Back to Blog | Written by: Kristen McCabe | February 15, 2019

How to Maximize and Build Event Success with Video Marketing (Part 1)

One of the biggest benefits of event marketing comes down to the here and now of an event day; it’s all about the meet and greets, networking, and face-to-face interactions. However, as any event marketer will tell you, the success of an event depends on the actions taken well before the event day, as well as the days after. Video marketing is one of the biggest ways to garner that success, both before and after the big day.

If you have not yet executed video marketing, it can seem a tad intimidating, especially if you’re not familiar with the technical aspects of production. Fortunately, between working with production companies, live streaming, free video editing software (even for beginners!), and a bounty of online tutorials to help you through the filming process, there is a video marketing solution sure to suit your event needs and abilities.

And, believe me, you want to execute videos as part of your event strategy.

Consider these facts:

By the year 2020, online videos are expected to count for 80% of all internet traffic
Video marketers see a brand awareness increase of 54% from using video
Over 50% of marketers worldwide believe video has the best ROI

Video marketing at events: Three critical questions to ask yourself

When it comes to using video at your event, there are three core areas to consider, each of which we’ll touch on here. You need to ask yourself:

What exactly are you going to film at your event?
Are you going to hire a production company or do the event filming and editing internally?
How will you use your videos after the event?

These three elements are intertwined; what you film at your event depends on the goal of the video you want to create and how you’re going to use it post-event. This is why it’s crucial to consider all three areas early in your event planning process.

Part one: What to film at your event

So, you know you want to video at your event. Great. Now, it’s time for the million dollar question: What are you going to film?

Here are five types of videos you can create for your event.

1. Pre-event promotional videos

We often think of video marketing in relation to the event day itself, but don’t forget that you can also use video prior to the event. Here, you can see a video by the Australian Association of National Advertisers promoting its annual conference RESET:

Pre-event videos do more than promote your event; you can also use video to promote your app! Take the following video as an example:

Video is a great way to increase app adoption by showing attendees not just how to use your app, but how the app will create a memorable event experience. (This is something sponsors promoted on your app are sure to appreciate too!)

2. Behind-the-scenes videos

Social Media Examiner has an entire YouTube playlist devoted to its Social Media Marketing world annual event.

This is another type of video you can use pre-event, or you can continue the behind-the-scenes fun during the event itself.

Share your last minute antics as you’re setting up in the wee hours of the morning (adding a personal touch to your event), or ask speakers to give a peek into their preparation processes.

3. Speaker videos

Speaker videos are the most common type of event video – thanks to the value they provide.

Some companies choose to share speaker sessions on YouTube. Others show edited versions of the video on YouTube and save the full sessions for attendees, or offer access to them for a fee.

When it comes to editing videos, I can say – without a doubt – sharing the entire speaker session will save you plenty of time. I have spent more time than I care to share transcribing raw footage to find the best three minutes to share on YouTube.

Here, you can see the playlist Orbit Media has created sharing speaker sessions from it’s annual event Content Jam:

If you’re sharing speaker sessions on YouTube or another public channel, such as Vimeo, make sure you have the speaker’s permission. I cannot stress this enough.

Some of those hours I spent transcribing videos were because the event speaker didn’t want their entire presentation made public. In addition, some influencers require personal approval of the video before it is shared.

4. Interviews

Whether you choose interview speakers, attendees, sponsors, or any combination of them, the choice is up to you! Each type provides benefits.

Speakers

Speaker interviews provide additional insights not included in their presentation. This makes for content worth viewing for your entire target audience, regardless of if they attended the event or not. If shared before a session, they can also increase excitement. Consider conducting brief speaker interviews and sharing them on social media to promote a live-streamed presentation.

For the annual event hosted by the Content Marketing Institute, Content Marketing World, the company creates an entire series, #CMWorld Chatter, around speaker interviews.

By having influencers conduct the interviews, (Jay Baer and Tim Washer hosted the series for Content Marketing World in 2018), you’ll add extra buzz to your videos and increase the number of views.

Here is one of the 20 videos the brand produced at its most recent conference:

Attendees

Get attendees involved and sharing highlights of what they learned at your event, or why they love your event so much. This is a testimonial you can use to promote your event throughout the year – as long as you have their permission, of course!

Creating a montage with multiple attendees will also get delegates eager to share their moment in the spotlight with their networks, increasing awareness for your event.

5. Interactive (and funny!) attendee videos

Interviewing speakers, sponsors, and attendees is one option. But have you considered taking it a step further?

MarketingProfs took its annual conference, B2B Forum, and added a twist to Jimmy Kimmel’s “Mean Tweets” videos. In these videos, you can see marketers having a laugh while MarketingProfs creates humorous videos that people (especially the brand’s target audience!) want to watch:

The thing that’s great about this video? People don’t have to “come up” with what to say on-camera. Often, this can be the most nerve-wracking part for someone who is camera shy. By taking that barrier away, you have a great chance of increasing participation.

Read the 2nd part of this video marketing series to learn about the other two core areas when it comes to using video at your events – working with a production team vs internal filming, and how to use your videos to promote your event.

*This post has been written by guest blogger, Kristen McCabe, from G2 Crowd. G2 Crowd is the leading website for online business software and service reviews, where EventMobi ranks as a High Performer on the Summer 2018 Mobile Event Apps Report.