Even though buyers and sellers now prefer digital self-serve and remote human engagement over face-to-face interactions, industry conferences still offer matchless opportunities for networking, learning about innovative solutions, and fostering business growth. And they’re making a comeback. Event organizers plan to make 55% of their events in-person experiences in 2023 (up from 45% in 2022), according to a recent survey by Bizzabo, a leading event software company. Even at live conferences and tradeshows, video provides a powerful sales tool. Here are some best practices for using it to:
- Increase engagement
- Create lasting impressions
- Drive business success
Personalized Invitations
Use video to attract people to your booth in advance. Platforms like Sendspark, BHuman, and Synthesia can be used to create and send personalized video invitations at scale. Or keep it simple: create a single video that explains why yours is a must-see exhibit, host it on the web, and send out personalized email invitations to pique the curiosity of potential visitors to your booth.
Video on the Edge
You need at least one video screen continuously displaying compelling reasons why visitors should cross the “invisible line” between the aisle and your exhibit.
Sales Support
Team members in the booth don’t want to watch prospects watching a 1-minute narrated video sales pitch. But, they will appreciate the ability to call up short videos to demonstrate specific features. Video excerpts can also enhance scheduled presentations for a larger audience.
Touchscreens
Interactive video at industry conferences will bring your product to life, with more productive conversations and more memorable experiences. If your product is software, consider showing it on an oversize touchscreen that looks like a smart phone or tablet. Even if it’s not possible for the visitor to “run” the software, a video simulation on a big phone will be memorable.
Live Streaming & Virtual Attendance
Streaming key sessions, interviews, or behind-the-scenes content for an audience who is not attending the conference can greatly increase the ROI of the event itself, and the sales-support videos you create for it.
Interviews & Testimonials
Share the insights and experiences of industry experts, influencers, and satisfied customers. These authentic interactions captured on video at industry conferences have a lot of credibility.
Maximizing Post-Event Exposure
Video content can continue to generate value long after the event through social media and other platforms, especially if you edit out anything people will want to skip. Add captions and transcripts to make the videos discoverable to your target audience.
Video for Post-event Follow-up Communications
Strengthen connections by using personalized video messages when following up with leads or contacts made during the event. It increases engagement and helps maintain the connection.
As conferences regain their momentum, harnessing the power of video can significantly enhance the in-person experience. And focusing on re-useable videos to support the efforts of the people working in your booth will increase the ROI for the videos you create for industry conferences and trade shows.
