Whether you’re producing a comic con, a wine festival, or a concert, one constant rings true: today’s fans and attendees of live events are always hungry for content. By tapping into live video streaming on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, event organizers can fill the desire for content while simultaneously promoting awareness and driving actual ticket sales. Unsure where to start when it comes to live streaming? Not to worry! Our event marketing experts have broken down four simple ways to start promoting your event using this fast-growing medium.
Run a guest/performer takeover
What better way to drum up buzz around your event than by hosting a social media live stream takeover by one of your headlining guests or artists? Promote the takeover at least a week in advance via your social accounts, and instruct your guest or performer to do the same. Use a trend-worthy, event-specific hashtag (i.e. #PrimaConQA, #PrimaFestTakeover, etc.) to elicit questions from fans, and you’ll be well on your way to a viral Q&A session!
Showcase behind-the-scenes content
Get your ticket buyers excited and encourage commitment from potential attendees by live streaming exclusive behind-the-scenes content in the days and hours leading up to your event. Give your attendees a sneak peek at the layout of your convention or festival, take them on a backstage tour, and give them a glimpse of everything your team has done to create an incredible event experience! This type of content will give your audience a more intimate connection with your event, and the exclusive nature of your live stream can encourage virality and additional exposure.
Live stream select performances
For those who may have been unaware of or unable to attend your event this year, consider live streaming select performances, demonstrations, or speaking engagements during your event. While some may argue that this strategy devalues the attendee experience by enabling viewership for those who didn’t buy a ticket, what you’re actually doing is showing potential attendees what they’re missing out on! Plus, by choosing to keep your live streamed content online for 24 hours, throughout the duration of your event, or longer, you allow your actual attendees to access content they may have missed while engaging in other experiences at your event.
Promote year-round
By saving your live streamed videos from this year’s event, you’ll enable your marketing team to share snippets of performances, discussions, or presentations in throwback posts year-round. This content gives potential attendees a real-life window into your past events, and it provides a taste of what they could experience next year! Use saved live streamed content to build excitement around returning headliners (i.e. “Who’s ready to see Drake live in concert? Check out his performance at last year’s PrimaFest!”) or to tease upcoming lineup announcements (i.e. “While you wonder what’s in store this year, check out this video of last year’s keynote speaker!”)