How to make the best video advert for your event on social media

14 February 2018

 

If a picture paints a thousand words, imagine the power of a video. This medium is very powerful for advertising your event and reaching your intended audience, especially when powered by the instant access available with social media.

Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat have all become optimised in recent years to make video content more accessible to their users – so how do you make the most of this massive audience and advertise your event on social media?

Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat have a combined four billion users.

What is your purpose?

Deciding on your video’s purpose is key to figuring out the best way of advertising it.

Do you want to use the video as a teaser for an event to come, to raise interest? Don’t give too much away in your video – the mystery makes the event more appealing. Also, release the video well before your actual event. Promoting weeks before your event is more likely to draw people than a few day’s notice.

Livestreaming a video feed of your event is becoming an increasingly popular form of producing online video content that may social media platforms have taken up in recent years. Set up your camera in a well-lit spot with a vantage over the whole scene – no one will be interested if the scene is blurry or facing a wall!

Concert producers use video-wraps and highlight reels to excellent effect. By showing social media users what they missed with an amazing video, they create desire to attend the next event.

Knowing your audience' voice and interests are key to advertising your event video best. Knowing your audience’s voice and interests are key to advertising your event video best.

Who are you targeting?

Knowing your target audience and the social media channel they are likely to use is also key to most effectively advertising your event through video. Using analytics software like Klout or BuzzSumo means you can capture data on your social media feeds about the age, demographic and frequency of your users’ visits.

It will also give you information about when and on what device they viewed your event video. This can influence how you make your video, its run time and when you upload it onto your media feeds.

Boosting your video’s popularity

Using video to advertise your event effectively requires as many interested social media users to see it as possible.

Linking the release of your new video to past events’ media is an excellent way of raising excitement about any new video content you release. YouTube’s Autoplay feature means you can create a chain of past event videos leading all of your users to your newest release.

The countdown ticker is an excellent feature which can be accessed when creating an event on Facebook. This simply counts down the time to release, building anticipation – raise this even further by not releasing what the video will be about! It is bound to get neutrals and fans alike curious about what is to come.

Instagram offer a ‘Promote’ feature that allows users to show off their video in a couple of easy steps. On your business’ profile, you simply:

  • Select the post you’d like, then tap Promote settings.
  • Set parameters like audience, promotion budget and duration.
  • To complete your promotion, tap Promote.

Snapchat’s geofilters are another easy and instantly-recognisable way of placing your event. Adding the location and an associated image to a Snapchat story lets social media users know where your event is while it’s happening, meaning you have a greater chance of this video boosting event attendance.

Geofilters instantly place your event location and gives your video context.

Getting the video done professionally

Of course, even with all these tips in mind, your event can still flop if your video isn’t professionally filmed and edited to attract the right people.

The right camera equipment, sound, lighting and editing are a massive part of creating a video that advertises your event properly – and is part of the full video production package CMS Australasia offers. We can can work out the details of your entire video project, from setup to postproduction – then all you need to do is take it to all your excited social media followers.

Company statistics indicate Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat have a combined four billion users. Reach this social media audience with video content that advertises your event properly with the help of CMS Australasia. Contact us today to request a proposal!