How to Use Video Content Within Your B2B Event Strategy

Planning a B2B event takes time, commitment, and serious strategizing. After all, whether it’s a conference, expo, creative workshop, VIP dinner, or a trade show, a B2B event is an invaluable way to network and create important connections.

That’s why more than half of B2B organizations dedicate 21 percent of marketing budgets to promoting their brands at events. And almost 70 percent of B2B marketers rely on in-person events to drive lead generation for their business.

So what’s the secret to converting event attendees into paying customers or partners?

Engagement! 

And as the most engaging type of content, video has the power to help you do this.

But before we get into detail on the value of video content for B2B events, let’s start with the basics…

Understanding what makes a great B2B event

True, each B2B event is an opportunity to generate leads and expand your client base, but it has to be worth attendees’ time. Otherwise, businesses are unlikely to return. 

In fact, the best B2B events are designed to be an experience, not a forgettable chore. Guests should feel they are part of a dynamic environment with an electric atmosphere. What’s more, they want to interact with attendees who could genuinely become valuable clients or suppliers.

This is hard to do when an event is poorly organized or managed. But it’s even harder to do if no-one knew you were holding an event in the first place! 

As such, events must be heavily promoted, months in advance. 

And this is where video content can really start to shine.

Shareable, engaging video content can be a useful tool for raising your event’s profile and encouraging attendees to sign up, because:

  • 59 percent of business leaders prefer to watch videos than read articles/blog posts
  • 80 percent of customers remember a video they watched in the past month
  • It’s estimated that one minute of video is equivalent to almost 2 million words 
  • Viewers retain 95 percent of a message conveyed via video, as opposed to just 10 percent through text

Incorporating video content into your B2B event marketing strategy helps to raise awareness, deliver crucial information in a memorable way, and engage target audiences more effectively. 

But video can add significant value far beyond the marketing of your B2B event. For example, you could invite speakers to present via video call — breaking down geographical barriers and impressing your audience with the caliber of speakers you can attract. 

Or, more simply, video can form the basis of your conference, expo or workshop presentation. After all, there’s nothing worse than death by PowerPoint slides — especially if you’re looking to win new business!

Whichever way you’re planning to use video in your B2B event, there are a number of important points to consider…

Three questions to ask yourself when adding video to your B2B event strategy

1) How do I know my videos will be worth the money?

Getting value from video content in your B2B event strategy is a priority…no doubt. Here’s how you can do it:

Know your audience

There’s no sense spending a huge portion of your budget shooting and editing videos that are not tailored to the people you’re hoping to bring through your doors. 

Think of their pain points and expectations. What attracts them to B2B events? What value do they want from any event they attend? What motivates them to pay and come along?

Showing off the venue in beautifully composed shots might seem like a winning idea, but it’s worthless if there’s no message conveyed. Video content should be eye-catching and professional, but the keyword is content — make sure yours has something to say that builds excitement. A promotional video can really help show what attendees get when going – so use the power of video to help paint the picture. In a lot of cases, Motion works with clients at events to capture footage …and then use the material to promote next year’s event.

Use video content as a marketing tool before, during, and after the event

Videos should be shared across social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) with strict audience-targeting. And remember that video content is not just for promoting the event, it can be valuable during and after, too.

Live-streaming panels, exhibitions, and interviews throughout the event shows the outside world what they’re missing. It’s a way to reveal the amazing insights attendees have access to, building interest in future events, while promoting the businesses/leaders featured in the videos. A great way to build buzz around an event is to release short “man/woman on the street” videos. These help capture candid moments at an event and really harness attendees who are excited.

And your content’s reach doesn’t need to end there. After the event, video content is a fantastic tool for summarizing the experience, covering the highlights, and sharing insights with a wider audience beyond those who were able to attend. Again, this generates interest in subsequent events and builds credibility. 

On top of this, key discussions and activities from the event can fuel months’ worth of content, including videos, articles, how-to guides, and more. Draw on important panels, seminars, product demonstrations, etc., to gain extra mileage down the line.

* Do you want to know how you can REALLY get value at a B2B event…by using video? Well, just contact us and we can walk you through a strategy we’ve been using lately. For ourselves and our clients.

The Tech Qualified podcast provides B2B technology marketers with access to real world case studies and best practices. We interview industry leaders to uncover what is working in the world of B2B technology marketing.

2) How can I make my video content look professional?

Launching a B2B event can be time-consuming before you even start creating your video content. But the last thing you should do is treat video as an afterthought — your content needs to look good to build credibility and engage viewers. 

But don’t worry, you can achieve professional polish on a tight budget, for example:

  • Use tripods to prevent amateurish shaking or uneven framing
  • Make sure to have at least two cameras recording at the same time, so you have a choice of angles to cut between when editing footage together 
  • Don’t rely on the cameras’ built-in/onboard mics. Use microphones to pick up voices, sound effects, and the ambient noise of the event itself.
  • Add royalty-free music to your video titles and montages to establish an atmosphere. This is widely available online, and really helps achieve a professional feel
  • Look at videos created for leading events and emulate their style as best you can, especially in terms of editing

3) What concepts can I use for B2B event video content?

Hopefully by now your creative juices are flowing! But if you need a little more inspiration, here are a few ways you can incorporate video into your B2B event:

  • Interview managers or directors from the most high-profile businesses attending your event: ask why they chose the event, what they hope to achieve, and what people can expect from them. These can either be used to market the event, or to add a multimedia dimension on the day itself. If you are going to interview an executive – check out this post that I wrote on Single Grain’s blog awhile back – many of these tips are still helpful!
  • Offer tips and guidance for attendees: create videos to help businesses and their representatives get the most out of their time at the event
  • Circulate event ‘best bits’ the week after: for guests, this acts as a reminder of what they experienced and (hopefully) how impressed they were with your event — if they need a friendly nudge to convert, this is it! But this content works equally well for those who didn’t — showing them what they missed and making them eager to take part the next time your event comes around

In truth, there’s plenty of value in video content for any event organizers willing to commit themselves. That’s why it belongs in the strategy for every B2B event, from the smallest user conference to the biggest trade show. 

Written by Tristan Pelligrino

Tristan Pelligrino is the Co-Founder of Motion. He’s a serial entrepreneur who started his career as a consultant with large IT companies such as PwC, IBM and Oracle. After getting his MBA, he started and grew one of the fastest video production companies in the country – which was listed on the Inc. 5000. Tristan now enjoys leading the content marketing strategies of some of the most innovative B2B technology companies in the country. You can find him on LinkedIn and Facebook.