How to Promote an Event on Instagram: Tips & Tricks

With 2 billion monthly users, Instagram is a great way to spread the word about an event. Whether you’re hosting a restaurant launch, hotel opening, or special attraction, this platform helps you reach more people, boost attendance, and build excitement.

But what’s the best way to use it for promotion? In this blog post, we'll talk about how to promote an event on Instagram and use the platform to your advantage. Let's start!

Pre-Event Promotion

Your main goal during pre-event promotion is to generate excitement, boost ticket sales, and keep your event on people’s minds long before the day arrives.

Without proper promotion, even the best events can go unnoticed. Investing time in pre-event marketing helps you:

• Increase attendance: The more people know about your event, the more likely they are to attend.
• Build excitement: A well-promoted event creates buzz, making attendees eager to go.
• Improve brand awareness: Promoting an event also promotes your business, helping people remember you.
• Encourage word-of-mouth marketing: Attendees and followers who see your posts can spread the word to their own audience.
• Boost engagement on Instagram: Regular updates, behind-the-scenes content, and countdowns keep your audience interested.

Ways to Use Instagram’s Features for Pre-Event Promotion

Instagram has several tools that can help you promote your event, build excitement, and drive ticket sales. Here’s how to use them:

Polls and Question Stickers

Instagram’s interactive stickers let you ask your audience direct questions and get instant feedback. This is a great way to boost engagement and see what people are thinking.

Ask your followers what they’re most excited about, what they want to see, or if they have any questions. This makes them feel involved and builds excitement for your event.

Countdown Stickers

A countdown sticker is a simple way to remind your followers how soon your event is happening. It creates urgency and keeps it on their radar.

Add a countdown to your stories so people can see exactly how much time is left. This can push last-minute sign-ups and get people to commit.

Instagram Live

Live video helps you connect with your audience in real time. It’s perfect for answering questions, making announcements, or showing behind-the-scenes moments.

You can host a live Q&A, introduce special guests, or give a sneak peek of your event setup. Going live makes everything feel more personal and gets people excited to attend.

Instagram Highlights

Your Instagram Highlights let you save important stories on your profile so people can access them anytime. This is a great way to keep event details, speaker introductions, and FAQs in one place. 

New visitors who missed your earlier posts can catch up easily, and you won’t have to repeat the same information.

Event Reminders in Stories

Since stories disappear after 24 hours, they’re perfect for quick updates and limited-time offers. Use them to share daily event reminders, last-minute ticket discounts, or important changes. 

This keeps your event fresh in people’s minds and encourages them to take action before it’s too late.

Instagram Ads

If you want to reach potential attendees who don’t follow you yet, Instagram Ads can help. You can target people based on interests, location, or behaviors, making sure your event gets in front of the right audience. 

Ads are especially useful if you have limited seats or special promotions since they create urgency and encourage people to book their tickets right away.

During the Event: Keeping Attendees Engaged on Instagram

Once the event starts, Instagram becomes a tool for real-time engagement. This is your chance to keep attendees involved, encourage user-generated content, and make those who couldn’t attend feel like they’re missing out.

A strong Instagram presence during the event also helps promote future events by showing people what they can expect next time.

Capture Real-Time Action and Share Updates

Posting live updates makes the event feel exciting and keeps both attendees and online followers engaged. Instagram allows you to share moments as they happen, which makes people more likely to interact with your content.

Ways to capture and share event highlights:

• Post Instagram stories throughout the event: Share behind-the-scenes moments, key highlights, and crowd reactions.
• Use Reels to capture the best moments: A short, engaging video of the event’s energy can encourage more shares and engagement.
• Go live on Instagram: Stream parts of the event, such as live performances, guest speeches, or panel discussions.
• Share photos of attendees enjoying the event: Tagging guests in posts and stories helps create a sense of community.

Encourage User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) increases visibility and builds trust. When attendees share their experiences, their friends and followers see the event and may want to attend your next one.

How to encourage guests to share content:

• Create an Instagrammable spot: Set up a photo booth, branded backdrop, or themed area where guests can take pictures.
• Offer incentives for posting: Give a small reward (like a free drink or discount) to those who share a post using the event hashtag.
• Run a real-time contest: Ask attendees to post a photo or video with the event hashtag for a chance to win a prize.
• Repost attendee content on your Instagram stories: This makes attendees feel valued and encourages others to post.

Use Instagram Live for Real-Time Interaction

Instagram Live allows you to connect with both attendees and followers who couldn't attend in person. It creates a sense of exclusivity and helps extend the reach of your event.

You can use Instagram Live during an event to:

• Stream key moments: Go live for speeches, performances, or special presentations.
• Host a live Q&A: Let online followers ask questions and interact with the event in real time.
• Interview guests or speakers: Give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the event from an insider’s perspective.
• Showcase the atmosphere: Walk through the venue and capture the energy of the crowd.

Engage With Attendees in Real Time

A successful event isn’t just about sharing content—it’s also about engaging with attendees directly. When you interact with guests, it creates a stronger connection and makes them feel involved.

Here are some ways you can engage with attendees:

• Reply to Instagram comments and DMs quickly: Thank people for attending and answer questions in real time.
• Like and comment on attendee posts: Engaging with guest content encourages them to share even more.
• Use interactive stickers on stories: Create polls, quizzes, or Q&As to keep the engagement going.
• Encourage attendees to tag friends: This helps expand your reach and bring in new followers.

Post-Event Promotion: Keeping the Momentum Going

Your event may be over, but your Instagram strategy shouldn’t stop. Post-event promotion helps keep your audience engaged, attract future attendees, and extend the life of your event content.

It also allows you to gather feedback, strengthen relationships with attendees, and showcase the success of your event.

Share Event Highlights and Testimonials

Once the event ends, followers will still be interested in seeing what they missed or reliving their experience. Posting highlights helps maintain engagement and creates valuable content for future promotions.

Ways to share event highlights:

• Post a recap carousel: Share a collection of the best event moments in a single post.
• Create an Instagram reel: Compile clips of key highlights, from guest arrivals to special performances.
• Share attendee testimonials: Feature quotes or video clips of people talking about their experience.
• Post thank-you messages: Show appreciation for attendees, sponsors, and partners.

Repurpose Event Content for Future Use

Event content shouldn’t go to waste once the event is over. Repurposing content helps you keep engagement high and create marketing materials for future events.

Ways to reuse event content:

• Turn photos and videos into promotional material: Use past event images to market the next one.
• Write a blog post about the event: Recap key takeaways, guest experiences, and behind-the-scenes moments.
• Share highlights in Instagram stories: Create a dedicated highlight reel so future attendees can see what to expect.
• Use video clips in Instagram ads: Showcase real experiences from your event to attract interest for future dates.

Engage With Attendees After the Event

Keeping the conversation going after the event helps build long-term relationships with attendees and encourages them to return for future events.

Ways to engage post-event:

• Respond to comments and messages: Thank people for attending and acknowledge feedback.
• Repost user-generated content: Continue sharing attendee posts that feature your event.
• Run a post-event survey: Use Instagram stories question stickers or polls to gather feedback.
• Encourage attendees to tag friends: Ask them to share their favorite moments with their network.

Evaluate Event Promotion Efforts

Reviewing how your Instagram strategy performed helps you understand what worked well and what can be improved for future events.

Metrics to track:

Optimize Event Promotion for Future Events

Your past event provides valuable insights that can improve future event marketing. Use the data and feedback to adjust your Instagram strategy and make the next event even bigger.

How to improve future promotions:

• Identify what worked well: Look at which posts, stories, or collaborations got the most engagement.
• Fix what didn’t perform as expected: If a certain promotion strategy didn’t work, test a different approach next time.
• Plan promotions earlier: If ticket sales start slowly, try increasing pre-event promotion efforts.
• Strengthen influencer collaborations: Work with influencers who brought in the most engagement.

Bulba Can Help You Promote Events with Local Influencers

Promoting an event on Instagram takes time, effort, and sometimes a big budget. But with Bulba, businesses can get high-quality influencer content without paying for ads.

Instead of spending money on promotions, restaurants, hotels, and attractions can offer free experiences in exchange for Instagram and TikTok posts that drive engagement and ticket sales.

Bulba makes this easier by connecting you with influencers who can showcase your business in an authentic way.

Whether you're hosting a special event, promoting weekly activities, or inviting influencers for regular visits, Bulba has options that fit your needs. Here's how each type of campaign works:

Regular Collaboration

This option is perfect for businesses that want influencers to visit regularly. If you have an event that runs for longer periods of time, for example, "Taco Week," you can invite creators to stop by for PR visits throughout the week.

Creators can book a time slot that fits your opening hours. You can choose how closely those slots are spaced — every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1 hour. Each visit lasts 90 minutes, giving influencers time to experience your space and create content. You can also allow up to five collaborations per week.

If you want influencers to visit outside your usual hours for a special campaign, Bulba lets you set custom availability as well.

One-Off Event

If you're hosting a one-time event, like a concert, festival, or launch party, this option is a good fit. Bulba allows up to three creators to book the same time slot on the selected date, giving you more content coverage for big events.

These bookings can happen even if your location is usually marked as unavailable, so you’re not limited by your standard business hours.

For example, if your event is from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Bulba will only allow bookings within that timeframe.

Recurring Event

This option works well for events that happen on a set schedule. For example, if you host puppy yoga every Saturday or a special brunch every Sunday, this feature makes it easy to invite influencers regularly.

Just like with one-off events, you can allow up to three creators to attend per day. Recurring events follow a weekly cycle, but Bulba also gives you the option to allow bookings on days when your location is normally closed.

This is helpful if you want influencers to attend private events or after-hours experiences.

How Bulba Helps You Connect With Influencers You Want

Bulba also helps you connect with influencers who can deliver meaningful exposure.

Setting Influencer Metrics

On the Campaigns page, you can set minimum follower counts, average view counts, and influencer categories to narrow down the inbound requests you receive.

By setting minimum follower counts, average view counts, and influencer categories, Bulba gives you better control over who you work with.

This helps you connect with influencers who are more likely to produce content that suits your brand, improving the chances of meaningful engagement and positive results.

Type of Instagram Content

You can also set the type (and quantity) of content you want influencers to post for your collaboration, such as:

• Instagram reel: An Instagram Reel is a great way to showcase lively and engaging content.
• Instagram post: For businesses that prefer static content, Instagram Posts are a strong option.
• Instagram story: Instagram Stories work well for promotions that need quick visibility. Stories are ideal for encouraging immediate action, like booking a table or visiting your venue.

There is also an "Additional Notes" box where you can add special instructions that you want included in the posts.

Choosing Influencer Category

Bulba also lets you narrow down inbound requests you get from influencers by adding "Categories." All you have to do is select the tags related to your event, and Bulba will match you with influencers who work and promote content related to the tags.

For example, if you want to target travel influencers, adding the "Travel" tag will let your campaign be seen only by travel influencers within Bulba's network.

Promote Your Event on Instagram With Bulba

Bulba makes event marketing easier with influencer collaborations. Instead of spending on costly ads or short-term promotions, you get a lasting way to keep your events visible and your business on people’s minds.

Here's what makes Bulba stand out:

Reach the Right Audience Without the Guesswork

Getting the right people to show up at your event can be tough. With Bulba, you don’t have to guess who might be interested. You’ll connect with influencers who already engage with your ideal customers.

No more gambling on ad targeting or hoping the right people see your posts—you’ll work with creators whose followers match your audience.

Simple Booking and Approvals

Bulba makes influencer collaborations easy. No need to spend hours reaching out, negotiating, and planning visits. Instead, you can approve, reschedule, or decline influencer requests in just a few clicks. This saves time and lets you manage multiple collaborations without extra work.

Get Visibility Before, During, and After Your Event

Most event promotions focus on filling seats, but Bulba keeps your business in the spotlight long after the event ends. Influencer content stays online, attracting new customers even after the event is over. You get:

• Pre-event buzz: Influencers share their plans, building excitement.
• Live coverage: Real-time updates while your event is happening.
• Post-event engagement: Content keeps getting views, likes, and shares.

Get More Results Without Breaking the Budget

Not every business has a big marketing budget for ads or paid sponsorships. That’s why Bulba’s pricing model makes influencer marketing affordable at any scale. Whether you’re running a one-time event or ongoing experiences, you can attract more guests without overspending.

Want to bring more attention to your event? Get started with Bulba today!

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FAQs About How to Promote an Event on Instagram

How do I advertise my event on Instagram?

Instagram event promotion works best when you create engaging content that grabs attention. Start by setting up a dedicated event page or using your profile to share event details. Use eye-catching social media posts, behind-the-scenes clips, and countdowns to build excitement.

A unique event hashtag helps potential attendees find and share your content. Partnering with influencers or using user-generated content makes your event feel more authentic.

Instagram stories, reels, and posts with event highlights keep your audience engaged. If you want to reach a larger audience, consider using Instagram ads targeted at people who might be interested in your upcoming event.

How much does it cost to promote an event on Instagram?

The cost of promoting events on Instagram depends on your budget and the audience you want to reach. Instagram ads work on a bidding system, so you can spend as little as a few dollars per day or scale up based on your event promotion strategy.

Factors like ad placement, competition, and your target audience affect pricing. If you're focused on ticket sales, you might need to invest more to ensure your ads reach the right people.

Even without paid ads, posting consistently and using a strong event hashtag can help generate interest and attract potential attendees.

How to promote an event on social media?

Successful event promotion starts with creating a solid event planning strategy. Use social media platforms to build excitement by posting teasers, event highlights, and behind-the-scenes content.

A dedicated event page makes it easy for people to find information and register. Encourage event organizers, speakers, or performers to share details with their followers. A unique event hashtag boosts visibility and lets attendees engage with your content.

Social media event marketing is even more powerful when you involve your audience, so ask them to share posts, comment, or create user-generated content.

After the event, share post-event highlights to keep the engagement going and build anticipation for your next event.

How do you advertise your events?

Advertising future events starts with understanding your audience and choosing the right social media platforms. Create engaging content that includes event registration details and ticket sales links.

Use a mix of photos, videos, and stories to showcase what makes your upcoming event special. Partner with influencers or past attendees to generate buzz and share user-generated content.

Running paid ads helps you reach more people, especially if you're targeting a specific audience. During the event, keep sharing updates in real time, and once it's over, post-event highlights to build excitement for your next event.