How to use a video teaser to promote your event!

How to promote your event?

The future of the event world revolves around one keyword: integration. Integration between the physical, in-person, and online, digital sides. When we refer to “digital sides,”above all, we’re talking about “video.” 

In our previous article we focused on the event recap video, defining what they are and demonstrating how they work. We talked about expanding audiences, building loyalty, and prolonging memorability over time. In this post, we want to address a different and complementary front related to the pre-event stages. We’re talking about promotion, and specifically the creation of event teaser videos. 

Event teaser videos – what are they? Why are they so effective? 

The definition of an event teaser video is very intuitive. These are short videos that promote an event (live or digital) and that aim to get as many registrations as possible from the target audience. Their effectiveness is closely related to the advantages of video itself as a tool. In other words: the great ease of use and understanding of messages; maximum dissemination, since video is by far the media that reaches the widest audience on social media; excellent performance in terms of engagement; soaring memorability of the information conveyed. If your goal is to promote an event, we can easily understand how critically important all of this is.

So, without further ado, let’s move on to an analysis of the best practices for creating an event teaser video. 

Event teaser video – 7 best practices 

How to create the best event teaser videos?
Of course, best practices and tips vary from case to case, depending on the type of company, the type of event, and the type of audience. But there are some foundational pillars, and we’ll focus on them in the list below. 

1. First of all, basic information
   Let’s start with a rather obvious point. An event teaser video must contain information about the event name, the location (physical or digital) where it will take place, the date and time, and the program.
   Also, instructions for registration must be provided very clearly (a suggestion: make sure that registration is as simple and intuitive as possible).
2. Direct and indirect goals
   At the end of an event teaser video every viewer should have a very clear idea of the direct objectives of the event: the topic, the areas of focus, the types of sessions. Be careful, though: it’s important to suggest the less immediate goals as well. A few examples? The chance to have fun in a pleasant setting. The indirect opportunities that can come from networking with interesting people. And much more. In other words: you need to be able to communicate the added value each individual person will be able to take home at the end of the event succinctly and effectively.
3. The importance of names
   One of the most important levers for increasing event attendance is the participation of certain influential or otherwise interesting personalities for the target audience. That’s why it’s crucial to give space to these “names” to make sure they stand out clearly. That’s not all. A good practice is to entice these same personalities to share the video on their own channels and among their contacts. This way, you can grow your potential audience in a decisive and targeted way.
4. Duration, pacing, and storytelling
   Let’s get into the details of everything related to storytelling within an event teaser video. Let’s start with duration. There is no universal rule that applies to all types of companies and all types of events. By its very nature a teaser video is short or very short. A reference length? 30 seconds.
   So, it’s important to cast the right hook. Attract your target audience to the video so that they say, “yes, this event interests me!” But also get them to the end of the video and follow the call to action. To do this, it’s essential to pay close attention to the very first few seconds of the teaser. So, try to include a hook from the very beginning, something that can grab the attention of your audience (the best hook will come from very precise, in depth knowledge of your target audience; we’ll come back to this in the next point).
   Next, don’t get lost in petty details that risk slowing down the pace. Choose a lively montage built around the key points you want to communicate (those identified in the previous three points). The narrative arc must be as linear as possible, and the call to action moment must come naturally, convincingly, without an abrupt break from the previous narrative.
5. Analyze your target audience
   The best way to create effective and engaging communication is to know the type of audience for your event—in advance. This applies to any type of operation. And, of course, also for the production of event teaser videos.
   But how to get a realistic picture of this audience?
   First, you have to start with your “core” audience, your actual, already loyal customers. Who are they? Where do they live? What are their characteristics? What are their preferences? Have they had a previous relationship with your company? There is only one way to obtain the answers to all of these questions: by collecting, cross-referencing, and analyzing as much data as possible. In the most efficient, intelligent, and automated way possible.
   Then, it’s a matter of widening the circle, broadening the focus on potential targets, from characteristics that are related to and compatible with the key points and objectives of the event. Again, it’s a matter of data collection and analysis.
   The next step? Divide this macro-target into several clusters composed of target audiences with similar profiles.
   Finally, from a single matrix, automatically produce a large number of videos with elements (such as the call to action) that fit the characteristics of the specific target audience.
   These are just some of the opportunities you can take advantage of by leveraging Babelee’s Video Personalization tools. See here to learn more.
6. Distribution channels
   Our event teaser video is ready. The key information is clear and evident. It’s built with the right pace and duration. Now it’s time to move on to distribution.
   Here, there’s one question to ask: which channels should you be using? And the answer is a simple one: use as many channels as possible. The view must always be omnichannel.
   First, it’s a device issue: the video must be optimized for viewing from PCs, tablets, and smartphones. And the optics must be mobile-first: because the vast majority of your audience will view the teaser via smartphone.
   This is only the first level. In fact, you must take advantage of as many distribution channels as possible to reach a large segment of your audience. So: all social networks. Each social network has its own specific technical rules for video uploading and best practices.
   Then pay attention to another key strategy: that of sending the teaser within email marketing campaigns. It’s one of the most fruitful channels, especially when targeting the most loyal segments of your audience.
   Finally, watch out for accompanying texts, both on social and via email. They should be concise, straight to the point, convey basic information, and have a very direct call to action.
   One last important specification: while it’s good to use the most diverse channels and platforms, make sure that you’re maintaining a consistent look in your communications to ensure that they are always recognizable (from the informational level to the more graphic and “subliminal” level).
7. From call to action to personalized follow up
   In an event teaser video, the call to action typically points toward lead generation or even more directly toward registration for the event itself. As we pointed out above, this moment should be perceived as the natural crowning moment of storytelling. It’s always a good rule of thumb to reiterate the call to action in social pitches and accompanying email texts as well. But it doesn’t end there.
   Beyond the call to action moment, it’s a matter of figuring out who viewed your video, what their characteristics are, whether or not they watched the whole video, and what they did next. Again, it has to do with data analytics. And here we come back to a key concept that we have already anticipated: that of personalization. In short, it’s about learning to track the behavior of each individual recipient, each individual viewer. Indeed, the company’s strategy cannot stop with the end of the video viewing. In fact, you must be able to preside over the subsequent stages with tailored follow-up actions: from replaying the same event teaser video, to distributing snackable content that acts as reinforcement and reminder, or even more targeted actions.
   It can be done. And with the dynamics of data-driven video marketing, it can be done in a very simple, automated, effective way.

Babelee

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