Why John Beckley's Social Media Talk at Lanzarote Coworking Was a Big Success

Unlike many 'normal' offices, coworking spaces have a different ethos and atmosphere, and Lanzarote Coworking is no different. Of course, those that use the space go there to work, but they are there on a freelance basis and come and go as they please. 

They are not tied to a 9-5 schedule with a boss breathing down their neck. There are deadlines to be met, but the work gets done because those that are at the coworking space are self-disciplined and want to achieve their goals. They can take a long lunch, or turn up when they please, or even work from home if they want.

Lanzarote Coworking lunch at Café La Ola

The environment is relaxed and there is a great atmosphere which encourages those at the space to organise events like the monthly 'Cerveza Tech Chat'. The most recent of these was on the topic of social media which I helped to organise and included a presentation by the marketing manager of Sands Beach Resort, John Beckley, who also happens to be a bit of a Social Media guru!

As many people will agree, the importance of social media for businesses, and individuals continues to grow, and if used correctly can significantly boost the fortunes of either a company or a personal brand. Of course, as this was a presentation about the effectiveness of social media and how it could be used as an excellent tool for promotion of things like events, it was only right that this presentation was promoted on social media.

Cover Photo for the event on Facebook

Once we had decided on a date for John to come and talk at Lanzarote Coworking, we advertised the event on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Another 3rd party company even noticed this talk would be taking place via Twitter and promoted the talk on their website. This is just a small demonstration of how events can gain significance through the use of social media without the need for a large marketing campaign.

This presentation was one of the most popular that have been run at Lanzarote Coworking space. I will definitely not take all the credit for this but promoting the talk on social media definitely helped. John Beckley is well connected on the island and is respected for his extensive knowledge of this subject, and for being an all-round good guy. About 20 people attended the presentation which more or less filled the office, as the coworking space is fairly small.


The topic John talked about was how to effectively use social media to build a personal brand. He had prepared a PowerPoint presentation but this was just used to highlight his points. He spoke unscripted and engaged the audience well. You could definitely tell that people were listening as there were plenty of questions, and a lively discussion about the various forms of social media that can be used, and how to approach each of them effectively. John kept the talk lively and fun with jokes, personal anecdotes and many real work examples.

There are the main social media companies that most people know: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, GooglePlus, and Pinterest, but there are also new emerging types of social media. One of the most promising is Periscope which is a fascinating app. It can be used to Livestream anything you want which anyone around the world can then log onto and watch. They can be alerted to your talk by either following you on Periscope or through a link that is posted to Twitter. The possibilities are endless, and allows the individual or business to reach audiences around the world!


In keeping with the theme of the event, I decided to live stream John's talk on Periscope in full. While there were 20 people at the coworking space watching John's talk, a further 37 people logged on to Periscope and watched his talk from across the world. Viewers can also comment during a live broadcast and send virtual hearts to show they are enjoying it! 

The broadcast then remains after the live streaming has happened for a further 24 hours for people to watch on Replay. We had a further 32 replay viewers of the talk. We will definitely be using Periscope for our next Cerveza Tech Chat which we plan to hold in May, as it complemented the talk brilliantly. 

All in all the event was a great success, with lots of positive feedback in person for John, me and the Coworking team, and also across social media. Many new connections were made, and those that attended the talk have already started implementing the tips discussed into their own social media strategies.

Connect with us on Google Plus and Twitter to learn about the next 'Cerveza Tech Chat':
John Beckley  > https://twitter.com/JohnBeckley
Simon Turkas > https://twitter.com/SimonTurkas
Jaime Andino
Fabrizio Balliano > https://twitter.com/fballiano
Sergi Mínguez Regidor > https://twitter.com/sergiminguez
André Gussekloo > https://twitter.com/andregussekloo
Cova Bertrand > https://twitter.com/CovitaBertrand
Lanzarote Coworking  > https://twitter.com/LanzaroteCowork

Post your thoughts regarding this blog post or social media in general as a comment or use #Lanzacoworking to join in the conversation. Thanks for reading and if you liked this post please share on social media!

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