Fair Social Media Strategy for Organizers

What should a fair use social media for?

Most visitors use social platforms to check hours, parking, events and weather changes. A fair's page can also celebrate exhibitors, thank sponsors and show behind the scenes work. Decide the main purposes before you post: information, community and invitation are good starting points.

Choose platforms your audience actually uses. A small fair can do well with one or two accounts that are kept up to date.

Remember that not everyone uses social media. Keep signs, a phone number and the website current, so visitors without accounts can find the same information.

How do you plan content?

Make a simple calendar that covers the months before, during and after the fair. Before: entry deadlines, volunteer needs, schedule teasers. During: daily highlights and updates. After: results, thanks and photos.

Share a mix of posts rather than only announcements. Stories about people, short videos of events, and helpful reminders work well. Always point visitors to the official schedule and ticket page for details, so there is one source of truth.

Photos should show the real fair. Share pictures of exhibits, events and crowds rather than reusing old images that might confuse visitors about what is on offer this year.

• Entry deadlines and exhibitor reminders
• Volunteer and vendor calls
• Daily event highlights
• Weather and safety notices
• Results, thanks and photos

How do you keep information accurate?

Posting a wrong time or date frustrates visitors and causes real problems. Assign one person to approve posts that include times, locations or ticket details. Check them against the official schedule. If something changes, correct it quickly and clearly.

Pin the most important post, such as the schedule link, at the top of your page. During weather changes or closures, update every channel with the same message.

Avoid posting advance information that could create safety problems, such as exact times when large sums of money are handled or when areas will be empty.

How do you protect young exhibitors and visitors?

Many fair photos include children. Set a policy on photographing and naming minors, and tell families about it in entry materials. Many organizations avoid posting full names and details about minors without parent consent.

Never post private details such as home addresses, daily schedules of children or locations of unattended animals. Respect requests to remove a photo, and do it promptly.

Ask before posting images of copyrighted material, including music at events. When in doubt, share your own photos and videos.

• Post a minor-photo policy in entry materials
• Skip addresses, schedules and animal locations
• Remove photos quickly when asked
• Get parent consent where the policy requires it

How should you handle comments and criticism?

Set simple community guidelines and post them. Respond to questions politely and quickly. Hide or remove abusive, threatening or hateful comments, and report them according to the platform's process.

Rodeo, livestock and animal topics can bring strong opinions. Keep responses factual and neutral, and point to official rulebooks for animal welfare questions. You do not need to argue in comments. If someone reports a safety problem, direct them to fair staff or emergency services, not social media.

Take a break from the page if comments become heated. A short, calm reply, or no reply, is usually better than a long argument.

• Post simple community guidelines
• Reply politely and promptly to questions
• Remove abusive or threatening comments
• Send safety reports to fair staff, not comments

How do you work with volunteers and partners?

Choose a small team to manage accounts and share login access carefully. Use strong passwords and remove access when volunteers leave. Make sure everyone knows the tone and rules for posting.

When partners, sponsors or vendors ask to be featured, be fair and consistent. Do not imply that the fair endorses a product beyond what the agreement states.

How do you know what works?

Look at which posts get questions, shares and responses, and ask visitors how they heard about the fair. Do not chase numbers for their own sake. Better clarity and a friendly voice are good goals.

After the fair, review what worked and what did not, and write down lessons for next year.

Keep short notes about which posts helped visitors most, such as parking maps or schedule reminders. Next year's plan can start from those notes.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the County Fair & Rodeo Guide Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.