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"Susan Payton is the President of Egg Marketing &amp; Public Relations, an internet marketing firm. She blogs at The Marketing Eggspert Blog, and teaches marketing courses at Marketing EggSchool. Follow her on Twitter @eggmarketing.\nWe all know about Tweetups and online events, but what about events that you didn't specifically invite the Twitterati to attend? Conferences, meetings and parties are all events that might not have started online, but which can definitely benefit from online promotion and mention.\nLeverage your offline event with some smart social media marketing. Here are seven ways you can maximize exposure of your event using online tools.\n1. Blog About It\n\nBefore, during and after your event, blog about it. Blogging\u00A0beforehand can alert others about your event and encourage them to learn more or register to attend. Live blogging during your event can create buzz and excitement for those who were unable to attend (and provide them a snippet of what they missed, which will encourage them to look for your next event). Blogging after can provide a recap, as well as info on upcoming events.\nSXSW attendee Allen Stern liveblogged several sessions at the 2009 event. His blog posts are little more than notes from the presentation, but they do a good job of relaying the highlights to readers quickly.\n2. Post Photos on Flickr\n\n\n\nEveryone loves seeing photos of themselves (as long as they're flattering). By posting photos of your event on Flickr and tagging them with people's names, you can generate interest in your event from the people who attended and those who follow them on various social media channels.\nBlogHer posts photos from its conferences and events both in the header on its website and in its Flickr stream. It invites participants to upload their own photos from the events into the Flickr stream, which encourages interaction.\n3. Put it on Facebook\n\n\n\nYou can also post the photos and tag them on Facebook. The added benefit of doing so on Facebook is that when you tag someone, it appears on their wall. Anyone who is a friend of someone you tagged can see the photo. The idea is that it will lead them to want to learn more about the event (because hey, they want their photo put on Facebook from a cool local event too).  Note that you'll only be able to tag people that you're connected to.\nIf your event or company has a Facebook Page, you can include highlights from the event, like quotes from keynotes, activities, awards or even faux pas from speakers.\nFor even more interaction, visit the profiles of those that attended and leave custom comments: \"Hope you got that wine stain out of your blouse. Sorry about that!\" \"Great comment you made at the keynote presentation!\" Etc.\nThe Wine Conference, an annual event held in Houston, posts updates on the conference to its Facebook Page. Here the event posts logos for its sponsors, photos from events, and blog links about the conference.\n4. Post Photos to Twitpic\n\n\n\nTwitpic is a great tool that allows you to take a photo with your phone or camera and upload it directly (via a shortened URL) to Twitter. Anyone following you on Twitter will see your tweet and the link to the photo, and can click to view it.\nDuring your event, what better way to show those not in attendance what they're missing than by taking photos and sending them in real time? Save your hi-resolution photos to be processed later, but upload snapshots from your phone instantly to create a sense of visual livestreaming as the event is underway.\n5. Tweet the Event\n\nDon't overlook the best real-time tool in social media for your event. Sending tweets out to your followers is a great way to keep everyone updated on what's happening. Whether it's an awards show where you can share the winners before journalists write about them, or a conference where you can tweet soundbites, Twitter is a great tool for connecting people online and offline to your event.\nMake sure your organization or business doesn't have legal objections to you tweeting from the event. If the event covers trade secrets or other sensitive stuff, you may be entangled in more legal issues than you can shake a stick at if you're not careful. The NFL banned tweeting from football events this season, for example, and is imposing fines for those that violate the ban.\n6. Use Hashtags\n\n\n\nThe easiest way to track tweets and other mentions of your events on social media platforms is to ask all participants to use a # with a designated keyword or phrase when discussing it.\nFor example, in 2009, BlogWorld New Media Expo used the hashtag #bwe09 on Twitter to track all mentions of it. Many presentations used this hashtag or one relating to a particular topic as a way to field questions and comments during the presentations. For those unable to attend, following the hashtag was a great way to stay updated on soundbites from the conference.\n7. Livestream Your Event\n\n\n\nIf your event is a conference or educational platform, consider livestreaming it via web video. Using services like Justin.tv or Ustream.tv, you can broadcast your event live over the Internet. This helps expand your audience and interact with them, even if they are not present in person at your event.\nWrapping it Up\n\nRemember that you can get the most out of online promotion if you start long before the event. Map out a strategy that includes what you will do prior to the event, during, and after. Ask employees and attendees to assist you by posting their own take on the event through their blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr accounts. Make it as easy as possible for anyone to share their content and photos of your event online.\nMore social media resources from Mashable:\n\n- 5 Levels of Effective Communication in the Social Media Age- Zen and the Art of Twitter: 4 Tips for Productive Tweeting- The Tao of Tweeting- How Social Media Has Changed Us- 5 Tips for Building Lasting Online Friendships- 4 Steps for Effective Online Networking\nImage courtesy of iStockphoto, sjlocke"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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