Insights

Make an Event of Your Event

When you think about some of the most popular events—SXSW, Coachella, or the renowned Consumer Electronics Show—it’s not just the event itself that is successful year after year, but how the event is talked about, shared, and captured visually. This is what creates the sustainable buzz that makes events impactful. Here’s a quick checklist to ensure you’re getting maximum exposure for your event, large or small.

Incorporate live video

There’s no doubt the popularity of live video will continue to dominate the social media scene in 2018. Facebook IQ research shows that users gaze video content on Facebook and Instagram 5x longer than static content. Incorporating live video doesn’t have to be complicated. Consider broadcasting your entire event with a professional platform like Brandlive. On a budget? Use your smartphone to broadcast short, live interviews with your key speakers or guests following the event. Don’t forget to ask your interviewees to like and share the event videos.

Land press coverage

Craft a compelling pitch and ensure you’ve got media-worthy visuals and spokespeople available onsite for reporters. Reporters too slammed to make it? Consider creating a news package yourself with quality photos, videos, and quotes from speakers or attendees to deliver to the newsroom. Another great way to extend content, especially for panel events, is to have featured speakers turn their presentation into an op-ed for a local paper or trade publication. Here’s an op-ed we secured for Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt that originated from a seminar.

Activate attendees

In addition to participating in your event, attendees can also help promote it. Take a look at Spredfast’s fascinating insights about some of the most impactful brand activations at Coachella. These companies took advantage of the timeliness and popularity of the festival to connect with millennials well beyond the event. By creating opportunities for attendees to highlight their experience onsite, event hashtags and brand activations totaled almost 8 million potential impressions. A few of my favorite ways to encourage attendees to share their experience are to create an event hashtag, install an “instagramable” backdrop, or even incentivize social sharing.

Create shareable content

Make it easy for event insiders such as company employees and distinguished guests to share the excitement with their audiences. As a part of your post-event follow up, provide sample social media copy, images and links to existing company posts for easy social sharing. A simple ask can go a long way.

Remember your owned channels

Last but not least, be sure you’ve got a plan in place to showcase the event success and content on your owned channels. Social media posts, a blog, or wrap up video can all contribute to increased exposure of your event and serve as a foundational platform for others to engage with and share on their personal social media channels.

So, next time you plan an event, remember to include in your event logistics checklist an online content strategy, media relations and third-party activation. You’ll be sure to hit it out of the park.