During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Facebook, Twitter, and such other social media sites had a much less number of users. However, the number of social media users has grown considerably over the last 4 years and at the 2012 London Olympics people are seen actively using Facebook, Twitter, etc. to read, write, and share information and images covering their favorite players and games. According to experts, at the 2012 London Olympics, it is Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube that will run the show! While the games are providing a reason to cheer for your favorite player, they are also offering valuable insights to event marketers about the best ways of using social media to increase their event attendance and generate maximum registrations.
Blending Traditional Advertising with Online Marketing
Studies have shown that major brands have started deriving benefits from the London Olympics by becoming official sponsors. They were seen distributing pamphlets at shopping malls, cafeterias, etc. as well as putting up hoardings on busy streets. These companies have beautifully blended traditional marketing strategies with their modern counterparts by simultaneously promoting their products on social networking sites, wikis, and blogs.
Develop Quick Connection with the People
The 2012 Summer Olympic Committee has encouraged players to use social media to connect with their fans. IOC has created "The Olympic Athletes' Hub" to persuade fans to sign up and follow the official social media sites of their favorite athletes. Thus, the Games have given both the fans and the athletes a unique chance to directly chat with each other and share images of their winning moments, medals, etc. on Facebook pages, and such other social media platforms. Event organizers too can open up accounts on major social media sites to directly connect and share past event experiences with the users.
Think Before You Tweet
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has expelled 2 players for posting offensive tweets on the micro-blogging site. Greece's triple jumper Voula Papachristou and the Swiss footballer Michel Morganella went against IOC's issued guidelines on the correct way of using social media. Thus, you should always think before you tweet or post messages on any social media platform. Remember, your brand's reputation depends on what you say and share on such web platforms. Any incorrect message can break the trust of your customers and create a negative impact at the marketplace.
Geo-targeting and Local Marketing
With the start of the Olympics, many companies are seen using Facebook's new geo-targeting feature to target people based on their locations. For example, if you visit Visa's Facebook page, you will get to see information on Michael Phelps. However, if you enter Visa's Canadian page (Canadian Visa Services), you will get to read information on the Canadian Olympic athletes. Thus, it is highly interesting to see how Visa has used its Facebook pages to show specific posts relevant to different groups of people. Event marketers can use Facebook's geo-targeting feature to show different versions of an event advert to people residing in different locations. Geo-targeting also helps in local marketing in the sense you can drive event attendance to your on-site meeting or conference by promoting online event registration to people residing say within 50 miles of your headquarters.
Jonathon is a professional event planner. Event professionals worldwide are increasingly relying on automated software to streamline the online event registration, payment management, and attendee relationship management. Acteva is the market leader in providing event registration solutions at competitive price.
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