There is one thing that is certain: The selfie has taken over the world.

From award shows to just everyday life, the selfie is quite literally everywhere, and it shows no sign of slowing down.

Many of our partners are taking advantage of this trend to help promote venues and exhibits with terrific results. And you can easily use some of the same techniques to promote your event.

One selfie campaign that we love is the Cincinnati Art Museum’s #CAMericanGothic Selfie contest. It was used to promote the "American Gothic" exhibit that just landed in Cincinnati. The contest was far-reaching and saw some non-traditional partners for the museum get involved to show their take on “American Gothic”.

Here are a few takeaways you can use for your own selfie campaign:

1. Develop a theme: “American Gothic” was a simple theme that everyone could easily put their stamp on. And it was fun. Look for aspects of your event that can become a great selfie. A great selfie shows off the personality of the individual or organization, so look for a theme that your potential attendees can gravitate towards and easily show off something about them and their organization.
2. Don’t create a separate hashtag: #CAMericanGothic is a hashtag that supports the entire exhibit. When entrants used it to submit entries, their friends and followers could click on the hashtag to learn more about the contest and the exhibit. It also gets people in the habit of using the hashtag when referencing the exhibit. Imagine how much more powerful the hashtag then becomes. The same can be true of your event’s hashtag.
3. Use more than one platform: Cincinnati Art Museum has been accepting entries on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. By not limiting yourself to just one platform, your potential attendees can stick to the platform they are comfortable with and are therefore more influential on.
4. Embrace the non-traditional partners: The entries for #CAMericanGothic came from individuals, partner organizations and organizations around Cincinnati that you would not normally relate to the Cincinnati Art Museum. This expanded the reach within the community. Think about organizations that also market to your potential attendees and invite them to participate. Even if just one of them jumps in, you will likely reach someone that you might not otherwise, and that alone is worth the time it took you to ask.