No matter what kind of event creator you are—yoga instructor, wellness coach, or livestreamer—you know that growing followers on Instagram is the fastest way to develop your brand. With 1 billion active users every month, Instagram is the best place to reach and engage your fans. 

How do you grow on Instagram and increase ticket sales? Capture people’s interest with engaging content. Gain followers and foment engagement. Then convert those followers into event attendees.

Here are six ways to develop your brand and promote your event on Instagram, ensuring your event stands out from the crowd:

#1 It’s all about the stories

Instagram Stories capture an impromptu, authentic quality, inviting your followers to be part of a moment or an experience. More than static feed images, Stories heighten your fans' sense of participating in a shared experience. They build a sense of connection and community. That’s why leveraging the power of Stories is the key to growing on Instagram.

Tips for using Instagram Stories:

• Bring your event to life!

• Use Instagram Stories before, during, and after your event

• Include a compelling “Swipe Up” CTA so your fans know to take action

• Tag any partners participating in your event. They’ll share with their own fanbase and amplify your engagement.

"More engagement, more awareness, more tickets sold." — Tim Gray, Encore Drive-In Nights

#2 Expand your reach with hashtags

Let’s talk hashtags for #eventpromoters! Hashtags and geolocations are event promotion workhorses. They generate buzz with potential attendees and gather relevant posts all in one place, increasing your chances of getting on the Explore page. They’re also a good metric of success once your event is over. Even better, if it’s a recurring event, potential attendees can  search your hashtag before purchasing. 

Tips for #hashtags:

• Don’t overthink it: keep it short and memorable

• Make it unique so your hashtag’s content empowers your feed

• Promote your hashtag and engage with hashtag users

• Create your own custom location on Facebook

#3 Recycle event content

Every marketer knows the struggle of producing new, high-quality content on the regular. Thankfully, repurposing content is an effective solution especially for event creators. Past attendees enjoy reliving the experience–future attendees are motivated by FOMO!

Tips for repurposing content:

• Create photo or video montages with snippets of content

• Use eye-catching imagery that create an experience for your event

• Post on Stories

• Add music and animate your old content with apps like Canva

#4 Incentivize fans with contesting

Contests and giveaways are a super-effective strategy to increase registrations and improve attendance rate at the same time growing your following. Contests build hype amongst your fans—who doesn’t like a chance to win? 

Tips for contesting:

• Offer free tickets, VIP upgrades, or merch 

• Use copy that encourages fans to share: “Tag a friend for a chance to win VIP tickets.” 

• Post on Stories

Use ToneDen’s Viral Contesting Tool to build your fanbase and increase event attendance.

#5 Go behind-the-scenes

Boost your brand with exclusive, behind-the-scenes content. Let your audience peek behind the curtain for a deeper understanding and appreciation of your work. Show an authentic side of your brand. This kind of transparency helps your audience trust what you do. 

Tips for BTS:

• Focus on process not product

• Showcase the team behind your event

• Open up about failures or struggles and how you overcame them 

#6 Go Live with special guests and influencers

Influencers are trusted more than most celebrities and politicians. They are almost fool-proof when it comes to increasing brand awareness, which always leads to more followers and sales. 

Tips for using influencers:

• Find a guest with a large following that your audience would be interested in

• Get creative and take risks! If you host a cooking class, invite a yoga influencer or musician for an IG Live—everyone loves an odd pairing!

• Have them #takeover your Instagram for the day


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