Published by the Zolyp team ·
Start with the event details everyone needs
Before any post goes out, fix the details in one place and copy them everywhere. Mismatched times or prices across platforms are the most common reason people turn up at the wrong time or not at all.
- Event name that says what it is: 'Late-night shopping and mulled wine', not 'Winter Vibes'
- Date, start and end time
- Exact address and how to get there, including parking
- Price, or 'free', and whether booking is needed
- Who it's for: families, adults only, beginners, dog owners
- One photo or graphic that will be used everywhere
- One link for booking or more information
Set up the event where people search for it
On Facebook, create the event from your Page. Facebook says all events hosted by Pages are public, and Meta describes events as free to use, with options for recurring dates, ticket sales and integrations with ticketing companies such as Eventbrite. The event also has a discussion section where you can share updates and answer questions.
On Google Business Profile, publish an event post. Google says events need a title, start and end dates and times; if you leave the times out, it shows as lasting 24 hours on those dates. On Instagram, post an announcement and pin it to your profile until the event is over. Our guides to creating a Facebook event and posting on Google Business Profile have the steps.
- Use the same title, date, time and image on every platform
- Put the booking link in your bio and on the event page, not just in captions
- Add the event to your website if you have one, with the same details
- Tell staff the details so they can answer questions in person
Sources: Facebook Help Centre: Create an event for your Facebook Page, checked 15 October 2026; Meta Business Help Centre: About Facebook events for businesses, checked 15 October 2026; Google Business Profile Help: Create and manage posts on your Business Profile, checked 15 October 2026
The six-week timeline
Six weeks gives people time to plan without forgetting. Shorten it for small, free events and lengthen it for ticketed ones.
Put every post in your content calendar before the first announcement goes out, alongside your normal posts, so the event doesn't take over your feed or get forgotten in a busy week. A rough split that works for many businesses is one event post for every two or three regular posts until the final week.
| When | Goal | What to post |
|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks before | Announce | Event page live, announcement post pinned, Google event post |
| 5 weeks before | Explain | What happens on the day, who it's for, what's included |
| 4 weeks before | Show the people | Meet the host, performers, makers or partners |
| 3 weeks before | Build proof | Photos from last year, early sign-ups, a partner's post |
| 2 weeks before | Answer questions | Parking, timings, accessibility, what to bring |
| Final week | Remind | Countdown stories, 'last tickets', weather plan, an update in the event discussion |
| On the day | Show it happening | Stories and short videos as it happens, a 'still time to come' post |
| After | Thank and keep | Photos, thanks to partners and guests, the next date |
What to post between announcement and event
The trap is posting the same poster six times. Each post should give people a new reason to come.
Mix formats too. A short video of the space gets a different audience from a text-heavy graphic, and stories are the place for quick reminders that would feel repetitive in the feed. Keep the event's one image or colour in every post, so people recognise it at a glance even when the content changes.
If the event matters enough to spend on, Meta lets you create an event ad or boost the event to reach more people. Set the audience to the area people will realistically travel from, and start a modest budget a couple of weeks out rather than on the final day.
- A short video tour of the space where it will happen
- A carousel of what's included, one item per slide
- An introduction to each partner, maker or performer
- Behind-the-scenes preparation: baking, rehearsing, setting up
- A question post: 'What would you like us to add?'
- Practical details as their own post: parking, toilets, step-free access
- A reminder to tap 'Interested' or book, with the one link
Source: Meta Business Help Centre: About Facebook events for businesses, checked 15 October 2026
Get partners and local groups to share it
Your own followers are only part of the audience. Ask every partner, supplier and performer to share the event from their own accounts, and give them a ready-made image and two lines of text so it's easy. On Instagram, a Collab post can put one announcement on both businesses' profiles.
Local community groups can help, but follow their rules. On Nextdoor, posting about local events is allowed from a Business Page, and only local businesses can post to the newsfeed. In Facebook groups, the admins decide whether Pages can join or take part. Ask the admin before posting, post once, and answer questions in the comments rather than reposting.
Sources: Instagram Help Centre: Create collaborative posts on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026; Nextdoor Help: Business page policy and posting guidelines, checked 15 October 2026; Facebook Help Centre: Pages in groups, checked 15 October 2026
On the day, afterwards and measuring results
On the day, one person should own social media. Post a 'we're open, come down' story at the start, short clips through the day, and a final 'still time' post if it's a long event. Ask guests before filming them up close.
Afterwards, the event becomes content for weeks. Post a photo carousel, thank partners by tagging them, reply to every comment, and share anything guests posted with their permission. Update the Facebook event and Google post with thanks and, if there's a next date, announce it while people are still talking about this one.
Decide before you start what success looks like, then compare afterwards. Meta says its event Insights show metrics such as how many people bought tickets or clicked the ticketing link, which helps if you sell through Facebook or link out to a ticketing site.
- Collect photos and clips from staff and partners the same evening.
- Post a thank-you carousel within two days.
- Ask attendees to share their photos and tag you.
- Send partners the results you agreed to share.
- Write down what worked and what didn't while it's fresh.
- Measure bookings or tickets sold against your target
- Compare people marked as interested or going on Facebook with how many came
- Count sales or sign-ups made at the event
- Ask at the door where people heard about it
- Note new followers in the week of the event
A worked example (hypothetical)
Imagine a garden centre planning a free autumn bulb-planting morning for families. Six weeks out, it creates a Facebook event from its Page, publishes a Google event post and pins an Instagram announcement. Over the next weeks it posts a reel of the planting area, introduces the two staff running sessions, shares last year's photos and posts a parking and buggy-access guide.
A neighbouring café shares a Collab post offering hot chocolate to families on the day. With permission from the admin, the garden centre posts once in the village Facebook group. On the day, staff post stories every hour. Afterwards, the photo carousel becomes the start of next year's promotion.
Where Zolyp fits (disclosed: it's our product)
Zolyp, which we make, can plan the announcement, reminders and follow-up posts into your calendar, write and design each one from your Brand Brain, and publish them to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads after you approve, including Google Business. You still create the Facebook event itself on Facebook. Plans that create the posts start at $29 a month, Lite is $9 a month per brand if you only need scheduling, and there's a 3-day free trial.
Common questions
How far in advance should I promote a local event?
Around six weeks works for most local events: enough time for people to plan, not so long they forget. Small free events can use two to three weeks; ticketed events may need longer.
Should I create a Facebook event or just post about it?
Create the event. Meta says events are free to use, and an event page lets you check responses and answer questions in its discussion section. Then post about it too.
Can I add an event to my Google Business Profile?
Yes, as an event post. Google says it needs a title and start and end dates and times; without times it shows as lasting 24 hours on those dates.
Can I post my event in local Facebook or Nextdoor groups?
Usually, if you follow the rules. Nextdoor allows posts about local events from a Business Page. In Facebook groups, admins decide whether Pages can take part, so ask first and post once.
What should I post after the event?
A thank-you post with photos, tags for partners, guest photos shared with permission and, if there's one, the date of the next event.