It's not easy to organize and market an event. It doesn't matter if you have the best venue or the best speakers. But if nobody shows up, the event will be a failure.
You need to
attract potential attendees, even if your event marketing is done for in-person
conferences, or for online
events such as webinars.
Video is a great
event marketing strategy for driving engagement during, after, and before
events. This
blog will discuss how to use video at all stages of your event marketing
campaigns.
Why event video?
You must show
potential attendees why you are the best choice when marketing your event.
It is important
to create excitement. People
go to comic cons, football games, concerts, and other events because they are
exciting. They're
fun. While
you can discuss the practical benefits of your event such as speakers and
networking opportunities it won't be able match the excitement generated by the
event. Amazing
event videos can capture that feeling of excitement, fun, freshness and
discovery for your company.
Video can convey
the joy and connection of an event better than words, photos and audio. Video allows attendees to be present in the moment. They will be able to see what makes your event
unique and worth their time.
Video is the
gift that keeps giving when it comes to event marketing. Video can be used throughout the event marketing
process.
- To drive registrations
and virality
- To drive engagement
during the event
- To drive action (and
remind attendees about the fun they had and encourage them to attend other
events in the future).
We'll be
covering the best event marketing practices that will set you up for success in
the next sections.
How to use video before the event
Let's face
facts: There are many events competing for your attendees' attention. They are overwhelmed and tired. You must be different in order to persuade them to
attend your event or stop by your booth at the show floor.
Get hype with event promo videos
Imagine the
trailer for a blockbuster movie. It hypes you up for the film. Your event promotion video should do
exactly the same: It should capture all the highlights and make people excited
about your event.
A promo video
for an event should include previews of the event content, mini-interviews and
testimonials from past attendees.
Flexibility is
key. You can use a ticket launch announcement, reminder, event announcement,
or even a FAQ. To
drive registrations, don't forget to include a strong call-to-action (CTA), and
a landing page for your event.
Do you not have
footage from past events? Your
event marketing strategy should be creative.
Connect with pre-event sales
outreach videos to make connections
Connecting
directly with potential attendees is one way to increase event attendance. Your event and brand will stand out by targeting
prospects directly with personalized videos.
This can be done
by your sales team with just a webcam. It takes only a few minutes. If you can convince your speakers to make outreach
videos, even better!
Invite potential
attendees to register or ask registered registrants to arrange a meeting with
one your attending sales representatives. This is a great way to make those
personal connections that will drive attendance.
How to use video during an
event
It's finally
here! You
will be busy running the event. Don't forget to capture video footage that will
maximize your event's long term return on investment (ROI).
Your in-event
video opportunities should be considered strategically. These videos will drive registrations and provide
rich content throughout the year.
Live Event Streams can help
you expand your reach
It doesn't
matter if someone can't make it to your event. You can engage people at home by live streaming
your event, whether you broadcast every second or only the keynotes.
Marketo is a
great example. Marketo
live streamed the Marketing Nation Summit. The event saw almost a thousand people stream it,
which increased its overall attendance by close to 15%. The Summit was a key program for Marketo's pipeline
generation.
The Arkansas
Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) doubled its audience reach through live
streaming 12 educational programs. Live streaming not only increased
engagement but also saved money on catering and venue fees.
You can live
stream your event to engage people, but recordings of streams can be used
afterwards. After
the event is over, recordings can be used to create valuable content that continues
driving traffic for a long time.
Capture customer testimonials
and thought leadership videos
All your
customers, speakers, and business team members are in one place. Let them shine.
Make sure your
speakers are a highlight of your event. Record thought leadership interviews from industry
experts so you have fresh content that you can reuse later. You will find your speakers appreciate some extra
promotion.
Video potential
is also available to your attendees. You can set up a professional recording studio and
ask people to share their stories. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the actual
users of your product. You
can capture testimonials for future programs and even full-blown case studies.
Get event
testimonials from your attendees. Next year's registration drive will be fuelled by
attendees recording their event-related emotions.
Use video everywhere
You can use
video in many other ways during an event, even a scrappy smartphone video. Here are some examples:
- Booth video being played at your show floor setup in order to draw
passerby
- Video used in speaking
sessions for arousing the
audience or to highlight specific points
- Social media event promotion featuring videos that highlight event highlights and are easy to
share with attendees.
How to use video after an
event
Video after an
event is just as important than it was before. Video can bring back wonderful memories and keep
the event alive long after the lights go out.
You'll also end
up with tons and tons of video to use in your editorial calendar.
Follow up with post-event
videos
Your guests will
have made many memories and met new people during your event. Video can be used to help attendees retain the most
important information.
Your marketing
team can create recaps of the event, while your sales team can follow up with
hot booth leads via quick, personal videos.
Video is an
excellent way to make attendees remember your event. Your brand will stand out from the rest.
Promote event videos and reuse
content
Now you have
your event videos. It's
now time to put them to use. Future You will have to do a lot of work capturing
all this video content. Current you is the one who has done it.
Vidyard believes
that one event, such as our annual Fast forward video enablement
conference, can generate enough material to keep us rolling out new content six
months later or even a year later.
Your event
videos can be used to strengthen your blogs, email campaigns, and social posts. Organize your videos in one location so that
viewers can find and consume your content easily.
The video
hubs by Vidyard are great tools for event marketing. The hubs put all your videos together in one place,
which reflects your organization's branding. It is also free from ads and
distractions. The
hub's video analytics tracks who is watching your videos and gives you insight
into viewer behavior. Position
your event videos to make them easy to consume. You can also learn about the
best topics and video types for you.
Use Video to Promote Events
Video is the
next best thing than being there in person. Video is a great way to capture the excitement,
emotion, and fun of an event. It should be part of your marketing strategy.
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