Millions of people are using social media. Spending a few minutes a day on social media can help generate buzz about your upcoming event.

Social media might just seem like the latest fad, but it’s taken the world by storm. Everyone is using it and it’s now the easiest way to reach people online. It might not be your idea of fun, but there are now more people Facebooking than there are people in America and you need to reach them on their terms. So it’s time to drink the Kool-Aid and use social media to promote your upcoming event. And there’s good news: social media sites really aren’t hard to use.

Spending a just few minutes a day on social media sites could mean the difference between a packed house and an empty room at your next event. Here are six easy steps to generate buzz and presale tickets using social media for your next event:

1. Create Twitter and Facebook pages for your event. Both sites are free to use and signing up only takes a few minutes.  Research local users on Twitter and fans on Facebook and recruit them to spread the word about your event in the months, weeks and days leading up to the event. The earlier you start using it, the more time you’ll have to generate a buzz. 
2. Announce all important details about your event.  Inform your followers about all major event announcements. This includes keynote speaker announcements, press coverage, event venue or time changes, number of tickets left, etc.: anything that might interest potential bloggers, tweeters and event goers.
3. Ask for your followers input. Interact with your potential attendees throughout the event planning process. What topics should be discussed? What are they anticipating about the event? What do they hope to learn? Asking questions will generate new ideas and help spread the word about the event.
4. Reward your social media followers. Offer incentives to your followers, such as ticket discounts. Post online discount codes for your event’s tickets and, chances are, they will spread the word and let others know about special pricing to help you sell more tickets. You can also ask your followers to ‘retweet’ or repost your announcements. Compelling or rewarding posts have a better chance of getting reposted.
5. Consolidate your social networking. Programs such as TweetDeck make intensive Twitter updates a breeze, with lightning-fast URL shortening and picture uploading. You can save time by linking your Facebook page to Twitter so your tweets appear on both sites, as well sending on-the-go marketing blasts through your cell phone.
6. Post regularly. You’ve got to stay as enthusiastic about your event as you want your customers to be, so daily posts are a must. Just devote five minutes each day to social media to keep building buzz about your event.