How to Create an Awesome Promotional Event Video

Video is an important part of event marketing these days. It’s an engaging and cost-effective medium. In fact, 52% of marketers claim it creates the best ROI out of any marketing technique.

Videos aren’t just tools to attract guests to your event. They can also be used to find sponsorship opportunities, attract speakers or presenters, and build hype for your attendees. If you place a video on your landing page, you can increase conversions by up to 80%!

Videos are powerful social resources as well. It’s easy to share videos on your social media profiles, to your email list, and through your custom event app.

As an event planner, you probably don’t have a lot of experience creating video content. In today’s post, we’d like to offer some ways to create an exceptional promotional event video.

Plan the Type of Video You’ll Create

Michele Linn, content manager for CMI and their event, Content Marketing World, finds it difficult to capture everything that happens at one of their events. Instead of trying to film everything (and doing nothing well), she prefers to carefully plan out what kind of video content she wants to make before the event. This way she can get the right footage to produce superb content.

You don’t have to know exactly what your next promotional video will be like, but it helps to have some idea of what you’ll create. Start by defining the purpose of your event video. Ask yourself what kind of value your event offers and how you can emulate that in a video.

For instance, if you’re hosting a networking event, you may want to show footage of people mingling together, having conversations, and making introductions. In this case you would plan to catch these kinds of interactions. But you wouldn’t focus on people opening gift bags or checking in at the registration desk because those actions don’t offer as much value to a potential guest who’s looking to network.

If you’re hosting a panel of speakers, you may not need footage from a previous or similar event at all. Since the speakers are the value, guests may find their thoughts and credentials most important.

Make a List of Must-Have Shots

If you plan to use footage from one event for the next video, there will be some parts you’ll definitely want to get. For instance, you’ll want to record the entire presentation from your keynote speaker, the bride and groom’s vows, or an award ceremony.

Make a list of any times or locations you want to capture on video. Compare these to your schedule to make sure you’re free at those times to hold a camera. If not, task someone on your team with getting the footage for you.

Don’t forget to capture a lot of B-roll footage. B-roll is extra footage you capture that helps tell your event’s story. It’s good content you’ll need for your promotional event video. Here are a few types of B-roll footage you might capture:

• The entrance to your event or registration desk.
• A crowd of people mingling or dancing.
• A panel of speakers or guests.
• Wedding guests taking their seats for a ceremony.
• People playing outdoor games (volleyball, horseshoes, etc.).
• People interacting with demonstrations.
• Shots of event spaces (indoor and outdoor).

Keep Your Camera Rolling as Much as Possible

You never know when something unique or compelling will happen during an event, so it’s important to film as much as you possibly can. If you happen to catch that one incredible moment that everyone talks about, you’ll have valuable content for the video that will promote your next event.

One great way to immortalize your video content is to live stream the event. This way you can give non-guests the option to view all or parts of the event and have plenty of footage for your promotional video. Setting yourself up on Facebook Live or YouTube Live is simple.

Interestingly, 67% of viewers are more likely to buy an event ticket after watching a live video of a previous or similar event. It’s a super cheap way to make content, too.

Use People to Tell Stories

Raw footage from presentations or shots of the crowd exploring your event space are useful, but they rarely tell a good story. They don’t show potential guests the complete value your event provides.

Let’s say you’re a wedding planner. You want couples to know that you handle everything about their special day so they can relax and enjoy their celebration. It would make sense to record testimonials of past brides and grooms telling stories about how effortless the event was for them and how you handled every detail. That reinforces the narrative you’re trying to create.

This actually takes less work than it seems. All you have to do is pull someone aside during your event and ask them a few questions, like…

• “Why did you come here today?”
• “What’s your favorite part of this event?”
• “What do you think about the food/vibe/speakers/music?”
• “Why do you like coming to our events?”

Represent Your Brand

Your event video should be part of your overall event concept. It’s another piece in the total event experience, so it should have the same qualities as your brand.

Match the colors, imagery, and tone to your event. If you’re hosting a high energy birthday celebration, create your video with fast cuts, lots of music, and dancing people. If you’re hosting a quiet workshop for programmers, you’ll want a slower paced video that focuses on the professional credentials of the teachers.

If you don’t represent your brand well in your event video, you’ll fail to attract the right type of guest. People who are right for your event will dismiss it. Even worse, you might attract people who aren’t right for the event who will be inevitably disappointed.

Invest in High Quality Production

High quality video is important these days. There’s a lot of video content available on the web. People can tell whether you were lazy or put effort into your production. If your camera is shaky, your resolution is bad, or your editing isn’t fluid, they’ll simply watch someone else’s video.

Yes, it’s totally possible to film all of your event footage on your phone. Phone cameras are incredible these days, but they don’t produce high quality footage like proper video equipment.

When it comes to buying a camera, you have a lot of choices. You can spend anywhere from $500 for a DSLR camera to $2500 for a cinema camera. No matter what you choose to buy, the footage will be far superior to what you can capture on your iPhone. You’ll also want to invest in a tripod or monopod so your footage is steady.

Furthermore, invest in people. Enlist someone on your team to help you capture footage. You might need someone to help you haul gear, set up equipment, or handle the camera while you’re busy with other things. Teach your team how to be useful so you aren’t overburdened.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Your first promotional event video won’t be perfect. You won’t have a bank of footage from previous events and you’ll fumble through filming and editing. Like any marketing tactic, video is a process you’ll grow more comfortable with over time.

If you create a clear plan, film as much as you can, and keep your audience in mind, you’ll create a powerful event video that will drive guests to sign up and make your event successful.