If you’re in B2B tech, your calendar is packed with industry conferences, customer summits, and webinars. But simply showing up isn’t enough. Successfully marketing your event presence on social media can be the difference between an empty booth and a packed session—or between passive engagement and real pipeline impact.

Yet, most event promotion strategies on social media are painfully predictable. Everyone’s posting “Join us at Booth #123!” and throwing up a registration link. That’s not enough.

Here’s how to leverage social media for event success—before, during, and after—with strategies that stand out.

Pre-Event Promotion: Building Hype That Converts

Flip the Script on Speaker Announcements
Instead of the typical “We’re excited to speak at X event!” post, frame it around a challenge your audience cares about. Example: “Struggling to manage enterprise security? At RSA, we’ll discuss how you can tighten up organizational security without killing user experience or productivity.” This makes the post about the audience’s problem, not your agenda.

Use Invisible Influencers for Social Proof
Event speakers and executives aren’t the only ones who should post about the event. Activate your sales team, customers, and industry connections to drop organic mentions of your booth or sessions. The goal? Make it seem like “everyone” is talking about it, creating FOMO before the event even starts.

Make Your Cover + Profile Photos Work for You
Swap your LinkedIn company page and employee profile cover photos to promote the event. A simple branded graphic with the event name, date, and your booth number ensures that anyone visiting your page sees your basic event information, even if they’ve missed your posts.

Host a Pre-Event Hot Take Discussion
Instead of a generic “Join our webinar” CTA, host a LinkedIn Live or poll-based discussion on a hot-button issue related to your session. Get people debating, then tease that you’ll go deeper at the event. Example: “Is AI making cybersecurity stronger or just giving attackers more tools? Let’s discuss. And if you’re heading to Black Hat, join our session on AI threats in enterprise security.”

Repurpose Your Old Content
Recycling old content = the beauty of social media! If you’ve attended this event before, leverage footage, photos, and sizzle reels from past years to build excitement. Post a quick recap video or a carousel of last year’s highlights with a caption like: “Here’s what happened at RSA last year. We couldn’t be more excited for this year’s show—who’s joining us?” Nostalgia and anticipation work together to drive engagement.

Go Behind the Scenes
Your audience doesn’t want to be told to register and attend—they want to connect with the humans behind the brand. Share a behind-the-scenes look at your event prep, whether it’s a video of the team setting up the booth, filming webinar content, packing swag, or rehearsing a keynote. Example: “Final touches on our booth before HLTH USA kicks off tomorrow. Who’s ready?” You can also leverage your team members’ personal networks by sharing a preview of who will be attending on behalf of your company. These posts create a personal connection and make attendees feel like insiders.

On-Site Promotion: Live Event Activation Strategies

Crowdsource Booth Traffic with a Challenge Post
Give event attendees a reason to come meet you. Example: “We’ve hidden three golden tickets at our booth. Find one and get VIP access to our private networking event tonight.” This makes people actively look for you, rather than just stumbling upon your booth.

Take Over the Event Hashtag with Real-Time Reactions
Most event hashtag posts are predictable and corporate. Break through the noise by posting live reactions to keynotes, panel debates, or trending topics at the conference. Use an informal, conversational tone like: “Wow. The opening keynote at #BlackHat just claimed that perimeter security is dead. Agree or disagree?” This sparks discussion and earns your brand organic visibility without just announcing “We’re here!”

Make Your Audience the Star of Your Content
Instead of posting about your own team, highlight customers and attendees. Do quick video interviews with customers, prospects, or speakers (with their permission, of course). Example: “We just ran into [Name] from [Company], who had an awesome take on zero-trust security. What’s your biggest security challenge right now?” It makes your content feel like live coverage, not just a corporate promo.

Drop Exclusive Content for Attendees—But Make Them Work for It
Offer valuable content (like an exclusive report or white paper), but don’t just hand it out. Example: “We just released new research on the latest threat intel. Want a copy? Swing by Booth #123 and ask for ‘the insider report.’” This creates intrigue and drives foot traffic.

Post a Lot of Photos
Photos of your team, your booth, your after-hours events—social audiences love to see real connections being made. Whether it’s your team engaging with attendees, your CEO taking media interviews, a packed session, a team dinner, or a post-show Top Golf outing, these posts will perform far better than generic corporate shots. Bonus: Tagging people in your photos extends reach exponentially.

Post-Event Promotion: Keeping the Momentum Going

Run a Post-Event Myth-Busting Series
Instead of a dry recap post, surface key takeaways and lessons learned from the event. Example: “Everyone at Web Summit was saying X, but here’s why that’s only half the story…” This sparks engagement and positions your team as thought leaders rather than just event attendees.

Turn Your Speaking Sessions into a Mini Content Machine
Most companies post a single “Watch our session on-demand” link and call it a day. Instead, break the session into snackable posts:

• A 30-second video clip with a bold quote.
• A carousel post summarizing the top three takeaways.
• A poll asking attendees if they agree with the session’s conclusions.

Each post extends the life of the session and keeps engagement going.

Shout Out the Real MVPs
Post-event appreciation shouldn’t just be for your internal team. Publicly thank attendees, speakers, and partners by tagging them in your recap posts. Example: “Huge thanks to our customer [Individual Name] from [Company Name] for joining us at our #RSAC booth for a great discussion on zero-trust! Your insights made this event even better.” This encourages engagement and broadens the post’s reach.

Share Customer or Booth Visitor Quotes
Throughout the event, you’ll hear amazing insights from customers and attendees—capture and share them. Example: “One attendee at our booth put it perfectly: ‘We’ve been struggling with securing remote workforces, and your solution makes so much sense.’” This type of content feels organic and resonates with your audience. Bonus: You can use this for pre-event and on-site promotion, too.

Final Thoughts: It’s About Engagement, Not Just Announcements

Most event promotion on social media is forgettable because it’s made up of one-way communication. The key to standing out is sparking conversation, driving FOMO, and making attendees feel like insiders.

So before your next big event, ditch the generic approach. Use these strategies to turn social media into your brand and event amplifier—before, during, and after.

Want to know how Big Valley’s Digital + Social practice can support your company at the next big conference? Check out “A Day in the Life of a Big Valley Social Media Manager” and reach out to us today.