You may have noticed, we’ve all been busy here at Suite 4 getting ready for our big Holiday Open House this afternoon. It’s been in the works since we started the office remodel in August – of 2014. All of this planning, though, has given us first-hand experience for what works, and doesn’t, for successful events. So get planning and don’t forget to invite us!
Devon’s Favorite Hack
Facebook events work well to alert your audience to an upcoming event. They don’t, however, work well to give you an accurate headcount of all those attending. If you’re like me, you probably receive an invite notification and ignore it. Facebook still reminds you when the event’s approaching no matter how you RSVP. It’s not the most effective way to create buzz. This doesn’t mean you should forego the event page, though. On the contrary, it’s a great way to put all of the event’s details on Facebook without making a bloated post on your business page’s wall. Spread that link like wildfire!
To create real buzz for your event, you want to turn to automated emails. It’s surprisingly simple to set up a workflow that sends an email to initially invite recipients and subsequent follow-up emails reminding them in appropriate increments. It keeps your exciting event fresh in their mind and they’re more likely to reply to RSVP. Don’t forget to include the Facebook event link in your emails!
Audrey’s Favorite App
By now, some of you may have heard about or even use the messaging app Slack. Our team started using it a few months ago. It took us a while to get the hang of it (we kept forgetting to use it!) but now that it’s integrated into our routines, it’s become so handy! There’s so much you can utilize it for, which we’re still realizing here at Suite 4. You can create different channels of communication for different topics or projects. I think this app is a great one for event planning. Everyone who is a part of the planning process will always be up-to-date with Slack. Plus it’s easier than sending a bunch of emails.
Miles’ Local Favorite
Since I joined Suite 4, I’ve been attending the McMinnville Chamber of Commerce Greeters events every Friday morning. Not only is it a great gathering of business and community leaders in the area, it’s a fantastic opportunity to network and learn about all the wonderful events in and around McMinnville. Coffee and snacks are provided at each event as well as a raffle, all run by the week’s host.
Every time I go, I feel more and more connected with our town. These are the people who help make this town great and I feel very lucky to meet with these extraordinary people each and every week. I highly recommend attending greeters and hope to see you there!
Chase’s Favorite Video
If you’ve been on your computer recently, you’ve probably heard about services like Twitch.tv and Livestream.com or apps like Periscope and Meerkat. What these services allow you to do is live stream videos directly to your target audience. From sporting events to corporate announcements, live streaming is a great way to make your audience feel more engaged with your content. For example, the Disc Golf European Open was held in Nokia, Finland, but I was able to watch it in real time at my home in Newberg, OR thanks to a Finnish live streaming service. It felt like I was really there!