It's becoming harder to get attendees to attend an in-person or virtual event. If landing page promotions, emails, and social media posts aren't getting you the registration numbers you want, it may be time to explore how video can drum up excitement and demand for your event.
Instructional videos can make it easier for attendees to understand the value of your event. Instead of a landing page with paragraphs explaining your upcoming event, share a punchy video with your target audience. You can pique participants' interest on topics that will be featured at your event, tease venue details, answer common questions, and ultimately show the value of your events through visual storytelling.
While generating early demand for your event can be challenging, it may be even more difficult to maintain interest once the event goes live. On average, virtual events have a no-show rate of 35%. To encourage people to log on and participate throughout your event, you’ll need a marketing campaign that excites, educates, and inspires attendees.
In this post, we’ll share ideas and examples of instructional videos so you can create FOMO-inducing event marketing campaigns.
What is an instructional video?
An instructional video is a type of video that teaches something new, answers questions, or explains a specific concept step-by-step.
There are several different types of instructional videos, but you may be most familiar with product demos and screen recordings.
In the context of event marketing, instructional videos may be linked to the promotion, engagement, or repurposing of an event.
5 Ideas for pre-event instructional videos
Pre-event videos can help set expectations with attendees, hype up the venue, and make your program more accessible. Plus, 47% of marketers believe interactive content is one of the most effective lead-generation tools.
Need some inspo to help you drum up excitement for your next event? We've got five ideas on how to create momentum with pre-event instructional videos.
Event venue walkthrough
Your pre-event instructional videos should generate hype. Sharing an event venue walkthrough video is a great way to excite attendees about the upcoming schedule. They’re also a chance for non-attendees to feel FOMO and sign up.
Brian Cole, the founder and CEO of creative production agency edgefactory, explains that event venue walkthrough videos can form part of a series designed to get participants ready to attend.
“This video can have visuals of the city the meeting is in to get attendees excited to travel, some key bullets to inform and motivate participants, and a call to action to register,” he says.
“Then we produce other videos such as explainer videos on how to register, or how to download and engage in an event app, or even listing the top 5 things to know before attending the event.”
For example, the UK-based marketing conference Atomicon shared a short reel giving potential attendees a flavor of the venue, atmosphere, and activities. There’s also a final call to action to boost conversions.
Similarly, marketers can create custom event trailers for both virtual and in-person events. To create a video, try combining event visuals or stock footage with a video template for a uniquely engaging venue walkthrough.
Live FAQ
Keep receiving the same questions about your event? Schedule a live FAQ where participants can ask you questions in real time. Share details about what people can expect from the event, why they should go, and when it starts.
You can even live stream your FAQ to your audience through Facebook, Instagram, or your own website using Vimeo. Alternatively, pre-record your answers to a few of the most asked questions and upload the clip onto your chosen social media platforms.
It's easy to create an informative and engaging Q&A session with video. After recording your session, you can edit the footage, add them to a customizable template, and upload the clip to your channel of choice.
Screen recording of program walkthrough
Screen recordings can help explain the event program in more depth. They’re also a way of making your event more accessible to all attendees, no matter their learning style. Some people may prefer a visual and audio walkthrough of your program instead of just a written one.
Instead of providing minimal details about keynote speakers and breakout sessions through a written pamphlet, record your screen as you go through each scheduled activity.
Interactive maps
Need to show attendees where to find the keynote speaker stage? Or where the after party will take place?
If you’re hosting a large in-person event, an interactive map can help attendees get their bearings before they arrive on site.
Infographic video
An animated video infographic instructional video is one way of explaining the program of your event’s daily schedule.
Event organizers could use animations to show attendees how they can choose and book different activities. Or even use an infographic to explain the purpose behind your event.
4 Ideas for live event instructional videos
Planning an event comes with some unpredictability. Online registration only takes a couple of clicks, so registration can be hard to trust. Although thousands may have registered for your upcoming online conference, there’s no guarantee of attendance until kickoff time and log-in.
Plus, how can you ensure that people stay engaged once they’re in your virtual event?
Marketers must capture attendees’ attention by showing the event isn’t just a way to learn new material but also a way of interacting with speakers and networking with other participants.
Keep your in-person and virtual attendees engaged throughout your event with these instructional video ideas.
Demos
Demonstration videos are the right choice when you want to show a product in action. These kinds of videos often use original footage to highlight a product through tests, un-boxings, or someone showing how to use its features.
In the context of an event, demo videos could appear during a keynote speech or an ad break.
Tutorial
During the event, speakers can share a pre-recorded tutorial video. This clip should teach viewers a new skill, such as how to use a specific product’s features.
Alternatively, it could be a masterclass led by a speaker on how they achieved a specific result.
Screen record a how-to video
Screen recordings are becoming a more popular feature of marketing campaigns. In 2022, 57% of video marketers created screen-recorded videos.
It comes as no surprise why –– they’re a simple way to show rather than tell viewers. The key is to edit them effectively so they look on-brand as opposed to amateur. If your event centers on online technology, then slick screen recordings can help demonstrate different features and use cases.
Live stream interactive sessions
Want your offline participants to be a part of your live events, too? Create live streaming interactive sessions so everyone can take part. If you're hosting a live session with speakers, plan to include a live poll, live Q&A, or networking sessions to encourage both online and in-person attendees to participate.
If you’re holding an after-party or networking session and you don’t want online participants to miss out, you can live stream your event so online participants get a feel for the atmosphere.
7 Ideas for post-event marketing videos
The best event content can live on long after the event's conclusion. Great event content from speakers, topics, and sessions have the potential to engage participants until the event’s next edition. Event marketers should strive to build brand loyalty with evergreen event content so participants are keen to return for the next edition.
Marketers could create an online event hub where participants can access keynote talks, recorded breakout sessions, and other relevant material. Repurposing event material is a great way of keeping your content up to date until the next event.
Go beyond a typical event highlight video and help your audience continue to learn with these online video ideas.
Key learnings video
Following your event, share short snippets that help attendees retain the main takeaways of the day or session.
Brian Cole of Edgefactory explains that creating recap videos helps your event live long after everyone has gone home.
“After the event, we provide a highlight of everything that happened at the event, including interviews from key opinion leaders at the event, sponsors, or sometimes the event team thanking people for attending,” he says.
“This helps viewers retain their takeaways from the event, reminds them of the value of attending, and gets them excited to attend the next event,” he adds.
Brian’s agency, Edgefactory, recently produced a highlight video for the 2023 Quest SKO IT operations and cybersecurity conference. During the clip, the host interviews attendees, speakers, and organizers about why they’re there, their key learnings, and what they’ve taken from the event.
Event recap video
Recap videos remind attendees of what they got out of your event and encourage future participants to get excited.
They’re also a great way of repurposing your event content and extending your reach across social media channels. Recap videos could include a mix of testimonials, event highlights, and plans for next year.
Lori Hall, co-founder and head of creative at multicultural marketing agency Pop'N Creative explains how an event recap video helped them amplify the reach of a one-off event in collaboration with Hulu in New Orleans.
“We pitched a recap video to walk our virtual consumers through the details of the experience and Hulu posted a recap of each day on their brand social handles. This allowed them to capture on-site impressions and then upgrade those numbers,” she says
“The Rink @ The Hulu Motel had a total social reach of 8.1M, amplified by our influencers, celebrity talent & VIPs who shared their experience at The Rink @ The Hulu Motel on their socials.”
Speaker recordings
Ever gone to a presentation and learned something fascinating, only to forget it a few days later? It’s happened to all of us. To help attendees apply their learnings beyond your event, help them out with on-demand speaker recordings.
Send them a link to your speaker recordings in a follow-up email a few days after the event. Make it easy for people to find what they’re looking for by dividing recordings into chapters and providing a written transcript.
After Semrush’s Global Marketing Day, the brand shared recordings from its keynote speakers on the website. Any visitor to their site can watch the recordings for free.
Interactive video quiz
Gamify your recent event and offer participants the chance to win a prize and bring out their competitive side with an interactive video quiz.
The quiz could take place after a keynote speech, following a day of activities, or async once the event is over.
Create personalized videos
Personalized videos humanize your marketing. They’re a way of grabbing people’s attention and showing your personality.
Instead of sending out a standard text-based email summing up your event’s key takeaways, send a personalized video. Show your face, thank participants for attending, and talk about your event’s key highlights.
Training videos
80% of folks attend virtual events for educational reasons. Tap into their appetite for learning by sharing training videos following the event. Based on the content of your keynote speakers’ sessions, you could create a sequence of tips, best practices, and key takeaways.
Alternatively, ask your speakers to create short 10-minute training webinars loosely based on their talk.
Follow-up Q&A
78% of people who attend online events say that Q&As work well for engaging them. Sometimes the best questions come to us after an event has ended. Give attendees the chance to answer any final questions in a brief follow-up Q&A session.
Participants can either send their questions before the Q&A session, or they can ask them live.
Online course bundle
Repurpose your event into an online course series. This is a great way to ensure your event isn’t forgotten. It’s also a way of getting non-attendees involved.
Offer your course bundle as a one-off payment or a subscription. These course videos will also generate brand awareness for your future events and encourage more sign-ups.
Start creating your own instructional videos today
Instructional videos can help you promote your event at any stage of your campaign. They’re a way to generate hype, engage participants, and encourage potential attendees to sign up. The key to effective instructional videos is to know your audience and share content that’ll entertain and educate them.
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Event marketing instructional video FAQ
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How do you make a good promotional video for an event?
A good promotional video should act as a teaser for your event and generate excitement among potential attendees. You can build hype for your event’s program with walkthrough videos, sneak previews, and highlights of previous editions. Keep the promotional video short and sweet, so you leave viewers wanting more.
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What are the benefits of event video marketing?
Video is one of the most effective event marketing strategies for helping people visualize the reality of your event. Use your video marketing campaigns to generate excitement before the event, engage attendees, and increase reach after your event is over.
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What are some things to consider when producing a video for an event?
Before you produce a video for an event, have a clear plan. Set clear goals, whether they’re raising awareness, boosting sign-ups, or engaging at-home attendees. To avoid overspending, set a sensible budget and stick to it.
