Challenge:
With just 45 days to go before the event on May 4, 2013, 3WD was hired to develop a social media strategy that accomplished the following objectives:
- Filled the venue with a mix of people who will bring depth and breadth to the topic of “a hero’s journey” – preferably neuroscientists, teachers, professional coaches and entrepreneurs
- Prepare the registrants for their experience at the event through relevant readings and
- Create web traffic around the videos on YouTube following the event.
Solution:
- Develop an editorial calendar that leveraged blog posts from each of the speakers about their upcoming presentations.
- Leverage the social networks of the TEDxRockCreekPark team members who worked on the event and therefore were dedicated to the topic
- Leverage the online communities that neuroscientists, teachers and entrepreneurs belong to
Overview:
Organizer Alison Whitmire was new to the DC area and was looking for new ways to capture the attention of local folks devoted to the discussion of what prevents people from “finding their inner hero”. It was imperative to function within the TED Guidelines to fill seats. One of the requirement of using the TEDx brand is that talks must be videotaped and made accessible to TED and to the public following the event. This creates some challenges in attracting paid participants especially on a Saturday in D.C. in the spring.
Deliverables:
3WD executed on the project by delivering:
- A list of online communities that were natural habitats for the target audience of educators, professional coaches, neuroscientists and entrepreneurs
- A strategy for infiltrating/adding value in each of those communities
- An editorial calendar outlining when the work would be done
- Social media posts on Facebook, Twitter and in agreed upon online communities that would drive people to the online registration for the event
- Email instructions to organizers on how to leverage their personal and professional networks to drive registration
Results:
The event was sold out. Post-event YouTube video views exceeded 200,000 and continue to climb. A substantial Facebook and Twitter following was amassed providing a marketing foundation for the next event.
Related Blog Posts: TEDxRockCreekPark was a HIT!
