What if the West Arundel Crab Feast used Social Media?
Week 12 — Content Post
Pick an event from the past or present and detail out how they can utilize social media before, during and after the event. Come up with your own unique ideas. Once you have detailed your plan, evaluate how the event has been successful using social media.
The annual West Arundel Crab Feast is the most popular event in Maryland City during the summer. It currently draws a large crowd of locals, but with the right strategy and a little more oomph in their social media, it would skyrocket the event. This event brings families and friends together for a night of summer fun, beer, and the famous Maryland Blue Crab. Now we dive into different ways social media can enhance the crab feast experience before, during, and after the event.
BEFORE:
Increasing the hype will make this event a must during the summer months. Before the event should hold most of the content for an entertaining and informative reason, getting people excited and gain more participants. Here are some ideas to do on social media to enhance the Crab Feast experience.
1. Announce Event: Dates, Times, prices
Informs people that we are hosting an event and to clear their calendars because it will be a good one! Demonstrated by eye-catching graphics or posters displayed. Create a hashtag, #WASCCrabFeast.
2. Celebrate Crab Season
Celebrate the start of Maryland crabbing season with fun pictures and gifs.
3. Showcase activities
Tease some activities that will be happening during the event, live band, swimming in the pool, silent auction, raffle, games, etc. It gets people excited for something other than picking crabs.
4. Guide on how to purchase tickets, ticket options, or volunteer
- Early Bird Tickets: Inform the audience of limited-time early bird tickets, which includes a custom made WASC mallet, pick of a table, and a dozen crabs to take home with the purchase of early tickets. Note that there are limited tickets available for purchase.
- Donate to Silent Auction — receive 10% off ticket for each donation
- Volunteer for the event and take home a free dozen crabs at the end, limited spaces for volunteers.
5. Pictures and Videos from the previous year
Share pictures and videos submitted by volunteer and guest from prior years
6. Show off — Food Spread
- Show how delicious cook blue crab covered in Old Bay looks.
- Other food options displayed — this includes those with seafood allergies or who don’t like seafood, showing they can still be a part of the festivities.
- Share favorite recipes for our favorite crab feast dishes and how to broil a crab.
7. Event Countdown
T-7 days until our annual Crab Feast! It will get people excited and thinking about the event. Also gives the promoters enough chance to remind people, it’s not too late to buy tickets or bring up and suggest to friends!
8. Silent Auction Goods
Show the great items that participants can bid to win. Explains that the money will go to help the swim club continue to provide improvements to members.
9. Give background info on the history of the Crab Feast
Show the long-standing traditions of the Crab Feast, Est. in 1995.
10. History of West Arundel
11. Entertaining posts about crabs
- Funny crab memes
- Graphics of Muck the Duck with his buddy the crab
- What you see v. what the crab sees
- Dad jokes
- Giveaways and Contest
During:
1. Go with Live Videos
2. Engage w/ attendees using hashtags
Ask attendees to post pictures and videos with the hashtags so that you can share on the main account as UGC.
3. Takeovers- Lifeguards, Crab guys, Attendees (On IG stories, FB Stories)
- It’s great to take people behind the scenes; it helps participants understand what it takes to make the event happen. In addition, attendees get to share their views by getting in front of the camera.
- Lifeguard — All their job duties (silent auction, snowcone machine, 50–50 raffle, first aid tent, corn guard, crab guards), mic’d up and talk to attendees, showing that it’s a lot of hard work but still fun.
- Crab Guys — Meet Tony the dog, how to cook crabs, meet the guys behind the star of the show (blue crab).
- Attendees — Showing different activities, fun with friends and family, showing the perspective of someone attending.
4. Provide customer service
Answer any questions someone may have during the event that they want quick answers to without leaving their table. The team can assist on social media or direct to the table.
5. Geofilter
Attendees can have fun with the filter and show others on social media where to find the event and how fun the event is without being there.
6. Right after Event
Workers scrubbing tables, and then finally relaxing by either eating crabs or sleeping in lounge chairs.
After:
1. Share submitted UGC
2. Thank everyone for coming
Remind that this is an annual event, and we can’t wait to see them next year!
3. Feedback — survey link and polls
Receive feedback from participants through providing a poll or survey link to help better plan for future events.
4. Press Coverage
Include newspaper articles, blog posts, and TV coverage about how the event went over the weekend.
5. TBT post
Continuously use UGC or previous event photos and videos to remind everyone of a great time we had together. Tell them how much we miss them, and we can’t wait to have them again next year!
6. Next Big Event — Shrimp Feast, Adult Night, 4th of July, Etc.
Remind participants that although we need to wait another year for the crab feast, we have other exciting events on the calendar. Encourage everyone to join us for future events!
Evaluate:
Due to the social media changes, the crab feast saw great success. Using social media before techniques found to increase in tickets sold and new people attending the event. People loved the content provided, which increase followers and engagement on all used platforms. They also saw an increase in Silent Auction donations because of the discount advertised, which helped raise more money for the swim club. During the event techniques, were used continued to build a strong relationship and trust through consistent engagement, answering questions, and quick customer services. We found that submitted user-generated content increased during the event and people were eager to take over each account to talk about their time at the Crab Feast. In the end, we got a positive response from survey links and polls provided on the social media sites and the event increased pool membership. People loved that this was an annual event and that every person felt like they were a part of the West Arundel family; now they get to join in on all the fun events the club sponsors.
