How an active Facebook group drove 15,000 people to the Singapore Tattoo Show

I speak at dozens of conferences a year all over the world. Since organizers usually book me many months in advance, I have some visibility into how they promote the events. It tends to be the same old methods: Send an email and a direct mail to everyone who attended last year, buy some email and postal mailing lists and send some more promotions. Most shows build good Web sites and most have decent SEO. But that's usually it.

What if you're charged with promoting a brand new show?

Because there's no previous attendees to draw from the work is much more difficult.

Or is it? When a show is new, the “old rules” of promotion don’t apply. You can do something new and untested.

The 1st Annual Singapore Tattoo Show, held January 9-11, 2009, was endorsed and supported by Singapore Tourism Board and included Show Ambassador Chris Garver of Miami Ink. The goal was to get 5,000 visitors to the show where over 120 artists from around the globe representing all the various modern tattoo styles ticked away with their machines. All sorts of fun and funky exhibitors were there and Emcee & Show DJ Shawn Lee pumping awesome sounds throughout the hall.

Andrew Peters is the brains behind the social media promotions leading up to the Singapore Tattoo Show, working on both traditional and social media publicity.

What I find fascinating as a show promotional tool was the Facebook Group called Tattoo Artistry that was started three months prior to the event. This is important for all show organizers to study.

Andrew used Facebook as a way for people to connect well before the physical event and the Tattoo Artistry Facebook Group quickly gained 3,000 members, securing a place as the center of this artwork for the region. In a sense, the physical show started with a virtual group. The is new marketing for conferences and events.

The passion of the members of the Tattoo Artistry Facebook group for "their event" meant promoting to their friends. The online community included people eager to attend the live event. Instead of relying on buying expensive advertising, Andrew built a community of passionate fans who built anticipation and buzz for the event.

With more than 15,000 people attending, the event brought three times the expected number of attendees!

The Tattoo Artistry Facebook group is now Asia's largest social network for the tattoo industry, tattoo enthusiasts, and fans. The group will continue to grow as an online destination to connect and plans are already underway for the 2nd Singapore Tattoo Show in 2010.

Alas, no, I was not at the show in person. But with my participation in the Tattoo Artistry Facebook group and one of my World Wide Rave posters appearing in photos I feel like I was there in spirit.

Comments

[Csalomonlee]

Conferences (both physical and virtual) have specific audiences interested in that content. Social media is a natural way to connect with these enthusiasts - not only to promote attendance for the events, but also to maintain an evangelist following. However, I think this is only possible if a community/social network does not already exists for that particular group.

[Eric Brown]

David, Hello I really enjoy your posts, books and material.

This is a great example of how connecting and effective use of Social Media can enhance the marketing results.

[L. Howell]

Terrific insight and exciting to see. A recent McKinsey article on BNET at http://www.bnet.com/2403-13237_23-261847.html emphasizes albeit with more words you main point, which is thinking and behaving differently to market and identify new customers who are willing to buy. Well done! Will keep up on Twitter https://twitter.com/goseedo

[C. Laurent]

this would only work if your target market were users of Facebook, given the group of 20-somethings in the photo one can see why it was effective for the Tattoo show. now if you were marketing say an investment show geared towards boomers, a Facebook promo would not be nearly so effective. I would like to see a demographic breakdown of Facebook users, does anyone know if such a breakdown exists.

[HeidiMiller]

David--

Thanks for this example. One of the things I love about your writing is that you're giving us fresh examples, not the same old Kryptonite lock fiasco recycled for Facebook.

Do you have any tips on how to promote a Facebook group and keep it vibrant, even when it's not promoting a specific event?

[David Meerman Scott]

Heidi

Thanks for noticing on my stories. I try REALLY hard to get new, fresh examples.

My best ideas are in my new book World Wide Rave that came out this week.

David

[Organic SEO]

David, Hello I really enjoy your posts, books and material.

This is a good example

[JMCCORKLE]

David,

This example of using social media to benefit an organization mirrors what you talk about in your book The New Rules of Marketing and PR. By utilizing the FREE tools and spending very litle on traditional forms of promotion and advertisments. Facebook is a phenomena that many businesses should use, but most times don't nor in the right way. It's important to plant a seed, like Andrew Peters did with the tatoo artistry group, and let it catch fire on it's own. I completely believe that word of mouth is sometimes the best form of advertisment.

[gino carpio]

Nice Blog Sir Andrew! Keep Spreading Resources on the Web!