SAP created six goals for SAPPHIRE NOW social media:

Twitter. #sapphirenow and @sapphirenow served as the umbrella broadcast Twitter channel and hash tag for the event. The social media team selected items from subthemes to broadcast out on the main Twitter feed.

Social Media Ambassadors. Six social media ambassadors in each location (12 between Orlando and Frankfurt) blogged and tweeted on their specific assigned topics to keep content relevant to a varied audience.

Wrap Up. Each day, the team created wrap-ups based on content from the social media monitoring system. SAP executives discussed trending topics at the event. The team posted the wrap-up on YouTube and used it to open presentations the next day.

Live in Orlando. The team broadcast Twitter feeds on two screens on either side of the stage during the Santana show. Staff urged people to tweet live as they entered the stadium. During the warm up, Twitter exploded with Santana tweets. Live cameras scanned the audience and displayed shots on the screens—creating energy and excitement for those attending.

According to the Numbers. By event's end, SAPPHIRE NOW had 2,100 followers on Twitter and 3,300 Facebook fans. The event hashtag was mentioned 10,500 times and retweeted 730 times. The social media team sent out 446 tweets and drove 1,600 clicks to the virtual event site. The Facebook page generated more than 21,000 views, 3,000 clicks on ads and 800 clicks on the virtual event site.

Intelligence Note:
Create a series of goals for social media, even if you end up changing them over the course of the event. Time and resources are key drivers of success. Devote the necessary hours and human resources to social media. If you don't have the staff to commit, then use part-time or contract help to make certain you achieve your goals. Experiment with a range of social media to find out what your particular virtual audience prefers.