Ben Sebborn: Don’t miss a Twitter trick

Only savvy event organisers use social media to increase ticket sales, says Ben Sebborn, director of ticketing agency Skiddle

In the September issue of Stand Out Ken Clayton argued whether an organiser’s use of social media could directly result in a ticket sale. He inferred that problems arise when businesses rely upon manually posting updates to their Facebook pages and Twitter walls, and I concur that these are uninspiring, and I would even suggest that their effectiveness is doubtful.

The real power of social networks comes when sharing important information is done in a friction-less process, and I strongly believe that successful social media campaigns need a little technological help.

If you rely upon your staff or customers to create engaging content and posts then you are missing a trick. Technological advancements and integrated ticketing solutions provide an organiser with huge power – huge power to engage on another level, which will result in a ticket sale.

Let’s imagine: A customer finds out about an event, decides to attend and buys a ticket. The ticketing platform, with the user’s permission, then automatically creates an update which appears on the user’s Facebook timeline, newsfeed and ticker about the purchase, but most importantly detailing key information about the event – venue, date and artists – with a call to action to view the event or purchase tickets. This post is seen by friends and family, and as these contacts discover the event they buy a ticket also. The fact they can see that a friend is attending is a key tipping point to purchase, and amplifies further the viral effect of social media integration. I have seen this in action and the effect is tremendous, as it allows promoters to reach new customers on a very low budget.

Organisers must make it very clear, via their social media platforms, where people can buy tickets from and then provide links to each and every single one with a call to action. It is only by making a conscious effort that ticket sales will increase, and if organisers fail to appreciate and acknowledge social media’s power then they are missing a valuable opportunity.