When it comes to event planning, a dazzling venue, superstar entertainment, and exquisite culinary delights are all fine and dandy, but if attendance is poor, your carefully planned function will flop. After all, the key to a successful event is people. The more the better. And, the best way to attract people is through social media marketing.

It’s true. Creating a buzz via social media is a highly effective way to generate interest in your upcoming event. In fact, 93% of business event attendants state that social media profiles dedicated specifically to an event are somewhat important. That’s a huge number.

So, how can you market your event with social media to make it more successful? Here’s how.

Create Buzz

The most important facet of any social media campaign is the “buzz.” By getting people to talk about your upcoming event, you will generate greater interest and spread your message much quicker.

And, as Entrepreneur states, getting the right people–your fans with the most influence and biggest online presence–involved in the conversation will yield the biggest results.

A recent event that did this well was the Social Tools Summit. They promoted the event’s hashtag prior to the event; coordinated with speakers to promote content; created a LinkedIn group, and more. Learn more about their social media efforts. Another effective method is to reward people for sharing the details of your event with others.

Incentives could include a savings coupon, a chance to win a prize, or a product sample, to name just a few possibilities.

Post Up-to-Date Broadcasts

Now that you’ve secured a captive audience, you will need to ensure that your event stays foremost in their minds.

A great way to do this is to publish regular updates across your spectrum of social media platforms. Every time you acquire a new sponsor or confirm a new speaker, share an enthusiastic message.

Share speaker profiles, pictures of the venue, and other details that you think will entice prospective attendants. And, of course, post reminders about how and when people can register for your event.

Be of Assistance

You can also create a “Help Desk” of sorts via social media. By allowing prospective event participants to ask you questions regarding registration or event details through social media, you can respond to them quickly and remove any roadblocks that may prevent some people from attending.

Make it Fun

Make it fun and they will come. And a sure sign of a fun event is a fun social media campaign. Get creative with your marketing and nurture an atmosphere of enthusiasm and positive energy where anything seems possible. Begin a New Year’s Eve-like countdown to the big day. Post titillating videos that generate excitement.

“14 Tips to Incorporate Social Media Into Event Marketing” also recommends hosting a Facebook event leading up to the actual event like a Happy Hour Networking Event in order to create more buzz. Encouraging and incentivizing live tweeting during the event can also be useful.

Have a Hashtag

If your social media marketing campaign goes according to plan, there will be hordes of interested people conversing about your event. The best way to keep track of these conversations is through the use of an easy-to-remember hashtag dedicated to your event.

Make sure your entire team uses the same hashtag across all promotions and channels and it will make “keeping your ear to the ground” easy.

A cleverly designed social media campaign will not only pique the public’s interest, but it will have them rushing to register for your event before it’s sold out. And “sold out” are the sweetest words any event organizer can hope to hear.

What social media marketing tips can you recommend to someone planning an event?

Author Bio: Kimberley Laws is a freelance writer, avid blogger, and social media addict. You can follow her at The Embiggens Project.