Instagram is one hell of a powerful marketing tool: with over 200M Instagram users turning to the app every day to discover local products, events, services, and experiences, it can seriously transform your business by boosting your brand image and increasing your ticket sales. If you've neglected this crucial area of your social media marketing strategy, you run the risk of losing out on reaching thousands of potential event attendees.

Approaching your Instagram marketing in a smart and strategic way is no easy feat: posting pretty photos on an ad-hoc basis simply won't do. You have to be smart and strategic in your approach to reap the full benefits. 

But how do you know which 'hacks' work and which don't? There's no shortage of Instagram tips and tricks out there a mere Google search away, but alas, far from all of them are relevant to the event industry. That's exactly why we did the homework for you, related to all things instagramming an event. Here's the low down on the most effective Instagram tips and tricks. 

1. Grow a (Relevant) Audience with Stellar Content

First thing's first: Instagram is a visual tool. Even if you have the wittiest, most informative captions in the universe, they'll be no good to anyone if you're posting blurry, low-quality photos to go with them. Figure out a theme and stick to it: it's a good idea to look at what your competitors are posting and find the missing links in their content. If you have no idea how to curate your feed you can look into outsourcing your content to a professional content creator or agency. If, however, you feel like you're up for a challenge, spend some time trawling through successful accounts and take some time creating your own original graphics with the help of tools like Canva. Once you start posting well-curated, visually interesting content, your audience will start to grow. And remember: original content always pays off more than regurgitated, boring stock photos - so do take the time to get creative!

2. Engage, Engage, Engage

Now that you've got enough curated content to keep potential clients hooked, you need to start finding, targeting, and engaging them. The easiest and most effective way to do this is to explore relevant hashtags. But first, you need to have a clear idea of who your audience is: are they City working professionals? Young creatives? Families? Get into their minds and figure out what accounts and hashtags they might be exploring. Next, start engaging with these leads. Follow, like, comment on accounts that look relevant. But one word of caution: do not be tempted by mass following bot platforms - they're more likely to deter than they are to attract genuine followers.

3. Add a 'Get Tickets' Button

People viewing your Instagram profile and posts are likely interested in attending your events or shows, but they may not be willing to put in the extra effort to find out how to purchase tickets. With a clear, bold “Get Tickets” button on your profile, casual browsers can become attendees in just a few simple taps. Thanks to a new integration with our partners at Instagram, you can now add a call-to-action button to your Instagram business profile to drive more interest to your event listing page or profile on Eventbrite. To add a “Get Tickets” button, tap “Edit Profile,” then select “Contact Options” > “Add additional action.” Choose Eventbrite as your partner, then enter your Eventbrite URL. Head back to your profile to confirm.

4. Host Competitions and Giveaways

Everyone loves a freebie, and giveaways are a great way to incentivize your audience to follow your page and spread the love. There are various ways to host them, but one of the most fruitful tactics is to offer a prize (say, a ticket to an event or a voucher) on the condition that the entrants follow your page and tag a friend in the comments. The higher the value of the prize, the better the results. 

5. Re-Share Photos and Encourage Hashtags and Check-Ins

Re-­sharing your attendees' photos is a great way to capitalize on branding. By re-­sharing attendee photos in your feed, you can unlock some brand exposure through mentioning. People get excited when a brand mentions them directly. They’ll want to tell their friends about it, and what easier way than by mentioning them in your feed? It's also worth encouraging your attendees to check into your event or venue and use a personalized hashtag when sharing the event experience in their feed or stories. Not only will this help your event get more exposure, but it will also help boost your social proof. And don't forget that instagramming your event (whether live or via stories) is an absolute must.

There you have it: 5 easy to implement hacks to help get your event ticket sales soaring.