Social media has become a constant in our lives, and a powerful tool for businesses and community builders alike. 72% of U.S. adults use social media, and they spend around two hours on social media a day. Meetup is built so that members easily find your group and events, but that doesn’t mean that an extra boost on social media can’t help! Having a consistent social media presence shows an extra dedication to the group and can help you reach a new audience of potential members. It’s also a great way to stay in touch with members between events. Here are some tips to launch your group even further with social media:
Pick your channels
Each social media platform has its own benefits and user demographics, so think about which might be a good match for sharing about your group and reaching potential members.
Facebook is the most widely used platform, so it’s a great place to start unless your members are mostly in their twenties or thirties. In that case, Instagram might be a better option. Instagram is a popular yet highly visual platform, so keep high-quality images and videos on deck. Twitter is great for timely updates and reminders, and simple text posts are easy to craft. LinkedIn is a great fit for tech and career-related groups. YouTube is a useful platform to share long-form video content with members, but can also be one more place potential members may find your group online.
Start with at least one platform, and branch out as you go! Add the links to your new social media profiles to your Meetup group description so members can easily find and follow you.
Brainstorm a content plan
What do you want to post on social media? Sharing event details is a great place to start. Consider any other content that your members or potential members might like to see. Leadership team introductions, event photos and videos, event recaps, and friendly questions that encourage engagement are some other options that can keep things fresh on your page. There’s no need to build a rigid structure for your social media content. Stick to the basics, play around and try out new things, and post consistently.
Create visually appealing event graphics
Stop people in their scroll with an eye-catching event post. Meetup’s new social media toolkit has editable templates for promoting your group and events! Beginners and experts alike can use these Canva templates, which make it easy to stylishly share important details about upcoming events. If you’re making your own event graphic, be sure to include the date, time, event title, and location. Keep it simple—avoid using too much text and let images give a sense of what the event will be like. Don’t forget to also include a link to the event in the post so members can easily RSVP (on Instagram, put the link in your bio).
Post frequently
Most social media algorithms reward profiles for posting frequently by showing their posts to more users. Stay at the top of your followers’ feeds by posting regularly. This doesn’t have to be every day, but a few times a week is a great place to start. The quality of the post is the most important part—it’s better to post great content less frequently than poor content often.
Let hashtags do the work for you
Hashtags are a great way to expand your reach on social media. Each platform has its own sweet spot for the ideal number of hashtags to use on a post, but in general, it’s best to only use the few most relevant ones. Find some city-specific hashtags to reach people in your area. Use any hashtags relevant to the group itself, such as #hikingclub for a hiking group. Create your own hashtag for your group! Bay Area Sewists uses #BayAreaSewists on their Instagram posts, and members have posted their sewing creations using the hashtag as well. This is a great example of how to engage with your community offline, keep in touch, and see what members are up to in between events. If you want Meetup to feature your group, use #MyMeetupMoment or #KeepConnected!
Leverage your network
Share your group and social media pages with friends, family, colleagues, and anyone who might be willing to help. You likely have a network of people ready to cheer you on, so let them help you and your group succeed! You never know who your network might know, and they could help boost your group even further.
Follow relevant accounts
Curate your feed by following similar accounts, other Meetup groups in your city, and other Meetup groups that share a similar purpose. This is a great way to learn from others and get inspiration for your group or social media pages. Connect with other organizers, share their content, and comment on their posts—you can uplift others and build community on social media as well as on Meetup.
Interact with your followers
Bring your community to life, even outside of events. Be sure to respond to comments and questions you get on your social media pages. Encourage engagement and build relationships with your members by liking and responding to comments. Social media is another avenue to connect with members, so make the most of this platform as an opportunity to strengthen the community.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to social media, but in time you’ll find what works best for you. Have fun with it and look forward to all of the smiling faces you’ll see soon at a Meetup event.
Stay in the loop and join Meetup Live for live sessions with expert organizers and more, and check out the event recordings. Listen to Meetup’s podcast, Keep Connected, to learn more about the power of community and how it’s impacted Meetup organizers across the globe. Stay up-to-date with Community Matters and check out other articles like this one in our Organizer Guide. Lastly, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn for inspiration, reminders, and tips for finding and building community.
Last modified on April 19, 2022
