Facebook allows you to create events, invite people to attend, and manage the guest RSVPs. This is the first of a three articles about creating Facebook business events.
- Before You Start: You have a Facebook business page. You are planning a business event and want to use Facebook to provide event information and manage RSVPs.
- Learning level: 3 | Building Skills
- Article last updated: Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Facebook Events
One way you can bring people to your business is by hosting an event. Your event might be a workshop, a brown bag lunch speaker, or a tweetup at your business. Facebook allow you to create an event listing that you can share with people on Facebook. Your Facebook event can also be seen by people who are not Facebook users.
At the end of this article, you have added a Facebook event. Before you get started, here are some decisions you need to make:
- What is the event name? This is one event detail that you can’t change later, so make sure you start off with the best name.
- Do you want to make the event private? This means that only invited guests know about the event and the event administrator must invite each guest.
- Do you want to make the invited guest list available to anyone who visits the event page?
If you have a personal Facebook account and want to make a business event, it’s important that you follow these instructions exactly. Unfortunately, Facebook makes it easy to create an event that isn’t attached to your business page. If you create a personal event, you can’t attach it to your business later.
Add A Facebook Event
To add an event for your business:
- Switch to use Facebook as your page.
- Click Events (left column). Facebook displays a list of upcoming events for your business (if available).
- If your page doesn’t have an Events option: Click Edit Page. Click Apps. Locate Events in the list. Click Edit Settings. Facebook displays the Edit Event Settings window. Next to Tab, click Add. Click Okay. Click View Page. Return to Step 2.
- Click Create An Event. Facebook displays the Create An Event page.
- Add an event photo using the Add Event Photo button. Add a picture from your computer. You can add your company logo, but a picture that includes people is more effective. The image is an important part of the event page. Don’t skip this step.
- Enter the event date and time, including an end time if appropriate.
- Type the event name at What Are You Planning? Choose carefully because you cannot change the event name after someone RSVPs that they are attending.
- Type the event location, and add a street address if desired.
- At More Info, type the event description. This information describes your event to people who receive invitations or land on your event page. Be clear and focused, but include enough information that people understand your event and are excited to attend.
- If the guest list is public, leave the Show The Guest List On The Event Page checked.
- If you want guests to be able to write on the event’s wall, leave the Non-Admins Can Write On The Wall checked.
- Click Create Event. Facebook displays the event page.
- At the event page, review your event details and use Edit Event to make any necessary changes .
You have created the event and the event page appears in Facebook. In the next article, you learn how to invite guests to your event.
Your turn: How have Facebook events helped you advertise events at your business? Share your experience and insights here.
Related Articles:
- Organize A Tweet-Up!
- Invite People To Your Facebook Event
- Create A Facebook Page For Your Business (Part 1)
- Create A Facebook Page For Your Business (Part 2)
- Understanding Facebook Accounts
- Manage Your Facebook Event
- Growing Your Tweet-Up
Article categories: Articles • Events • Facebook • Level 3 • Proximity Marketing
Article tags: Facebook • Facebook Event • Facebook Profile • Maps • Privacy • Proximity Marketing • RSVP
Charlene Kingston is the small business person behind the Social Media DIY Workshop.
12 Responses to “Create A Facebook Event”
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I'm Charlene Kingston.
I teach people like you how to build an online community around their business.
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nice step by step guide, very prescriptive and I would say truly idiot proof
nice one…
Thanks, Dan. Although I don’t think of my readers as idiots, I do try to help people avoid what I call “operator error.”
This is the only tutorial I have found that accurately described how to add the Events app to my home page for my business. Thank you!
You are welcome, Kathleen! Facebook is constantly changing, and it’s a lot of work to keep my articles up to date. That’s why I have a freshness date at the top of each one. Good luck with your event!
do you know how to make the guest list open for others to be added?
Hi Susan. I may not have enough information to answer your question completely. I’ve written about how to invite people to your event in another article. (http://socialmediadiyworkshop.com/2010/02/invite-people-to-your-facebook-event/) Check that article, and see if those options answer your question. I’m happy to answer any further questions you have.
Is there some way for an event to be added to a page’s calendar, but not be automatically shown on the page wall? I want to enter events for the entire year, but not clutter the wall up with them.
I’ve got a really good answer for you, Shai. I love it when I figure out a beautiful solution. That doesn’t always happen.
When you Use Facebook As Page and create a business event, by default the event app posts a notice about the new event on your wall. So there are two ways to deal with this.
1. You can let the app post the event on your wall, and then delete that post. To do this, use your mouse to hover over the event on your wall. When the X appears in the upper right corner, click it and then click Remove Post to confirm that you want to delete the event from your wall.
2. (The great solution) You can stop the event app from posting on your wall automatically when you create an event. To do this, display you business page wall. Click Edit Page. In the menu (along the left) click Apps. Locate the Events App and click Edit Settings. In the pop-up window, click Additional Permissions. Uncheck the box that says “Publish content to my Wall.” Click OK.
In general, it’s a nice feature to have Facebook automatically post your events to your wall. You might want to turn it off for a while, for the reason you explain. But remember to turn it back on later.
In the past, I was able to create an event on our business’ facebook page and it would automatically show up on the walls of people who like our page. I recently tried to do this, and the event was not distributed. The event is posted – but visible only if you click on the Events tab. I decided to post the event directly to the d.a.Niels Gourmet Kitchenware wall to have it visible for others.
This is new because the last event I posted was in July and it was fine.
Can you help?
Thanks
Analyn Baker
d.a.Niels Gourmet Kitchenware
There are big changes in what Facebook distributes, some have taken place already, and some are in the works. Unfortunately, you can’t rely on Facebook to spread the word about your event any more. I’ve written an article with ideas for distribution (http://socialmediadiyworkshop.com/2010/02/invite-people-to-your-facebook-event/). In general, you need to find ways outside of Facebook to share your Facebook event. I know how crazy that sounds!
Post the event on your wall. In fact, I recommend that you find many excuses to keep posting your event on your wall. Here’s what I mean. First, post the event. Then, a few days later, post a status update about how you have just ordered something for your event, and include the link to the event. A few days later, post a status update about something going on behind the scenes around your event, again with the event link. You want to keep telling the story of the event so people don’t think you are just posting the same thing over and over (boring). Include photographs of items purchased for the event, or of a person who will be attending the event, etc. Think of it as storytelling, and keep telling bits of the story in Facebook posts that include a link to the event.
Also, make sure that you are sharing the event with people off Facebook. Include it in your email newsletter. Blog about it. Tweet about it. Use every communication channel you have to spread the news.
If you create an “invite only” event on facebook does it show in your “public/friend” timeline? And if someone is attending does it show on their timeline to people that are NOT invited?
thanks!
mark
Excellent questions, Mark. I don’t know the answers. I haven’t been very active with events for over a month. And things do change. Sorry I can’t help you.