On January 7, 2025, ILEA San Antonio kicked off the year with an unforgettable educational program featuring the exceptional Vanessa Joy, Canon Explorer of Light and social media marketing expert. Despite the chilly weather, attendees came together at the beautiful Intercontinental Hotel to learn actionable strategies for improving their social media presence and driving business success.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for this inspiring session—your commitment to professional growth made it a memorable event!
Vanessa shared invaluable insights to help event professionals and creatives elevate their online presence. Here are some of the key takeaways from her session:
Treat Your Social Media Profiles as Mini Websites-Vanessa emphasized the importance of viewing your social media profiles as extensions of your business website. Ensure they provide clear and concise information about your services and offerings, making it easy for potential clients to understand what you do and how to contact you.
Find Your Target Audience’s Preferred Platforms-Not all platforms are created equal for every business. Vanessa encouraged attendees to identify where their target audience spends most of their time—whether it’s Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest—and to focus their content creation efforts on those channels.
Build Your Lead Generation Systems-Capturing your audience’s contact information is crucial for long-term engagement. Vanessa suggested implementing tools like email subscription forms or text opt-ins to build a robust lead generation system.
Diversify and Experiment with Content-Engage your audience with a variety of content types, such as behind-the-scenes looks, client reviews, and industry-relevant humor. Vanessa recommended leveraging content creation tools to simplify this process and to find what resonates most with your audience.
Focus on Meaningful Engagement Metrics-Instead of solely tracking likes and comments, prioritize metrics like shares, saves, and overall interactions. These are stronger indicators of how your content is performing and connecting with your audience.
Leverage Collaborative and Location Tagging-Collaborative tagging and location tagging can significantly boost your visibility and reach. Vanessa encouraged attendees to use these strategies to attract new audiences and enhance their content’s discoverability.
Credit Vendors Consistently-For wedding photographers and event professionals, consistently crediting vendors in your posts is vital for maintaining strong industry relationships. It’s a small step that fosters goodwill and supports future collaborations.
Gratitude to Our Showcasing Sponsors and Partners
This event would not have been possible without the incredible support of our showcasing sponsors and venue host. We extend our heartfelt thanks to:
Stacey, Tania, and Bridgette with the Intercontinental Hotel
Marco Buenrostro with MBP Photo Booth
Suzanne Covert with Suzanne Covert Photography and Spot My Photos
Larry Pena with Mustang Larry
Angie Rodgers with Evember Floral
Winston Gaines with Gaines Entertainment
Alycia Mannino with Bright Event Rentals
Frank Buron with Event Ignition
Your contributions elevated this event and created a welcoming and inspiring atmosphere for all attendees.
Thank You for Joining Us
A special thank you to everyone who braved the cold to attend and learn from one of the best experts in the live event industry for social media marketing. Vanessa Joy’s insights have empowered us to approach our social media strategies with clarity and confidence.
We’re excited to see how these lessons will help our community grow in 2025 and beyond.
Stay tuned for more educational opportunities and events from ILEA San Antonio. Together, we’ll continue to learn, grow, and thrive in the events industry!
In the mean time, please join this gallery:
