Local events in your content calendar

Key takeaways

Using local events for social media content works best for businesses with a local customer base: markets, festivals, sports fixtures, school fairs and charity runs your customers attend. Mark them on the calendar a month ahead, post once before to help people plan, once on the day if you are involved, and once after to thank people. Local relevance beats national hashtags.

• Mark local events a month ahead in the planning session.
• 3 posts per event: before, on the day, after.
• Help people plan first: parking, timings, what is on.
• Tag organisers and venues so the post reaches their followers.

Which local events are worth posting about?

Post about events your customers attend or care about: town festivals, markets, local sports, school and charity events, and trade fairs in your area. The best ones are those you are part of, as a stall, sponsor, supplier or volunteer. Mark them in the monthly session, because local event dates are often announced only a few weeks ahead.

• How to build a monthly social media content calendar
• Reaching your local community on social media

What should you post before, during and after?

Before, post something useful: what is on, where you will be, timings and parking. During, if you are involved, share a few photos or a short video. After, thank the organisers and people who came, and tag them. The 'after' post often gets the most engagement, because people like seeing themselves and their town.

• An event social media plan: before, on the day, after

How do you avoid looking like an advert?

Lead with the event, not with your offer. Share information people want, tag the organisers, and mention your business once. If you have an offer for attendees, put it at the end. People share posts that help their community; they rarely share ones that only sell.

• Educational vs promotional content: getting the mix right

Which platform suits local event posts?

Facebook usually suits local event posts best, because local groups, events listings and older audiences live there, with Instagram close behind for visual events. Nextdoor and local Facebook groups can extend reach, but follow each group's rules on business posts. Add the event to your Google Business Profile too.

• A Facebook content calendar for local businesses
• How to get customers from Facebook groups without spamming

When should you skip a local event?

Skip events your customers do not attend, events that are controversial locally, and events you have no part in and nothing useful to add to. A post about an event you have nothing to do with, purely for reach, rarely helps.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern with local businesses: a stall at the summer fair, two hundred conversations on the day, and no posts before or after, so nobody who missed it hears about it. A 'find us at' post, a few photos and a thank-you usually turn one day's effort into a week of content.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Local events checklist

• Ask organisers and check local listings monthly.
• Mark events in the planning session.
• Post before, during and after.
• Tag organisers and venues.
• Lead with the event, mention your business once.

• School holidays in your social media calendar
• Business milestones and anniversaries as content

Next step

Look up what is happening in your town next month and add any event your customers will attend to the calendar, with a 'before' post a week ahead.