Many artists are either not aware or are not fully utilizing the event feature that Facebook, Linkedin, and Google+ provide them as part of their service. By placing art events, in the following manner, on these social media sites, this will provide an artist with an additional form of promotion and ultimately increase the audience for that art event. In addition, posting on these sites, any public, published event will become immediately “searchable” by all of the major search engines such as Google, Bing, and AOL. Here is a quick overview of the event feature for these 3 social media platforms.

Facebook – The Facebook Event feature is available to individuals, groups and business pages. The event tab is located on the upper left-hand sidebar of your page’s Home Page.

That event tab will then open to an event page. At the top near the header is a “+Create Event” tab. Once that tab is accessed a screen will appear which provides a very simple form to complete. The form allows you to have a name for the event, details of the event, a place or location for the event (this also will trigger a dropdown map for the location of the event), dates/times for the event and finally whether this is a public or private event.

Once the art event is completed, Facebook then allows you to promote and notify directly from the completed event tab to selected individuals and friends on Facebook. We suggest the following when promoting any events online;

1. Always have an event avatar (event image/logo) as it will draw interest to the event versus the standard social media calendar avatar.

2. Do not send invitations or promote an event to people who would not be interested in that type of event. We all receive too many posts, events, and messages as it is. Do not add to the clutter and confusion, as it will only annoy people with the potential to drop you as a friend or contact.

3. The event description should always be short and simple to read. The larger and longer event descriptions will be dismissed and not read by most viewers. Always make the event description short, interesting and always provide a link to a site for further and detailed event information.

Linkedin – The Linkedin Event feature can be found in the page header under “More”. This tab will then drop down to a list and under the “applications” section of the list, there is an Events link. Linkedin has in their Event section an area of “suggested” events based on your profile, your connections and the Groups that you belong to. Linkedin also provides an event search feature here as well. To the right of the search bar, there is a “Promote Your Event on LinkedIn” feature box which then contains a “create an event” tab.

Completing the information form for the Linkedin event feature is similar to the Facebook event feature, except Linkedin allows you to distinguish between a “live event” and a “virtual” event. Also, the Linkedin event feature allows you to “Share” this event to the public, individuals and or groups on Linkedin. They also make it easy to post this event quickly to both Facebook and Twitter. In addition, they also provide a shortened event URL in order to be able to post an event elsewhere on the internet.

Google+ - Recently Google+ introduced their new event feature. This could be a game changer and eventually cause the other 2 social media platforms to upgrade their event features!

Google+ has created their event feature which defines and separates any event into 3 phases;

Prior to the Event – The Google+ event function is customizable and has the ability to contain different themes based on the event and it also allows for video and animations as part of the invitation. Any event can automatically be added to a user’s Google Calendar when a person RSVP’s for that event.

Throughout the Event – Google+ has a feature called “Party Mode” and if you are an attendee and are there taking pictures or videos at this event, you will then have the ability to post those images and videos to this event listing in Real-Time! This feature alone makes their event feature interactive and superior over the other social media sites.

After The Event is Over – The Google+ event function does not remove the event from the event calendar after it is over (like most event platforms where there are a start and end date and then the event is eliminated from the site). Google+ allows attendees to post pictures, videos and comments after the event is completed. Google+ even has an event “Highlights” section which also categorizes the most viewed photos and comments from the event.

The Google+ event feature not only helps to create interest but also helps to build and maintain a brand. In addition, Google + creates a sense of involvement and community for the attendees and this is something that the Facebook and Linkedin event features do not provide.

The event features on these 3 social media platforms are easy to learn, post to and to administer. Any artist, art gallery or art promotion organization should be fully utilizing all 3 of these event features, along with their other event marketing and promotions in order to help create a buzz for their art event.