The Benefits of Creating ‘Fear of Missing Out’ in Your Social Media Coverage
We’re constantly bombarded by images of people doing amazing things on social media, and we’re often left to wonder if we’re missing out on something awesome.
It’s called fear of missing out (FOMO), and it’s a very real thing. People want to feel like they are part of something, and FOMO marketing taps into this desire by showing us just how fun other people’s lives (or events) can be. It’s a powerful human emotion — and marketing tool.
So how can we use FOMO to our advantage at franchise events? The answer: stellar social media coverage. Through eye-catching, content-rich, timely posts at events, companies can achieve two things: free advertising and FOMO.
Free Advertising
When you share posts from your event, attendees will want to share their fun and learnings, too. This is a win-win scenario. You benefit from free advertising and attendees get exposure for themselves.
FOMO Marketing
FOMO is real! It creates a sense of missing out. People who see your posts on social media will feel envious that they aren’t at the event, too. FOMO marketing brings prospects to you, and it can be done easily with a few simple steps.
FASTSIGNS CEO Catherine Monson eating a raw egg at IFA Convention 2021. Who wouldn’t share this on social media after experiencing it live?! Captured by Showmaker Productions and promoted on IFA social media during the event.
FOMO Marketing Techniques for Franchise Conferences and Events
At this point, you might be asking, “What types of content should we be sharing from our events?” Below are a few ideas:
Photos
During conferences, content should be visually appealing. When a speaker is on stage, have your photographer snap a photo of the full room and a close-up of the person speaking on stage. The caption of the photo is just as important, though. You can write about the topic, take a powerful quote from the speaker, or write about the packed room for the speaker’s session! The key is to have a caption that sparks discussion.
Short Videos
Short-form video is currently dominating the social media industry. Since it’s so popular, platforms such as Instagram and Facebook organically push out short, vertical videos to platform users. This is your chance to reach a larger audience. By taking short, important moments from your conference — whether it’s a few lines from a speech or a short montage video showing off your nighttime networking event — you have the opportunity to be seen by audiences that extend past your followers. This content will likely land on explore pages and suggested video sections giving you added reach.
Daily Recap Videos
Daily recap videos are slightly longer, cream-of-the-crop versions of the short videos mentioned above. Highlighting some of the best moments of each day is one of the best ways to show everything happening at your event quickly! Not only does it show your event off for social media purposes, but it also hypes up your attendees! Watching these videos lets attendees briefly relive some of the best moments of their previous day, and they may even catch themselves in some of the shots! (Attendees seeing themselves in posts = immediate share).
Testimonials
What better way to get recognized as an awesome event host than by having attendees speak to it themselves!? While folks are enjoying your event, ask them to write a testimonial (and take a photo to pair with it on socials). You could also have a video team dedicated to capturing testimonials throughout the event. Video testimonials give you even more possibilities for social media content. You can post each video clip to your feed/reels, or you can also use them in any recap videos (daily or overall event recap).
#Hashtags
While your company’s social media pages should post consistently and get shares, you also want to engage with attendees’ posts. One of the best ways to keep track of their posts is to ask all attendees to use a specific hashtag. This makes it easier for you to track coverage and adds a catchy phrase to your event that can capture the eyes of outsiders.
At IFPG Retreat 2022, #growingtogether was used as the event’s theme and hashtag. And there was a lot of meaning behind it. It was used to celebrate IFPG’s anniversary and its partnership with Princeton Equity Group. The #growingtogether theme created a hashtag that resonated with everyone at the event. After all, growing together is what franchising is all about. When choosing a hashtag, make it meaningful.
Sharing Attendee-Generated Content
As attendees post with your hashtag and tag your company’s account, you should stay on top of these posts. They add a testimonial aspect to your event, showing the good time everyone is having. Be sure to engage with these shared posts.
FOMO for the 9-5 Employee
On top of creating ‘FOMO’ among peers in the franchise industry, showing off your events can also lend a hand on the franchise-development side. As prospective franchisees start following different company pages during the franchise discovery process, your company events can be a selling point.
Showing off these events online may be the final encouragement a person needs to sway toward your company. Many franchises host annual summits and retreats for their franchisees and corporate teams to come together. Seeing a great culture and company morale is an attractive selling point. It’s especially enticing to someone sitting at their 9-5 job and dreaming of franchise ownership (wink wink).
Prioritize Your Social Team
To achieve timely, high-quality content during events, you must ensure you’re properly dedicating personnel to the task. Social media is often pushed to the side during events due to a lack of bandwidth. Instead of assigning someone from your team who may have many other responsibilities during the conference, hire someone from the outside. It’s ideal to have at least one photographer, videographer, and a person dedicated to posting.