Push event success with the right concept: The act of transferring an event to the digital world and thus increasing its presence on social networks is the challenge of modern events. One possibility can be the use of photo marketing - after all, no other medium gets as much attention as photos.
Here are 5 tips to help you design the right event concept for integrating photo marketing.
Why photo marketing is predestined for events
The advertising impact of events is often underestimated. Even though they often have a smaller reach, it is easier to address the target group specifically at events and convince them of your brand. Personal contact in particular plays a decisive role here and increases brand engagement. brand engagement considerably.
In order to exploit the full marketing potential of an event, the concept of modern events should place a strong focus on comprehensive photo marketing. Event posts on social networks, giveaways personalized with photos and the integration of photo campaigns to increase customer engagement extend an event from the analog to the digital world and increase its impact beyond the time frame of an event.
Photos have a decisive advantage over written articles. The human brain pays more attention to images and understands the content much faster than with text - around 60,000 times. Within 0.1 seconds, the average person can visualize something from a viewed image. (1)
Events offer many opportunities for integrating photo campaigns. The main focus of these campaigns is usually on Generating social media reach. However, images not only have an enormous impact online, but also offline and are an effective tool for increase brand engagement represent.
Use the following 5 questions to find out what your concept for integrating photo marketing could look like and how you can ultimately achieve greater influence in social networks.
1. IN WHAT WAY SHOULD PICTURES BE TAKEN AT THE EVENT?
Control over the branded content is crucial to the success of your photo marketing campaign. Offer various options for creating image material directly at your event and make sure that the brand and type of event are clearly visible in the image. In this way, you can ensure that any subsequent publication by an event visitor will also have the desired marketing benefit.
A first way to achieve this in concrete terms can be the use of event hashtags. Before the event, come up with a unique hashtag that matches the theme and your brand. Then make sure to promote it in different places at the event and online to make event visitors aware of the hashtag. Ideally, your visitors will post the pictures under the hashtag and thus increase your reach in the social networks. Even if you don't have much control over this type of photo marketing, you benefit from low costs.
Another option for creating images can be the use of a use of a photo system can be used. One advantage of this tool is the integration of social media channels in the user flow. Event visitors are subtly guided to post a photo in an intuitive way. Mandatory branding also ensures that the photos created also achieve the desired marketing benefit. Another advantage: Visitors have the opportunity to create images, GIFs or videos that cannot be easily recreated on other devices thanks to built-in filters and possible software customization. This creates a unique selling point and makes event visitors more willing to publish the created photo online.
Not only a unique software individualization, but also an exclusive design make a photo system an absolute eye-catcher and ensure high traffic. This in turn increases the success of your photo marketing campaign.
Another way to create unique images is to use action cams. Known from amusement parks, these cameras capture photos of unposed and funny moments, sometimes even unnoticed. A ball pool, a cabin with flying banknotes or a balance course are just a few examples of environments in which an action cam can be optimally integrated.
The decision for the right tool depends entirely on your event and the respective target group. When planning, it is therefore best to put yourself in the shoes of a typical visitor and check which photo campaign would lead to the highest conversion. In general, you should make sure that the relevant photo tool offers first-class image quality and is easy to use for both users and staff.
2. HOW WILL THE RESULTING IMAGES BE MADE AVAILABLE TO MY EVENT VISITORS?
The pictures should be handed over to the event visitors in a way that is tailored to the situation. For a young target group, for example, transferring the images by SMS or email may be the right option, while an older clientele may be happier with a printout of the photo testimonials.
Especially in today's digital world, a haptic printout is something special and stands out more compared to a digital image. Furthermore, such a printout can also be attached to the fridge or used as a bookmark - and thus attracts more attention from the target group in the long term. Digital distribution, on the other hand, has advantages in terms of social media reach. Far more event visitors share images directly online if they are already available in digital form.
Especially in the digital world, printouts are something special. These personalized photo strips don't end up in the garbage can but on your personal fridge, in your wallet or, in the form of a bookmark, in your daily reading. Direct prints therefore have a lasting effect on brand engagement.
Finally, there is also the option of presenting visitors with the resulting image in the form of a promotional item, such as a printed sticker or button. These items have a high emotional value, even though their acquisition costs are marginal. Similar to a printout, they will be used by the recipient for a long time and also have a real benefit for them, just think of a printed ballpoint pen.
3. WHICH "STORY" DOES MY TARGET GROUP PREFER TO SHARE?
To achieve the greatest possible social media reach, you should think carefully before the event about what content your target group is most likely to post. Organize an exclusive PR event your guests will probably be interested in placing themselves in the context of the event and thus raising their social profile. In this case, design your photo campaigns in such a way that it quickly becomes clear which brand and which event it is. In other contexts, it may be important for visitors to convey an emotion, to support a project and draw attention to it, or to surprise with the photo and present unusual content.
Pragmatically speaking, people post content on social networks that they like and want to share with their friends. To find out which stories appeal to your target group, examine existing social media posts about your brand. Then develop 2-3 concepts and give your visitors several topics to choose from. This increases the chance that they will also share the content created. A look at the target group will also determine the right choice of photo content here.
Think about a story that is reflected in your photo campaigns. Consider why your target group has come to your event and the context in which they want to be seen.
4. WHICH NETWORKS CAN EVENT VISITORS USE TO SHARE THE IMAGES THEY HAVE CREATED?
In the next step, you should decide which online channels your event visitors should use to share images. The use of social media channels should be intuitive and simple. Even if you skillfully convince your visitors to publish a picture, the decision to publish should always be up to the visitor themselves. In addition to the typical channels such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, you should consider integrating Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube or Google+ in order to reach your target group comprehensively and provide opportunities for the diversified publication of images.
However, not everyone wants to spontaneously share the image created at the event. To increase the conversion rate, you should use incentives and motivate visitors to post the pictures they have just taken on their own social media account. One option is to use a photo competition. Motivated by a possible prize, many people are more willing to share event pictures under a certain hashtag. Another option can be the integration of elaborate effects that make the image appear particularly funny or creative. Alternatively, the use of social walls is an option. Fascinated by the impressions on such a social media wall, some visitors will feel like appearing on it too - and the photo they have just taken will be shared. The use of free Wi-Fi at your event can also help to increase the conversion rate.
5. WHICH KEY FIGURES ARE MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE ROI CALCULATION OF THE EVENT?
Every event requires a thorough analysis afterwards to determine where there is room for improvement and whether the set goals were achieved. This ensures that future events can be optimized. You can also prove to your superiors in purely quantitative terms that your event was also successful on paper. Depending on the type of event, the objectives and therefore also the key figures that can be used to determine the success of the event differ. For some events, the number of social media shares, likes or follows can be decisive. At trade shows in particular, however, the focus is on lead generation. At other events, the number of responses to a survey can be of particular importance.
Photo marketing is crucial for the social media success of future events. It builds brand awareness and increases your presence on social networks. It is crucial that the tools used are optimally suited to your target group. The first step in your event planning should therefore begin with defining your target group for the next event. Then start working on a photo marketing concept so that the corresponding campaigns can be integrated across the entire event. Our 5 key questions can help you design this concept.
(1) Prof. Dr. Dieter Georg Adlmaier-Herbst, http://dietergeorgherbst.de/, February 7, 2013
