Facebook has more than 1 billion active users. 15 years ago, social media seemed like just another fad; few people would have predicted the incredible popularity this platform enjoys today. For many individuals, social media is a primary source of contact with family and friends; social media is an essential communications platform for businesses as well. You can use any medium you choose on your social media feed, but when you use video, it can dramatically increase the impact of your efforts.

Any time you have an event, you should take advantage of social media to make your event more exciting.

Highlighting Your Event

How can you use video to make your event social media better? There are several steps to take before, during and after your event.

Before Your Event:

In the planning phase, your job is to get everything prepared for a great event. You choose the venue, the decorations and the speakers. Do not neglect your social media. If you want your event to shine on social media, start preparing now.

• If you have an annual event, post videos from last year. Post your own videos and solicit videos captured by your sponsors, exhibitors and attendees.
• To keep everything organized, create an event hashtag. Stick with something simple and memorable like #MyEventName2016. Whatever hashtag you choose, be sure to tag all of your posts with it.
• Identify people who supply you with the best video; use these “video ambassadors” to help you spot the most memorable moments.

During Your Event:

During your event, you can use social media in real-time. Do not feel constrained to using only Facebook; use other platforms like Twitter and Tumblr to reach the widest possible audience.

• Do not just capture video of your event for later use; broadcast your video as soon as possible both through social media and at the event itself.
• Encourage your attendees to capture and share their own footage; provide some highly visible screens to display your content.
• Make your conference a social space; be sure to provide free Wi-Fi and encourage your guests to use it.
• Capture and share your speaker’s quotes real-time whenever possible.

After Your Event:

The event may be over but the impact is just beginning. If you can keep the conversation going, you can start generating a buzz for next year’s event.

• Release movie trailer-style videos and link them back to full-length content on your website.
• Encourage your attendees to record and submit their own memories of the event. Remind them to use your event hashtag.
• Release information about next year’s event as soon as possible. Who will the keynote speaker be? Where will you hold next year’s event?

Just a few years ago, almost no one would have predicted the explosion in the popularity of social media, particularly for business use. Today, your social media presence is essential to your event. Social media is powerful on its own. When you use video, you can take your social media content to an entirely different level.