You can measure the success of an event or party through guest engagement. While engagement comes in manner different forms, one of the most common is photo sharing. When guests enjoy an event, they’ll take photos of the event and upload them to their social media profiles. So, how can event planners encourage guests to take and share more photos?
Designate a Photo Area
When planning your event, consider designating a specific area for photos. It doesn’t have to be an entire room, rather a small area up against a wall will suffice. Place a backdrop against the wall along with a sign “take photos here!” If you have any notable speakers or important figures lined up for your event, you can ask them to do a photo opp with guests at this designated area.
Create a Universal #Hashtag for Event Photos
Another simple way to encourage photo sharing at events and parties is to create a universal #hashtag. Originally pioneered by Twitter, the world’s most popular 140-characters-or-less social media network, hashtags are used to organize and curate content on social media, including photos. When a hashtag is added to a photo, it helps others find it more easily. Most social media users enjoy the process of curating content, which is why hashtags are an effective way to boost photo sharing.
Bring out the Entertainment!
Conventional wisdom should lead you to believe that more guests will take, and share, photos from an event if it’s fun. If your event is nothing more than keynote speeches, guests won’t feel inclined to take photos. On the other hand, making your event fun and entertaining creates the perfect environment for taking photos, as guests want to capture the moment on camera. Consider hiring either a DJ or live band to perform at your event. If you ask nicely, they may even agree to take photos with you and/or your guests.
Host a Contest
Of course, you can encourage guests to share videos of an event by offering them some type of incentive, such as a chance to a win a free gift. This is easily done on Facebook where event planners can host contests in which guests upload a photo of themselves from the event in exchange for a chance to win a prize. You can either choose a random photo as the winner, or choose a photo based on other criteria, such as the most memorable moment captured. Just remember to follow Facebook’s rules when hosting a contest; otherwise, it could get shut down without notice. For Facebook’s complete rules on hosting contests and sweepstakes, click here.