How to Use Social Media to Promote Your
Let’s G.O.! (Get Outside) Event
By Suz Lipman
Why use Social Media?
Approximately 1.43 billion people used social media in 2012, a 19.2 percent increase over 2011, and approximately one in every five people on Earth. Total time spent on social media in the U.S. is 121 billion minutes per year, a 37 percent increase from July, 2011 to July, 2012. To reach all the people using social media, you need to be there, too. Social media allows you to spread your news and widen your circle, enlarging your engagement and your reach.
How do I Start Using Social Media?
Enter at your own pace. Facebook is probably a good place to begin, especially if you are already using it socially.
Promoting with Facebook
If you are new to Facebook, get an account and start posting status updates to let people know about your event. You can create an event by visiting the “Events” tab on the left column of your Home page and then clicking “Create an Event”. Invite your Facebook friends to the Event and encourage them to respond, comment and post on the Event invitation page.
Or, go one step further and start a separate Facebook page for your organization, program or event. From your Facebook profile page, go to the “Like Pages” tab on the left column of your Home page, click on “Create a Page”, and follow the instructions. Promote your page by inviting friends to it and telling them to share with their friends. Post to it in a way that encourages comments and discussion. For instance, ask questions, such as “Are you getting excited about __ (event) in April?” Mix it up by asking open-ended questions that may be related to your event, such as “What’s your favorite outdoor game?” Pump up the excitement as the event gets closer. Post photos and graphics as a way of making your posts attractive and optimally visible in your followers’ news feeds.
A separate event page allows you to reach out to potential partners, allies and media outlets by posting on their walls (be sure your identity is set to your event page – you can do this on the bar at the top of the page) and by posting about them in your statuses (be sure to make their names “hot”, or “linkable”, by using the @ sign in front of them.) A separate event page also allows for greater communication and sharing with your fans. Don’t forget to promote others’ events. They will often reciprocate.
If you have a blog or a web site, use Facebook to lead people to the site, or to encourage them to register for your event. Continue to encourage sharing of photos and stories after your event is over.
New for 2013: Let’s G.O.! Outdoor Faces Photo Gala on Facebook
Upload your photos to C&NN’s Facebook page. Click the “Outdoor Faces Photo Gala” tab ion C&NN’s Facebook page to participate in the Let’s G.O.! (Get Outdoors) photo gala. Be seen by more people, help get the word out, and be entered for a chance to win a Recon backpack from The North Face.
Promoting with Twitter
Twitter’s 140-character messages are another way to get the word out about your event and reach people quickly. Find and follow potential partners, allies and media outlets. Post interesting content and “retweet” (RT) others’ news and they will likely do the same for you. (Use the @ symbol to RT and mention people.)
Use the Let’s G.O.! 2013 hashtag (#letsgo2013) on your updates, so that C&NN and others can find them through a hashtag search (in the search box) and help spread your news. Seek and use other popular hashtags in your circles. See which ones others are using. They might include #playoutdoors, #outdoors, #nature, #hiking, etc. (Always use the # symbol to create the hashtag.) Thank people for retweeting or mentioning you.
Promoting Elsewhere on the Web
Blogs
Comment and post guest blogs on allied blogs in your network. You may be surprised by how much bloggers will welcome your content and news.
C&NN Connect
www.childrenandnature.ning.com
C&NN Connect can be a place for deeper sharing than is available on Facebook or Twitter. Use C&NN Connect to: meet others in your area who may want to attend your event; gather and share ideas with other event hosts around the world; list your event on the C&NN Connect Event Calendar to give it greater visibility; post photos, videos and blogs; or deepen your involvement in the children and nature movement and community.
Be sure to use the Let’s G.O.! (Get Outside) hashtag (#letsgo2013) on photos, videos and blogs, so others can find you.
Also be sure to join the Let’s G.O. group on C&NN Connect to share your activity with and learn from the network of other Let’s G.O.! organizers and participants:
http://childrenandnature.ning.com/group/letsgo
Once on the Let’s G.O.! page on C&NN Connect, you will see that the co-chairs have started various Discussions about Let’s G.O.! We encourage event organizers and others to enter their stories as Replies to the different discussions, so that they can be promoted in C&NN news blasts and on social media. Please feel free to post elsewhere on the forum as well, especially on the C&NN Connect Event Calendar.
YouTube
Upload, organize and share videos on YouTube with as many or as few people as you’d like. Search through other users’ photos and videos. Share the photos and videos on your blog, Facebook, or other forms of social media. Use the Let’s G.O.! (Get Outside) hashtag (#letsgo2013) so others can find you.
List your event on the C&NN registration site.
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/7055/p/salsa/event/common/public/create.sjs?distributed_event_KEY=281
List ongoing programs or individuals in the Movement Directory.
www.childrenandnature.org/movements
General Social Media Tips
Whichever social media platform you choose, be conversational and be yourself. People respond to an authentic voice and a human touch. Interact and engage with others. Try to keep the content fun and have fun yourself!
For further reference:
Facebook basics: http://mashable.com/2012/05/16/facebook-for-beginners/
http://mashable.com/guidebook/facebook/
http://mashable.com/2012/03/01/facebook-timeline-brands-guide/
Twitter basics: http://mashable.com/2012/06/05/twitter-for-beginners/
http://mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/
Connect with C&NN on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/childrenandnature
http://twitter.com/ChildrenNature
http://childrenandnature.ning.com/
http://pinterest.com/childrennature/
http://www.youtube.com/user/childrenandnature
http://www.childrenandnature.org/
http://blog.childrenandnature.org/
Suz Lipman is C&NN’s Director of Social Media Promotion and Partnership. She’s been using social media in its various forms for 20+ years. Suz is a writer, blogger, youth leader and an advocate for connecting children with nature.