As you plan your next conference, you’re likely thinking about topics and speakers for keynotes, breakout sessions, and workshops. Which topics will inform and educate your attendees? Which speakers will connect with, and more importantly, inspire your audience during live sessions? And, you’re probably sitting there trying to figure out what you can do that’s new, innovative and will capture your attendees interest (early and often).
It’s time to consider using video in your plans. From Facebook LIVE to recorded video, engaging your audience with impactful content is best served “in person.”
Video vignettes (short entertaining and or educating video clips – from as quick as 30 seconds linked to social media or an email, or 2–4 minutes posted on your website) can be used to promote your conference, specific speakers or to provide visibility into the location you’ve selected. It can excite attendees and encourage them to register and share information about your event. Increasingly, the use of video throughout conferences, from pre-event marketing to post event testimonials, is proving to engage attendees and impact the conference experience in new and exciting ways.
It’s not just us recommending video, according to WordStream.com:
- YouTube has over a billion users, almost one-third of total internet users
- More than 500 million hours of videos are watched on YouTube each day
- 85% of the US internet audience watches videos online
- One-third of online activity is spent watching video
Still not convinced?
- 59% of executives agree that if both text and video are available on the same topic, they are more likely to choose video
- Social video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined
- Video on a landing page can increase conversions by 80% or more
Isn’t it time to connect and begin building relationships with your audience? Video is the optimal medium for bringing content to life. Rather than just inserting a single video into a general session, consider shaping an entire program around video content –create some in advance and produce others onsite (think on-the-spot interviews of attendees inserted into program content). Technological improvements have made production and editing more mobile and have significantly reduced costs.
At a recent franchise conference focused on fitness that we recently ran, video was woven throughout the program content. We pre-recorded and edited an opening video. Check it out.
We brought our videographers onsite to interview attendees, showcase daily workouts, and record other elements of the conference experience to create an exciting recap video to show at the end, as well as to send to non-attendees so they would see a bit of what they were missing.
We also inserted the videos into various sessions for greater impact. At the awards dinner, the audience was inspired by video stories that were recorded the day prior. franchisees shared the impact of their business on their own lives by the commitment and transformation of individual members, which turned in to a heart-warming video that created just the emotion we were looking for.
Think your conference could benefit from the use of video? Here are a few tips to ensure success:
- Work closely with your meeting planner to contract with established professional videographers. Be sure that they’re experienced in all aspects of production from effective interviewing to onsite editing.
- Communicate your theme and messaging clearly to the production team so they can identify the best event moments that fit your content.
- Explore creative, fun, and emotionally engaging ideas for video themes and topics.
- Inspire your audience and prospective attendees with video before, during, and after the event.
- Use video to market your event by engaging your audience before they register.
- Develop a primary video for your main event. Make it impactful and grab your audience’s attention right away.
- Capture planned and candid moments throughout the program for use during and after the conference.
- Keep the conference experience alive afterward by sharing video through social media and post-show email campaigns. Using video to engage your attendees during the “off season” will keep your conference front of mind. This can lead to early registrations for your next event.
- Understand your video budget and work with the video company to make sure your needs are met both with lively content and within your financial means.
Shaping your conference around video, with creativity and consistent messaging, can add depth and texture to the story of your organization for a more personal and memorable experience.
If you are already using video for your conferences and/or events, share some of your experiences with us, we’d love to hear from you!