Anyone with a smartphone and a social media feed will know all about FoMO. Nearly three quarters of young adults claim to suffer from the fear of missing out. It can cause high anxiety and an almost marital commitment to their smartphone.
The term was actually added to the Oxford Dictionary in 2013 and is defined as “the uneasy and sometimes all-consuming feeling that you’re missing out”.
How FoMO Works
It may sound like a social media addiction dressed up, but FoMO could be your event’s best friend.
Let’s look at an example:
Evie has heard all about your next amazing event. She’s desperate to go, but has to work. Evie is pretty gutted, but in an effort to avoid serious FoMO she checks her phone continually for updates on all the awesome experiences your guests are having. She shares them on her social media feed and ‘chats’ to people at the event.
Evie might be suffering from FoMO but she’s also plugged into your event and spreading the word about how great it is.
FoMO can therefore be a powerful tool for your event. And an event app can be the perfect tool for harnessing this power.
Event apps have the unique ability to involve an entire audience, including those not physically present.
These external audience members can join in on discussions via social media or on the app itself. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find that the most active voices on an event’s social media stream did not actually attend in person!
The FoMO Rules
Event apps that are fully integrated with social media can create powerful FoMO so remember these three rules when applying it to your event app:
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Make your hashtags clear and memorable
This will be your social media basis and the hive of activity. It needs to be catchy and relevant to your event to ensure it ‘goes viral’.
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Be a tease
The Internet is full of tasters and clickbait, these are what spark interest and activity on a page. Tease is fundamental for trending. You can do this for your event by releasing early clues about your event entertainment. Or maybe announce keynote speakers week by week. How about showcasing your event’s jaw-dropping design through a series of image releases?
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Get your speakers involved in the conversation
This provides excellent networking opportunities for your attendees. Plus, getting your speakers to tweet your hashtag prior to the event will spark an enormous amount of interest (and an enormous amount of FoMO). Don’t forget that your speakers are highly likely to have more followers with a specific interest in your event.
Even though FoMO might mean feelings of being ‘left out’ for people not attending your event, their enthusiasm and great word-of-mouth could be your event’s best friend.