What should an event countdown include?
Five posts cover it. People rarely act the first time they see something, so each post gives them a different reason to pay attention, and the last ones arrive when they’re making up their minds.
| When | Post | Its job | What to include |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 weeks out | Announcement | Tell people it’s happening. | What it is, who it’s for, the date, time and place, and the link to book or RSVP. |
| 10–14 days out | Save the date | Get it into calendars. | The date and time up front, one reason to come, and the link. |
| 5–9 days out | Spotlights | Give people a reason to come. | One thing per post: a speaker, vendor, performer, dish or a look behind the scenes. Tag them so they share it. |
| 2–3 days out | Reminder | Catch the people who meant to. | The practical details: tickets, getting there, parking, what to bring. |
| Day before or day of | Last call | The final push. | “Tomorrow” or “tonight”, the doors time, how many tickets are left if it’s true, and the link. |
After the event, a thank-you post with a few photos is worth the five minutes: it thanks the people who came and shows everyone else what they missed, which helps the next countdown.
When should I start promoting an event?
- Free or local events (a market, a meetup, an open day): about two weeks ahead is enough. Use the five posts as they are.
- Ticketed events, or ones people travel to (a workshop, a conference, a retreat): four to eight weeks ahead. Announce early, add a spotlight each week, then run the save the date, reminder and last call as normal.
- Either way, keep the reminder and last call close to the date. That’s when the people who said “maybe” decide.
What makes an event post work?
- Put the date, time and place in the text, not only in the image. People search, skim and use screen readers.
- One clear link to book, buy or RSVP, in every post.
- Say what people get, not just what’s happening: “Meet 30 local makers” beats “Holiday market this Saturday.”
- Name and tag people in spotlights. They’re likely to share a post about themselves.
- Keep the look the same across the countdown, so each post is recognisably part of the same event. A saved template helps.
Should I post the same thing on every platform?
Keep the message and the look the same, and change the format to suit where it’s going:
- Instagram and Facebook: lead with the image, with the date on it and in the caption.
- LinkedIn: say who it’s for and what they’ll take away. Works best for professional events.
- X, Threads, Bluesky and Mastodon: shorter. One line, the date and the link.
- TikTok: a short vertical video: setting up, behind the scenes, the space filling up.
How does Solo Social plan an event countdown?
- Pick Event countdown and add the details: the date, the link and who it’s for.
- It plans the run: announcement, save the date, spotlights, reminder and last call, timed around your date.
- It writes each post in your voice, learned from posts you’ve already written, and adapts each one to the platform it’s going to.
- Make the visuals on brand in the design studio, with your colours, fonts and logo applied in one click.
- Review and approve. The whole run is scheduled across Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky and Mastodon. Nothing goes out without your OK.