How to Create a Killer Facebook Event Page

When done well, publicizing your event through Facebook can be extremely successful. Its ‘Event Pages’ allow you to reach a vast audience and engage your potential attendees, and best of all, it’s totally free. Here are some best practices for setting up your event page.

The Default Settings

Don’t change the default settings unless you want to make your event private or restrict access. When you set up an event page, the default settings are exactly that, they are set the way most of us want them. The default settings allow your fans to share and post most easily and put little restriction on who sees your page. More shares and posts mean more engagement and exposure for your event. You’re letting your fans promote your event for you.

An Awesome Banner

The banner image at the top of your event page is a prime piece of Internet real estate, like a billboard on a highway, so make it count. The banner should not only be eye-catching but also convey what your event is all about. The words and images in your banner should communicate this so that visitors can take it in at a glance. You might consider changing your banner as your event promotion progresses. There are pros and cons to this so strategize like you would for all content.

A Smiling Face

Your profile picture is also important because it appears next to all of your posts. You can use a logo or an image, but the best profile pictures are smiling faces. Use a picture of someone who could be attending your event or who is related to it in some way. The smiling face profile picture has a psychological influence. It makes your event seem exciting, friendly and inviting.

Your Event Description

The description for your event is also prime Facebook real estate. The key to writing a good description is to make it short and concise, but also convey key pieces of information any potential attendee would want to know right off the bat. If your event is established in the industry the description may simply be the events name and tagline. If you’re new on the scene, maybe add a sentence telling what your event offers your audience. Don’t make visitors search your event page for vital information. If you’re not sure what information is vital, put yourself in the shoes of an attendee or ask.

Registration Link Here

Social media platforms are often used to drive an audience to a website. Events often have online registration, and there should be a link to the website prominently displayed on your event page along with a Call To Action. Make any required action crystal clear. Many Facebook users mistakenly think that by clicking ‘Join,’ they are signing up for an event. But ‘Join’ only tells others that they plan to go. Make sure visitors understand what steps to take if they must register as well.

Side note: some events can get away with only having a Facebook event page and promoting through free social media platforms – but we highly recommend developing a dedicated website for your event if you need to share vast amounts of information (multi-day itineraries), have a registration requirement (payment system), if it’s a large conference (out-of-towners), etc… A Facebook page won’t cover your needs, or the needs of your attendees.

Get Excited

Those are the essentials, but there are many things you can do to make your event page more exciting. One is to add a countdown clock. This is a built-in Facebook app (search for ‘countdown clock’ when creating your page) that builds anticipation by counting down the days until your event.

We discussed event page content strategy in Monday’s post; engaging with people through your event page is paramount for promotion. Hold contests, offer discounts, share cool information about your events’ location and other things to do while attending, and get conversations going. Engagement builds momentum that amplifies buzz!

Update Your Attendees

Once your event page is up, keep a steady stream of updates coming. This is less about engagement and more about being a useful resource for your attendees. Tell people about event logistics, offer advice on where to stay, transportation services, get past attendees to share helpful tips, and so on. Yes, this is another way to engage your audience, but this is about building trust so that they feel confident recommending and promoting your event.

Keep it fresh. Keep it relative, dynamic, informative and fun!