Running an event is tough. You’ve got a room full of people—or maybe hundreds online—and you’re wondering: are they actually engaged, or just scrolling Instagram under the table?
Here’s the thing: people love seeing themselves on the big screen. It’s why stadium kiss cams still work. That same psychology can transform your event from forgettable to shareable.
Start with a memorable hashtag
Don’t overcomplicate this. Your hashtag should be:
- Short (seriously, nobody’s typing #YourCompanyAnnualConference2025)
- Easy to spell
- Unique enough that you’re not drowning in unrelated posts
We’ve seen #Summit25 work way better than #TransformativeLeadershipSummitForIndustryProfessionals. One event used #LaunchDay and got 3x more posts than their previous year’s wordy version.
Test it before you print 500 posters. Search it on Twitter and Instagram. If someone’s already using it for their cat photos, pick something else.
Make posting ridiculously easy
Put your hashtag everywhere:
- On slides (top right corner works best)
- At registration desks
- In the bathroom (yes, really—people check their phones there)
- On table cards
- In your event app
One conference we worked with printed hashtag coasters. Cheesy? Maybe. Did it work? Absolutely.
Show posts in real-time
This is where social walls actually earn their keep. When someone sees their post go live on the big screen within seconds, they show their friends. Their friends post. Those friends tell other friends. You get a cascade.
But here’s what NOT to do: don’t let every post through automatically. We’ve all seen that go wrong. One typo or inappropriate joke and your CEO is standing in front of it for 20 minutes.
Set up moderation. It takes 30 seconds to approve posts as they come in. We built Wand specifically so you can do this from your phone while walking around the venue.
Create posting moments
Don’t just hope people will post. Give them reasons:
- “Best selfie from the keynote wins a prize”
- “Share your biggest takeaway using our hashtag”
- “Show us your conference swag”
Time these throughout the day. Right after lunch when energy dips? Perfect time for a photo contest.
One marketing conference did “caption this meme” contests every hour. Simple, quick, and their wall never had a dead moment.
Incentivize, but be smart about it
Prize drawings work, but make them strategic. Don’t just raffle one big prize at the end—people will post once and forget about it.
Try this instead:
- Small prizes throughout the day
- Draw winners from posts in the last hour (keeps people posting)
- Make the prize relevant (an iPad is fine, but exclusive access to speakers is better)
We’ve seen this generate 5-10x more posts than single-prize drawings.
Respond to posts
Here’s something most people miss: engage with the posts on your social wall. If someone asks a question, answer it. If they share something cool, acknowledge it.
This doesn’t mean you need a dedicated social media person (though that helps). Even quick responses every 30 minutes make a difference. People notice when brands actually interact instead of just broadcasting.
After the event
Don’t let all that content disappear. Download everything, create a highlight reel, share it on your main channels. Tag people who posted. Say thank you.
This does two things:
- Shows people their contribution mattered
- Builds excitement for your next event (because people remember being featured)
Technical stuff that actually matters
Keep your WiFi strong. Sounds obvious, but we’ve seen gorgeous venues with terrible internet. If people can’t post, your social wall is just an expensive slideshow.
Have backup plans:
- Extra WiFi hotspots
- A curated feed of your own content in case posts slow down
- Pre-approved posts ready to fill gaps
What good looks like
Real example: A tech conference in Austin used Wand for their 500-person event. They:
- Started promoting their hashtag 2 weeks before
- Had a photo booth at registration
- Ran hourly contests
- Gave away local brewery gift cards (relevant to their crowd)
- Replied to posts in real-time
Result? 847 posts in 8 hours. Their wall was never empty. Attendees kept checking back to see if their posts made it up. The event hashtag trended locally.
More importantly: their post-event survey showed “social wall” as the #2 most mentioned feature (after free food, because let’s be real, that’s always #1).
Common mistakes to avoid
Mistake 1: Setting up the wall and forgetting about it.
Your wall needs attention. Check it every 30 minutes minimum.
Mistake 2: Making the hashtag about your brand, not the experience.#CompanyNameEvent is boring. #BestTalkEver or #LaunchDay gives people something to actually engage with.
Mistake 3: Tiny screens.
If people need binoculars to see the wall, what’s the point? Go big or don’t bother.
Mistake 4: No moderation.
Trust us on this one. Always moderate.
The real secret
Here’s what actually makes social walls work: they turn passive attendees into active participants. People stop being an audience and start being part of the show.
That shift—from watching to participating—is what creates memorable events. And memorable events are what people talk about for weeks after.
You don’t need a massive budget or a fancy venue. You need a clear hashtag, a reason for people to post, and a way to show those posts in real-time.
Everything else is just details.
Want to see it in action? Set up your social wall in about 5 minutes. No credit card needed, no complicated setup. Just connect your social accounts and start collecting posts.