Local events and social media marketing

1. Start with the original event information

Look for the organiser's current event page, venue listing or relevant council notice. Search results and social posts can help you find the source, but may show an old date or an incomplete description. Open the page and check the year, not just the day and month.

Keep a small record of the event name, location, date, source link and when you checked it. Note anything that remains uncertain, such as an unannounced programme or access arrangements. Do not turn an assumption into a fact because it makes the caption easier to write.

• Confirm whether the event is upcoming, already finished, postponed or cancelled.
• Check whether entry is ticketed, free or subject to conditions before mentioning it.
• Use the organiser's exact location and directions if you include them; do not guess walking times.
• Recheck essential details close to posting, especially if you drafted the caption earlier.

If you cannot verify an event, leave it out or use a general, non-dated visitor tip. A useful evergreen post is better than a confident announcement about something that may not happen.

2. Decide whether your business has a real connection

Ask three questions: could your customers realistically attend, is your business relevant to their visit, and can you add practical value? Being in the same county may not be enough. A nearby restaurant could help with meal planning; a shop could explain collection arrangements; a service business might have no useful connection at all.

Choose a role you genuinely have. You might be a nearby business, a confirmed participant or an authorised sponsor. These are different relationships. Do not say “our event”, use an organiser's logo or imply an official partnership without permission. Mentioning public event information does not make you affiliated with it.

Use particular care around tragedies, sensitive news, political occasions and charity events. If the main purpose of your post is to turn someone else's difficult moment into a promotion, do not post it. For community or fundraising participation, describe only the arrangement actually agreed.

3. Pick one helpful angle

Rather than repeating the organiser's entire programme, decide what your business can usefully add. A clear visitor tip is easier to understand and check than a broad claim that the event is “the biggest” or “unmissable”.

• Before a visit: a restaurant can share its real menu and booking information for people planning their day.
• During the event: a participating retailer can explain where its confirmed stall is and what it actually brings.
• Practical access: a nearby business can explain its own changed opening or collection arrangements, once confirmed.
• Afterwards: an authorised participant can share its own photographs and reflections, without inventing attendance or success figures.

You do not need to create a discount to make the connection worthwhile. Helping someone plan their visit can be enough. If there is a genuine offer, make its conditions clear rather than implying event-wide benefits.

4. Work through a restaurant example

Suppose a restaurant has verified that a community market is nearby and that it will be open. An illustrative draft might read: “Heading to the community market? Make time for a meal while you're in the neighbourhood. View our menu and booking information on our website, and check the organiser's page for the latest event details.”

This is a fictional example, not a live event announcement. Before using it, replace the generic event reference with the verified name if appropriate, check your hours and provide the actual website destination. Add a date only when it is confirmed and still relevant. Do not claim you are hosting the market.

Use a photograph of the restaurant or a real dish. An invented crowd scene may suggest attendance or involvement that never happened. If you use event photographs, obtain the necessary rights and permissions, especially for identifiable people and children.

5. Match the channel and the moment

On Facebook, a practical post can include a direct link to your website and the organiser's listing. On Instagram, make the image clear and keep the key information readable in the caption. Only refer to a profile link if it leads to the intended page. Use local hashtags only when the location is accurate.

Think about when the reader needs the information. Booking guidance belongs before the event; an on-the-day update needs another factual check; a retrospective should be written after you know what happened. Do not publish old preparation copy once the event has ended.

Keep versions simple. If an event changes, update or withdraw the planned caption and any graphic carrying its date. Check that all channel versions agree. A correct Facebook caption does not fix a stale Instagram image.

6. Review before you share

1. Open the original listing again and confirm the status, date and location.
2. Check your own hours, product availability, booking arrangements and links.
3. Remove any implied partnership, unsupported metric or invented offer.
4. Review the image, permissions, caption and hashtags as one finished post.
5. Decide who will post it and what to change if the event is cancelled.

Afterwards, note which practical questions visitors asked. That can guide future posts without pretending that an event mention caused a particular number of sales. For a broader idea bank, read our small-business content ideas guide.

EDEN's demo can help you explore relevant opportunities for your business, but you still check the facts and choose the drafts you want. Connected publishing is not active: save the content and use your own posting process.