Create a facebook event without making embarrassing mistakes. (ROUND TWO)

Facebook recently changed the interface for creating events, about a week after I wrote a post called Create a facebook event without making embarrassing mistakes. Here is an updated version:

Creating a facebook event is easy, but it's also easy to make mistakes that are embarrassing and prevent your event from being effectively marketed. Follow these steps to avoid silly mistakes next time you host an event:

1. Decide to create a facebook event. Have you been emailing a flier, or posting an image with the details on your page? Sure, it's a good idea to market your event in multiple ways, but nothing is more embarrassing than ignoring the effectiveness of a facebook event!
2. Get started. Click on "Events" on the left-hand side, then click the "+ Create Event" button in the top right. The "Create a New Event" modal window will appear.

• Make the event Private (temporarily). At the bottom, change the Privacy setting to "Invite Only". This is very important because you need to keep your event a secret until you've proofread it. 
• Select the Date. Have you ever created an event, invited all your friends and then realized you never changed the date? This is easy to do because facebook defaults the event date field to the current date instead of leaving it blank and reminding you to enter a date if you forgot to do so. If you accidentally invite people to an event on the wrong date, delete the event and create a new one. Once people decline your incorrect event, they might not get notified when you correct the date.
• Enter an Event Name: Put ALL of the important info about your event into the title. When your guests get notifications about the event, they often only see the event title, so this is a quick way to get the info across without forcing them to open the event and search for the details. Examples: 

§  ZUMBATHON® 2/26 2-2pm supporting AHA at 123 Fitness in Harrisburg, PA

§  FREE Zumba® Toning w/ Pam  Sat Mar 10th 9am at 123 Fitness in Harrisburg, PA

Refer to http://www.zumba.com/en-US/trademark/ for proper trademark usage. Do not call your event a Zumbathon without first getting approved at http://www.zumba.com/en-US/zumbathon/.

• Details. Put as much info about your event as you can here, but put the most essential info at the very top. If your description is more than a few lines, people will see the first part, then will have to click "read more" to see the rest of it, and many people won't think that one click is worth the effort. You don't want them to miss out on info such as "Cash only!" or "Click this link to register".
• Enter the Location/Address. As you type in the name of the location, facebook will suggest options for you. If you see one that matches your location, you can click on it and the location field will turn light blue. If you choose that option and save the event, you will see the location on a map and it will automatically link to that location's facebook page. Make sure that the page that it links to is the correct one for your event.
  
  You don't have to use the suggested places though. As you type, facebook will suggest places but will also give you an option to use your own text. Enter the name of the place, including relevant information such as the floor or room, and the address, separated by commas. A common embarrassing mistake is forgetting to tell people what city/state your event is in, so don’t forget that!
  
  Facebook no longer has separate address fields for events. This is unfortunate because it means that smartphones aren’t able to use the address field for GPS. (My android phone can’t do it anyway).
• Set the event times. Facebook no longer defaults your event’s end time to 3 hours after the start time, so it is safe to set a start time without an end time. However, it seems that there is a new bug which doesn’t allow you to set an end date until you choose a start time. Therefore, you cannot have a multi-day event without setting times. Before finishing your event, make sure to double check the dates and times!
• Click the Create button. You will now see the event and be able to add a photo and invite friends.

3. Add a Photo. Click the options button (it looks like a wheel or flower) and choose “Add Event Photo”. Use an image that conveys information about your event at a glance. Do NOT use the image of your event flier because nobody will ever be able to see a full size version of that image, so there should be minimal text. You are licensed to use the Zumba logo and this is a great place for it.
   * Do not alter the Zumba logo by changing its color, stretching it in either direction, putting it in front of or behind other images, etc.
4. Save and Proofread. Be like Santa and check everything twice. Check how it looks on your smartphone. Have a friend look at it too.
5. Make it Public. Unless this is a private event such as a baby shower or a birthday party in your home, make it public. Make sure the "Show the guest list" box is checked too. People love to know who else is going to an event they've been invited to. To edit the privacy level, click the “Edit” button.
6. Select Guests. Click the "Invite Friends" button and select friends to invite. Don't just share the event on your wall and expect people to invite themselves; they want a personal invitation from you! To review the guests you selected, click the "Search By Name" button and choose "Selected". If you have a lot of friends, you may find it useful to create groups so that it’s faster to find people who are interested in your event. Don’t invite every single person you’re friends with to every single event unless you want to become known as the ZIN Who Cried Zumba, but invite anyone you think might be interested.
7. Hosts. If someone else is helping with the event and you want to give them the ability to update the event details, type their name in the Hosts field. You won't see this field until you go back to edit the event. Send them a link to this blog post so they don't ruin all your hard work preventing silly mistakes!
8. Share the Event. Click the options button and choose "Share Event" to share this on your wall. (You won’t see this option until you change the privacy level.) To help spread the word, ask others to invite their friends and share the event on their walls too.
9. Dealing with Comments. Facebook recently added a new feature that asks people to write a message when they RSVP, so you may get a lot of wall activity from people declining your event who feel the need to explain why they can't go. Often, they address this reply to the person who invited them, which is sometimes you and sometimes another guest that you don't even know! Just ignore those comments or remove them. Responding to them distracts invited guests from the event information. Instead, create positive activity on the event wall with posts such as "I'm so excited for the launch of my new Zumba Toning class! Any song requests?" or "Tons of raffle prizes. Can't wait to see you all there!" However, if you have new info about the event that you need your guests to see, add a comment AND update the event description to help ensure people notice the new info.

Have a great event!