How to Set Up and Use Facebook Paid Online Events

Are you ready to take the next step towards bringing more of your business online? Facebook’s paid online events feature allows you to do just that, monetising your live events and connecting with existing customers as well as reaching a broader audience. Though online events might not be your first choice or come naturally to you, now is the perfect time to embrace them and make the most of the many extra benefits they offer for your business, like the ability to reach an audience that isn’t limited by location and drive people to other areas of your business. Plus, of course, make money while you do it!

What do you need to host a paid online event on Facebook?

To host a paid online event, you’ll need a Facebook business Page that has been running for at least 30 days and is in compliance with Facebook’s standards – you can check your eligibility in Facebook’s Business Help Centre.

Once you’ve confirmed that your Page is good to go, you’ll need to set it up to host paid online events – sign the terms and conditions, add your payment information and wait for your Page to be reviewed. Once you’ve navigated these steps and Facebook gives you the green light, you’re ready to get started with paid online events on the platform.

How to set up a paid online event on Facebook

Now you’re set up ready to host online events, you can get started with setting them up! Here’s how you do it:

• Go to your Facebook Page and tap ‘Events’

• Click ‘Create Event’

• Choose ‘Online’ for Event Type

• Fill in your event details

• Choose if your event will be hosted with Facebook Live or through a third party

• Add a cover photo for your event

• Tap ‘Create Event’

How to prepare for an online event

Like with any event, it’s important to prepare for your paid online Facebook events. Here’s some top tips to help you prepare:

• Plan the key aspects of your event. Ask yourself: What is the main purpose of it? What do you hope your audience takes away from it? What audience do you want to reach and how might you attract them?

• Promote your event. Start posting about your event on your Page and invite people you know to attend in advance. Add information about the event to your website and other marketing assets and content to make people aware of your event.

• Prepare your space. Preview the lighting and sound and make sure you have all the tools and resources you’ll need for your live event.

• Have a backup plan. If you’ve planned and prepared for your live event, things will likely run smoothly, but it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan in case something doesn’t go as you hoped. 

What to do on the day of your event

You’ve prepared for your online event and have all the resources you need on the day. Now what?

• Start your event 5 to 10 minutes early to help prevent or resolve any technical difficulties that might occur and ensure you’re there to welcome people as they join.

• Engage with your attendees. Participants can interact with you through comments and reactions during the event – show you value their contributions by acknowledging and interacting with them, too. If you’re not getting that much interaction, asking them to participate by, for example, commenting where they’re from and asking them why they’re excited to be attending your event.

• Promote other upcoming events. If you happen to have any other upcoming events, let your audience know about them before you sign off to encourage them to sign up.

What to do after you’ve finished hosting your event

Your event comes to a successful end – so what do you do now? Well, there’s plenty you can do to make the most out of your event even after it has finished:

• Review the comments and reactions that participants left during the event and see if there are any actions you can take for your next one.

• Look at your insights. Use the ‘Events Insights’ tab on your Page to learn more about who attended and how they engage with your business.

• Test and iterate different ideas to ensure the success of future events.

Looking for more tips?

For more tips on setting up Facebook online paid events, join the Digital Women membership now. Here, you’ll gain access to the latest training by Digital Women Founder Lucy Hall, including more top tips and explanations on how to use Instagram Live for Business, how to get creative with Instagram Stories and more. 

Join before 1st March for just £15 month!

Key takeaways

• Creating paid online events directly from your Facebook Page is a great way to bring more of your business online and grow your audience

• Ensure that your Page meets the eligibility requirements before you launch paid online events

• Make the most out of the opportunities presented by online events by engaging with your attendees on the day and promoting any future events

• Prepare and test before hosting Facebook online events and make the most of the online event after it has finished by looking at your insights and making any improvements

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