All one had to do was retweet to win!

Next year is going to be just as spectacular and we hope to see everyone there again!

Click here to go to the NWS Website.

Author: Megan Teltscher

Green Lotus Presents The Donate & Learn Online Marketing Expo

On the 10th of June, Green Lotus was hosting the Donate & Learn Marketing Expo from 5:00 to 8:30 pm. at Ryerson University.  The event was an opportunity to unite with 600 of Toronto’s best entrepreneurs, business owners and online marketing expert to gain innovative search engine and social media marketing programs for your business!

The CityEvents team attended the Facebook workshop animated by Brian McNeil-Smith from EasyPromos. For an hour we discussed contests and promotions on facebook and how we could manage them with a low budget. When you are a small business, he advised to create a contest over a longer time frame. Regarding Brian McNeil-Smith, “Strategy is only limited to imagination”.

At 7pm, the main event began with a presentation from Procter and Gamble, LinkedIn and Green Lotus. What matters the most when you are a brand is to tell your brand a story and have a BIG Idea. What is a BIG idea? For Maria Shibaeva, Sr. Assistant Brand Manager at Procter and Gamble it has to be true in your business and also should be :

– disruptive to the market

– heart and mind opening

– immediately understood

– recognizable

– easy to execute

Here is an example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V-20Qe4M8Y

This year, Green Lotus worked with Enactus Ryerson and Project Pathways.

For more information visit: http://greenlotus.ca

Where: YWCA Toronto Headquarters, 87 Elm St. Toronto (Bay & Dundas)

Admission: FREE with a donation to the YWCA Toronto Girls’ Centre

Whether just starting to plan an online marketing strategy or deep into implementation; the Donate & Learn Workshop provided the knowledge, strategies and networking opportunities needed to improve online marketing results,&take your businesses to the next level!

For more information contact:

YWCA Donate & Learn – Search and Social Media Workshop

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YWCA.TO

Twitter: @YWCAToronto

Sponsored by: Go Daddy, Toronto Star’s NewInHomes.com, Epic Cruises and Big3 Video Agency

100% of donations went to the YWCA Girl’s Centre – a judgment free and supportive environment for young women to start building their futures. The YWCA Girls’ Center members are media savvy, fearless future leaders. Supporting members of the Girls’Center becoming exactly who they’d like to be!

In case you missed the exciting news, we at CityEvents, Toronto’s premier event planning boutique, have expanded operations to include CitySocial, our social media management & training division! The new services being offering consist of designing and executing online marketing campaigns for products and events, focusing on social media planning and tactics. Additionally, we will have training and guidance available for those who wish to manage their own online marketing, but are not familiar with social media, or the right strategy for them.

We cater our event planning and marketing services to small and medium size businesses in international trade, arts and culture, and the hospitality sectors, as well as non-profit organizations. We are also offering our new social media services in French and Spanish!

Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to launch CitySocial, as the official social media sponsor of UnExpected ’13, the Opening Night VIP Party for the Canadian Special Events Expo. Our team managed online interactions prior to and after the event, and were responsible for on-site promotion of contests, and social media engagement. This recent expansion will now offer our client’s the opportunity for one stop shopping at CityEvents, from product and event development, marketing strategies, metrics, and more.

Check out the photos from UnExpected ’13 and our CitySocial launch: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cityeventstoronto/sets/72157633048285693

This year’s opening night party for the Canadian Special Events Expo was both ‘UnExpected’, and unforgettable; with a scrumptious variety of food, memorable entertainment, and ample networking opportunities, this event was a huge success. Approximately 700 event industry professionals from across Canada came out to UpCountry in the heart of Toronto, to mix and mingle at UnExpected ’13 on March 20^th.

From delicacies provided by Presidential Gourmet, Cheeseworks, Parts and Labour & Neptuno, beverages from Griffin Gastropub & Wandering Bean Coffee, and desserts by Bucket and Whisk, to performances from Sarah Violin, Jordan Clark, EH440, and Becky Hoops & David Fiset; UnExpected ’13 had something for everybody’s tastes. The event also featured ‘unexpected’ elements such as a sidewalk chalk drawing by Toronto’s own Chalkmaster Dave, an Easter bunny distributing Cadbury eggs & goodies out front, a puzzle by Master Pieces, and captivating projections from Apex Sound.

The CityEvents team sponsored the social media management for this event, and were on-site to execute several contests, interact with guests, and encourage online engagement. We hosted online contests leading up to the event in which we gave away passes to both the UnExpected party, and the Canadian Special Events Expo: Tradeshow. Our on-site contests were based on guests’ involvement with social media including activity on Crowd Activation’s Social Mosa, a combination Twitter & Instagram wall, and the event’s mobile app from The App Labb. Winners went away with a Bucket & Whisk gift basket, a fondue set or gift card from CHEESEWERKS, a Parts & Labour gift card, or tickets to Sensation: Ocean of White from Nasco Staffing and the Rogers Centre.

We at CityEvents had an amazing time at this year’s UnExpected opening night party, and we are already looking forward to the next one!

Check out our photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cityeventstoronto/sets/72157633048285693