Last updated on December 22nd, 2024
Introduction
In today’s digital age, building a social presence for events goes beyond just engaging on social media platforms. It involves creating real-life experiences that are accessible at your audience’s fingertips, fostering community, and nurturing connections. This is something Blavity, the company behind AfroTech, excels at by seamlessly blending social media with in-person experiences. For Sprout Social, AfroTech 2024 marked our first participation at this large multicultural conference, and we were excited to showcase the importance of brand diversity in social media while sharing our best practices for event coverage. In this article, we’ll dive into how we approached social media at AfroTech, our journey, and best practices for successfully covering events on social platforms.
What is AfroTech?
AfroTech is Blavity’s flagship event, known as the largest multicultural tech conference in the United States. Hosted annually, the event brings together over 20,000 professionals, including creatives, engineers, venture capitalists, executives, and other tech innovators. The event features a mix of panels, workshops, networking opportunities, and an expo hall with recruiters from both mid-market and enterprise companies. This year, AfroTech took place in Houston, Texas, and attracted a diverse crowd eager to connect, learn, and innovate in the tech industry.
Sprout’s Journey to AfroTech 2024
The journey to AfroTech 2024 began with a personal connection. I was introduced to AfroTech by my mentor during the pandemic, when the event was held in the metaverse in 2021. I was struck by the immersive experience and the caliber of attendees. After attending in person in 2023 and forming valuable relationships, it became clear that Sprout Social should be part of this important event. Our team’s involvement aligned perfectly with our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, and with support from leadership, we were able to send 11 Sprout team members to AfroTech 2024.
Chelsey Jordan, one of our Black@ co-leads and a Sprout Customer Success Manager, shared her excitement:
“AfroTech was inspirational because it was filled with leaders from underrepresented groups in the tech space, highlighting ideas and perspectives that come from diverse backgrounds. The conference was not just about networking but also about showcasing inclusive innovation.”
Social Media Strategy for AfroTech 2024
To create a holistic event experience and connect with our audience, we devised a comprehensive social media strategy that spanned pre-event, during-event, and post-event coverage.
Pre-Event Strategy
Our goal for pre-event coverage was to build excitement and raise awareness about Sprout’s presence at AfroTech. Here’s how we planned it:
- LinkedIn Static Post: We announced Sprout’s attendance at the event and shared our coverage plans.
- Employee Advocacy: We used Sprout’s Employee Advocacy solution to amplify our LinkedIn post, enabling Sprout employees to share and repost content.
- Poll on Event Coverage: To engage the audience, we created a poll asking followers about their preferences for event coverage.
- Nano-Influencer Collaboration: We partnered with Kerry Hartley, a LinkedIn nano-influencer who regularly shares AfroTech tips, to extend our reach.
- Hype Video: A dynamic hype video featuring highlights from last year’s event was shared on LinkedIn and Instagram to generate excitement.
- Social Listening Topic: We set up a Sprout Listening topic to track conversations around AfroTech, helping us identify media opportunities.
During Event Strategy
During the event, we focused on real-time social media engagement to bring our audience along for the experience. Our approach included:
- Daily Instagram Stories: We posted daily updates to share insights, behind-the-scenes content, and memorable moments from the conference.
- Brand Activations and Expo Highlights: Videos from the expo hall and brand activations were shared to showcase innovation.
- AI Stage Coverage: Content from the AfroTech AI Stage, along with other notable sessions, was shared to align with our focus on AI and tech.
Post-Event Strategy
Post-event coverage was aimed at keeping the momentum going and encouraging further engagement:
- Instagram Recap Video: We shared a recap video highlighting the best moments from AfroTech.
- Attendee Reflections on LinkedIn: We encouraged attendees to share their personal reflections, which we reposted to build community and share diverse perspectives.
- Partner Video with LinkedIn: We collaborated with LinkedIn for a video interview featuring Andrew McCaskill, a career expert, and communications executive, discussing DEI and the impact of AI in social media.
- TikTok Fit Check Videos: We created fun, engaging TikTok videos promoting AfroTech coverage and showcasing attendee fashion.
Best Practices for Social Media Event Coverage
Planning and executing a social media strategy for large-scale events like AfroTech requires careful thought and coordination. Here are some of the best practices we applied and recommend for your own event coverage:
1. Start Planning Early
The earlier you start planning your event coverage, the better. This allows your teams to understand their roles and the expectations for the event. Starting early also gives you time to create and approve content in advance, ensuring everything runs smoothly on the event day.
2. Identify Partnerships to Extend Your Reach
Collaborating with influencers, creators, and industry partners can significantly amplify your social media coverage. For example, by partnering with LinkedIn for interviews and Kerry Hartley for event tips, we expanded our reach and engaged new audiences.
3. Leverage AI and Automation
Use AI tools to streamline tasks like scheduling posts and analyzing performance. Automation tools can free up your time, enabling you to focus on creating content and engaging with attendees. For instance, we used Sprout to schedule Instagram Stories in advance, which saved us time during the event.
4. Use Social Listening to Guide Content Creation
Social listening is essential for understanding what your audience is saying about the event. By monitoring conversations around AfroTech using Sprout’s Listening feature, we identified trends and adjusted our content to align with attendee interests and discussions.
Conclusion
Social media for events goes beyond just posting content—it’s about creating real, memorable experiences that resonate with your audience. By combining early planning, strategic partnerships, AI tools, and social listening, we were able to bring the AfroTech 2024 experience to our audience in an engaging and meaningful way. AfroTech provided a valuable platform for us to showcase our DEI efforts and highlight the power of diversity in tech and social media. With the right social media strategy, you can create lasting impressions and foster community connection, whether your audience is attending in person or virtually.
Sprout’s experience at AfroTech demonstrated the power of social media to elevate events and engage audiences, leaving us excited for what’s to come next year!
