Social Media for Events
Please note: Western University uses Facebook Events (created by existing University, Faculty or Department Facebook Pages) and #hashtags (used by existing University, Faculty or Department Twitter Accounts) and does not create new social media accounts for events.
Before Your Event:
During/After Your Event:
Before Your Event
Hashtags
- Explore whether your event already has its own hashtag or whether you have the opportunity to establish one.
- Check your hashtag on search.twitter.com to ensure it is not already in use.
- Coordinate with Western Communications before finalizing your hashtag.
- Use sumall.com to measure your hashtag.
- Add your hashtag into your social media team’s daily monitoring.
- Include your hashtag in all promotional materials, event & onscreen signage and remarks.
Events Calendar
events.westernu.ca is Western’s public calendar for sharing campus events, accessible from the University’s homepage and offering sub-calendars for Faculties, Departments and Units across campus.
Learn more about the Western Events Calendar, requesting access and available training - or simply submit your event to an existing calendar.
Banners, Posters & Pictures
Create web banners, posters and social media images that can be used to share your event. Post these in your own buildings, homepages and social media accounts - and send them to Western Communications to be considered for the Western homepage and social media accounts.
A list of recommended web & social media creative assets is available in Western's Social Media Style Guide.
Facebook Events
Facebook Events are an effective way to create word of mouth buzz about your event, and to enable attendees to invite their friends and add the event into their personal calendars and phones.
Facebook Events can be created by any Western Facebook Page and Facebook Page Managers can use the events to build up excitement about the event, as well as to share real-time updates and information to the attendees.
If you are working with a partner on an event, only one of you has to create a Facebook Event. Multiple Facebook Pages can be added to a single Facebook Event as co-hosts (under Edit on the Event Page).
Live at Western University
Live at Western University is a Western events listing on Facebook. In addition to submitting your event to events.westernu.ca, make sure you also add Live at Western University as a co-host on your Western Facebook Events.
To list your events on Live at Western University, you will need a Facebook account that has an @uwo.ca email address attached to it. It can be a personal Facebook account, and @uwo.ca can be added as a secondary or backup email address – there is no need to create a new work or events Facebook account to work with Live at Western University.
Contact social@uwo.ca with the @uwo.ca email address that has been added to your Facebook account and let them know that you would like access to list events on Live at Western University.
Guidelines:
- Use this page to only to create Facebook Events for Western events you’re involved with taking place on Western’s campus
- Do not take any other action (i.e. status updates or banner photos) on the Live at Western University Facebook Page
- Western Communications will check this page daily and add itself as co-host on related events so that your event is listed on the Western Facebook Page too
Option A: Create events on your main page first, Live page second
**Highest Visibility**
Create your event on your main/most popular related Facebook Page, then go into edit and add Live at Western and any of your other related Facebook Pages as co-hosts so that your event will be listed on all the relevant places on Facebook.
Option B: Create events on Live first, Other pages second
**Lower Visibility**
Create your event on the Live at Western Facebook Page, then go into edit and add your other related Facebook Pages as co-hosts so that your event will be listed on all the relevant places on Facebook.
Social Media Campaign
Plan a series of social media content that will span the weeks leading up to your event, covering your own social media accounts as well as all of the accounts of any event partners (on and off campus).
- Template: Social Media Campaign Planner (Word Document)
Consider including the following in your social media content plan:
- Save the Date
- Countdown Milestones (100 days until, 6 months until, 1 month until, 10 days until, 1 week until, 1 day until)
- Throwback Content (photos, videos and favourite moments from previous similar events)
- Gradually reveal helpful or interesting details such as who will be speaking/performing, what the hashtag will be, where to park, previews of the event photo booth
During/After Your Event
Onstage Remarks
Your onstage remarks - at the beginning of and throughout your event - are a powerful opportunity to convert event attendees to social media ambassadors and subscribers. Sample scripts are provided below.
General Western Event:
You can find Western online on social media on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. Our Twitter handle is @westernu. Make sure to tweet us your comments, questions and photos using the hashtag #westernu.
General Western Lecture Event (with video being recorded):
You can find Western online on social media on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube. Our Twitter handle is @westernu and video of this lecture will be available on the Western University YouTube Channel. Make sure to tweet us your live quotes, questions and photos using the hashtag #westernu.
Faculty Lecture Event:
You can find Western Arts & Humanities on social media on Facebook and Twitter. Our Twitter handle is @westernuArts. Make sure to tag us in your tweets.
Alumni Event:
You can find Western online on social media on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. Our Instagram handle is @westernuniversity. Make sure to tweet us with quotes, comments and photos from this event – and any time you are feeling the Purple Pride – with our alumni hashtag #purpleandproud.
Live Content
In addition to promoting your event in advance, make sure to capture the experience and content for those who aren’t physically at your event. Western has a worldwide audience that is eager to hear and share what the incredible speakers on this campus have to say.
On the day of your event, consider on the Facebook Event and on your Facebook Page and Twitter Account using the event hashtag:
Welcome Posts
Welcome your guests, speakers and performers
Wrap Up Posts
Share your event’s success with a photo and a thank you to those involved
Best Quotes
Pull a small number of meaningful quotes from speaking events and share them visually through your social media accounts using Western’s quote template.
Photo Albums
Curate the best photos from your event photographer, communications staff and event attendees (check your event hashtag for fan photos) and share them as an album on your Facebook Page. This album can be embedded in your website and Western News articles, and you can share its link with event attendees via email and social media – even if they do not have Facebook accounts.
To submit photos to Western Communications for the Western social media accounts, post them to your Faculty or Department account using the #westernu hashtag or email them to photos@uwo.ca.
Live Tweeting
Share live quotes from speakers and performers as well as meaningful photos & captions with notes about the event using your Faculty or Department Twitter account, or the @westernuLIVE twitter account. Think of this as transcribing the events content for those that are unable to attend in person. Focus on the lessons learned and knowledge being shared, rather than a “play by play” of who is doing what.
@westernuLIVE is a live tweet account available to all Western social media staff. If you would like to use @westernuLIVE to share an upcoming event, please contact social@uwo.ca.
Live Video Stream
Western has multiple livestreaming options – free and professional - available to help make your event accessible to those who are away from campus. Contact social@uwo.ca to discuss which option is the best fit for your event.
Video
Whether or not you livestream your event, consider having a videographer record the event to be shared at a later time on the Western YouTube Channel and through your website and social media accounts.
