Festivals today are as much digital experiences as they are physical gatherings. In our years managing social media for events, we've seen how essential it is to have a dedicated team capturing the best moments, engaging with fans in real time, and ensuring everything runs smoothly online.  Here’s why every festival needs a social media team: a team can create massive value for festivals by driving engagement, increasing attendance, and offering real-time support. Below are the top reasons why every festival needs a social media team, backed by some experiences our team, Social Media Tulsa, recently had as the official social media team for Zeeco Oktoberfest Tulsa.

Building Anticipation and Driving Ticket Sales

Creating a Buzz Before the Event

A social media team’s first job starts well before the event kicks off. Generating buzz months in advance builds excitement and anticipation. This is one of the top reasons why every festival needs a social media team. During our recent work with Zeeco Oktoberfest Tulsa, our team was tasked with engaging the community in USA Today’s “10Best” voting contest to help the festival reach the top. We created posts, reels, and reminders about the voting period to keep followers engaged and aware. Every share and comment brought Zeeco Oktoberfest closer to being named the #1 Oktoberfest in America, which we celebrated with a drone-shot announcement reel.

Converting Engagement to Ticket Sales

Building hype is one thing, but turning that into ticket sales is where a social media team can really make an impact. Giveaways, early-bird promos, and interactive posts like “Guess the Headliner” can all encourage people to commit to buying tickets. One of the keys to tracking these conversions is giving the social media team access to analytics or trackable links, so they can see exactly what’s working. In addition to or in lieu of tracking, we recommend using tools like Iconosquare to measure engagement and conversion metrics, ensuring organizers have a clear view of which posts are actually driving sales.

Real-Time Content Creation and Engagement

Capturing the Energy in Real Time

When the festival is live, a social media team captures the event’s energy in real time. At Zeeco Oktoberfest Tulsa, our team split up to cover different elements — from the lively beer tents to the parade and vendor booths. We used everything from Insta360 cameras and DJI drones to smartphones to make sure we had every angle covered. Our goal was to highlight the experience for people who weren’t there yet, creating that “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO) that drives people off the couch and to the festival.

Having a dedicated drone operator allowed us to capture stunning aerial shots, adding a unique perspective to our coverage. The high-quality visuals created a polished, professional look that drew in thousands of online viewers. For each post, we aimed to create the kind of visual appeal that makes people think, “I have to be there.”

Real-Time Customer Service and Event Logistics Communication

Answering Attendee Questions Quickly

Responding to Attendee Messages and Comment Questions Quickly

Festivals are bustling events, and attendees almost instinctively turn to social media for quick answers. This is yet another reason why every festival needs a social media team—a dedicated team that can respond to direct messages and comment questions in real time, enhancing the attendee experience. While many answers may already be on the event website, people tend to reach out through channels like Facebook Messenger first, especially with questions like, “What time do gates open?” or “What size bag can we bring?” Having a team available to respond quickly means these questions don’t go unanswered and attendees feel supported. Some frequently asked questions that come up repeatedly can also be added to the event’s FAQ section for easier access, further improving customer experience.

Handling Updates and Announcements with Ease

Unexpected changes happen — a schedule delay, a canceled act, or a sudden change in location. This is why every festival needs a social media team to keep attendees updated with accurate information, minimizing confusion. For instance, when sudden changes occur, the social media team can swiftly post updates and respond to any follow-up questions, ensuring that everyone at the event knows what’s happening. Having a dedicated team to monitor and respond on social media takes the pressure off organizers, allowing them to focus on running the event smoothly while attendees stay informed in real time.

Managing Crisis Communication

Staying Calm Under Pressure

A solid crisis communication plan is essential for all events and festivals. This is why every festival needs a social media team that’s ready to act as the bridge between the organization and the public. Your social media team, PR team, and security team should all be aligned, ensuring a unified response during emergencies. When a situation arises, the social media team is key to directing attendees to official updates and information, helping keep everyone informed and safe.

In these moments, a social media team does more than post updates—they monitor social chatter to gauge public sentiment, allowing them to address concerns as they arise and spot any misinformation before it spreads. Whether it’s a comment about long lines a question about event logistics, or something more serious, responding quickly can prevent minor issues from becoming major complaints. By staying transparent and responsive, a professional social media team helps manage crises smoothly, keeping the event’s reputation intact and attendees informed.

Enhancing Sponsor Visibility and Engagement

Giving Sponsors the Spotlight

Sponsors bring festivals to life, and a strong reason why every festival needs a social media team is to ensure sponsors get the exposure they deserve. By tagging sponsors, creating branded content, and sharing their festival involvement, your social media team can maximize sponsor visibility and make them feel valued.

For sponsors, this kind of dedicated attention is invaluable. Not only do they appreciate the visibility during the event, but these posts also help solidify long-term partnerships. The below tagged post had over 800 interactions and nearly 60k accounts reached.

Extending Event Reach Post-Festival

Post-Festival Recaps and Highlights

The festival doesn’t end when the final act leaves the stage. A social media team can keep the excitement alive with recap posts, highlight reels, and fan shout-outs. High-quality visuals and video can be used to create memorable recaps that not only celebrated the event but built excitement for next event.

Creating a Year-Round Community

Keeping followers engaged even after the festival ends is crucial. A social media team can share “throwbacks” to previous years, build anticipation for next year, and nurture a sense of community. For one of our annual events, we noticed that engagement increased each year because we kept fans connected throughout the year. By building a loyal online community, festivals can enjoy a steady, reliable fanbase that returns each season.

Gathering Data and Insights for Future Growth

Using Analytics for Better Strategy

Data is everything when it comes to social media. To keep improving, a social media team analyzes the event’s social media performance: which posts had the highest engagement, which platforms brought in the most interest, and what feedback attendees gave. This data is why every festival needs a social media team—to measure what works and refine the strategy for even better engagement next year.

When your team returns to cover the same event year after year, they already know what works. We know the types of posts that drive engagement, the hashtags that resonate, and the content that pulls the most likes, shares, and ticket sales. Each year, your team can use data to refine our approach, maximizing the impact of each post.

Investing in Real-Time Content Tech

We pride ourselves on using top-tier equipment to capture content in real time. Our team brings Insta360 cameras, DJI drones, and handheld cameras to cover every angle and moment. Having a professional photographer and drone operator gives us a distinct edge, enabling us to capture high-quality, shareable content in real time without sacrificing quality. While we won’t reveal all our tech secrets, know that our gear is chosen specifically for high-quality, real-time social media content.

Conclusion

Having a dedicated social media team can transform the festival experience, both for organizers and attendees. These benefits show exactly why every festival needs a social media team—they build hype before the event, engage with fans in real time, handle logistics and customer service, and showcase sponsors in a way that keeps them coming back year after year. With advanced tech, data insights, and a knack for creative storytelling, a social media team does much more than just post photos — they create a seamless, memorable experience that lasts well beyond the festival grounds.

If you’re organizing a festival, consider adding a social media team to your lineup. From helping with ticket sales to managing crisis communication, their impact on your event’s success is undeniable. And with the right team, your festival could be the next big event everyone’s talking about — online and off.