Planning a convention will be intimidating. Venues? Costly. Excessive-profile audio system? Typically busy and arduous to come up with. Plans going awry the day of? Anxious. However delighting your viewers with an actionable reside occasion? Priceless.
This episode of the Call to Action podcast is all about utilizing video to create distinctive advertising experiences round your occasions.
Unbounce’s Dan Levy caught up with Wistia’s Director of Enterprise Improvement Kristen Craft to talk about how video will be the catalyst that pushes potential attendees from “perhaps” to “I wish to go to there.”
You’ll study:
- Wistia’s secret components for wooing big-name audio system.
- How a few of the greatest names in advertising are utilizing video to hype their occasions.
- Whether or not it’s best to gate movies or not.
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On this episode: Stephanie Saretsky, Unbounce’s Multimedia Content material Producer, chats with Stefanie Grieser, Unbounce’s Occasion Advertising Supervisor. Then, Dan Levy, Unbounce’s Content material Strategist, interviews Kristen Craft, Director of Enterprise Improvement at Wistia.
Stephanie: Planning a convention will be intimidating. Venues? Costly. Excessive profile audio system? Typically busy and arduous to get ahold of. Plans going awry the day of? Anxious. However delighting your viewers with an actionable reside occasion? Priceless. Our occasions group has been prepping for the second annual Name to Motion Convention this September. However this summer time we determined to take the present on the street for 4 days of mini convention goodness, beginning off with an occasion in New York Metropolis. However bear in mind after I talked about plans going awry? The NYC venue was packed, the audio system have been hitting the stage after which Stef Grieser, our Occasions Strategist, came upon some actually dangerous information.
Stef: New York was a full day of occasions, simply because we had so many nice audio system within the space. And we have been serving lunch and we had catering that was coming from throughout the town, and the catering truck had an accident and crashed. We principally needed to order a bunch of pizzas. Jeremy Wallace, our CMO, ordered all of the pizza on his spouse’s bank card. So there was a textual content message that learn, “Did you simply order $700.00 in pizza?” After which he was like, “Sure. Truly, you probably did.”
Stephanie: The occasion group determined to make a joke out of it. When kicking off the afternoon portion of the occasion, Ryan Engley, our director of Buyer Success and host extraordinaire, confirmed the image of the crashed truck and of Jeremy’s textual content change together with his spouse. It made the viewers chortle, and helped make the most effective out of a foul scenario.
With the worst-case situation out of the best way, the remainder of the street journey went fairly easily. Now the occasions group is focusing all their arduous work and power into the Name to Motion Convention this September in Vancouver. And it’s trying to be larger and higher than ever.
Stef: There’s rather a lot that I’m enthusiastic about and rather a lot that’s gonna be larger and, in my view, higher than final 12 months. And that goes from content material to the meals folks eat, to roundtable discussions at lunchtime, to the after events, to enjoyable surprises all through. So yeah.
Stephanie: If that seems like a great time to you, why don’t you be part of us? Go to CalltoActionConf.com for extra info.
I’m Stephanie Saretsky, and that is Name to Motion, Unbounce’s podcast about creating higher advertising experiences. In the present day’s episode is all about creating distinctive advertising experiences round your occasions from the day you announce your convention and begin producing leads, to leveraging the content material that got here out of the convention to advertise subsequent 12 months’s occasion. Folks wish to attend an occasion that appears prefer it may very well be enjoyable in addition to instructional. Folks wish to really feel one thing. And what higher medium to make folks really feel one thing than with video? Not too long ago, Wistia’s Director of Enterprise Improvement, Kristen Craft, wrote a publish on the Unbounce weblog known as “Utilizing Video in Your Occasion Advertising Earlier than, Throughout and After.” Unbounce’s Dan Levy caught up with Kristen to talk about how video will be the key ingredient to assist push potential attendees from “Perhaps I’ll go,” to “Oh, my God, I should be there.”
Dan: So video advertising and occasion advertising are each scorching subjects proper now. However they’re additionally each identified to be sort of costly, arduous to drag off and even more durable to measure from an ROI standpoint. You counsel combining these two issues. Why do you assume they’re a great match and that they work nicely collectively?
Kristen: Yeah. To start with, I wish to refute a kind of issues about video being costly. As a result of video definitely will be costly, however I feel it may also be performed in a way more sustainable method and with a way more restricted funds. It definitely takes just a little little bit of observe, however I feel it’s like something. It’s like writing or being a designer; it’s one thing that is a vital talent to have, an vital talent to have in-house. And bringing that talent in-house may help to make it much more repeatable in a non-expensive method or cheaper method.
Dan: Completely, yeah. I’ve to say that they’re perceived to be costly and sophisticated and all that, however not essentially.
Kristen: Yeah. However I feel typically, occasions is usually a little bit tough if you’re making an attempt to gauge ROI. I imply I, myself, have tried to assist us work out the best way to gauge the ROI – WistiaFest, for instance – and it’s robust. I imply it’s arduous to know actually what the impression is of an occasion. Many branding alternatives typically have sort of murky ROI. However most corporations, Wistia included, do choose to dedicate some cash and energy to branding alternatives, even when they’re a bit murkier. However I feel it’s a good match, again to your earlier query, as a result of video simply has such a powerful impression on attendee happiness. So should you’re already spending $100,000 or $200,000 on an occasion and there’s one thing that you are able to do to double the attendee satisfaction fee — increase the power within the room, make folks really feel extra knowledgeable a couple of speaker they’re about to listen to, extra excited a couple of speaker that they’re about to listen to — that’s fairly enormous. I feel should you’re already spending that cash to throw the occasion, could as nicely go that final mile to make that certain persons are feeling nearly as good about it as attainable.
Dan: Let’s begin by speaking about utilizing video earlier than the occasion. We all know that video can get folks overvalued in regards to the occasion, however hype doesn’t essentially translate into ticket gross sales. So what are some methods for making pre-event movies not simply pleasant and enjoyable, but additionally persuasive to individuals who may nonetheless be sitting on the fence about whether or not they’re going to attend or not?
Kristen: I like to consider alibis. You already know, whether or not you’re promoting a product or making an attempt to promote tickets to an occasion, I usually wish to put myself within the footwear of a possible purchaser and to attempt to perceive what alibis they’re telling themselves or their coworkers for not shopping for or not attending. And I feel that with occasions, it usually comes down to 2 issues. They’re not sure about whether or not the content material they’re going to study is so precious that it warrants being out of the workplace for a pair days. So that’s a method through which video can actually assist folks get past that alibi. In case you can reveal, perhaps even make a video of the audio system forward of time, that individuals have actually precious stuff to share and actually, they may get extra out of that point than they’d within the workplace, that it’s gonna be worthwhile for his or her profession, for his or her firm; that helps to get past that alibi. The opposite alibi that comes up rather a lot – and this one is just a little bit funnier as a result of I don’t assume persons are essentially up entrance about it and even cognizant of it – is kind of a nervousness about what it’s going to really feel wish to be at that occasion. Like, “Oh, I’m not gonna know anybody there. I is likely to be the one particular person from my firm attending. I’m such an introvert. This feels just a little uncomfortable.” So video does a extremely nice job at conveying the emotion behind a spot or a scenario. And should you may help to indicate that an occasion is peopled with pretty, pleasant people who’re about making everybody really feel welcome, or that the occasion is curated in such a method in order that it does really feel very inclusive for anyone, I feel that may go a great distance in getting folks over that second sort of alibi.
Dan: I like using the time period “alibi” as a result of it means that we’re generally on the lookout for excuses to not do one thing that we deep inside know that we needs to be doing. I feel it’s only a very human factor.
Kristen: Yeah. As a result of I imply in the end, you’re not making an attempt to persuade someone who doesn’t wish to go to your occasion to go to that occasion. Such as you wish to discover these individuals who wish to however kind of have this discomfort or nervousness about it for some purpose, and simply assist these folks recover from that.
Dan: What an attention-grabbing and specific persona to market to. So that you counsel embedding pre-event movies on devoted touchdown pages, which is clearly one thing that we speak rather a lot about right here, as nicely. And you employ AWeber’s Ascent Summit Touchdown Web page as a great instance of doing that. What are a few of the advantages of coupling convention touchdown pages with movies and the way can this have an effect on conversions?
Kristen: So there’s a ton of information on the market proper now about how video can enhance conversion on touchdown pages. And I do know that you just guys have performed a great quantity of writing about that. We’ve performed a great quantity of analysis round that and others have as nicely. There are many totally different numbers which can be thrown on the market, whether or not it’s like 80 p.c or one hundred pc or 200 p.c. I feel the constant factor is that it has an impression on conversion. So I feel that could be a precious factor. The identical earlier than with the occasion typically, I feel the identical holds true for a touchdown web page. Like if you’re going by the difficulty of constructing a touchdown web page, why not go that final mile to make it as compelling as attainable? I feel there’s a human – an emotional – aspect of this, as nicely. An unarguable reality about video is that it helps clarify issues higher than nearly every other medium other than being in particular person. So if you wish to clarify why your convention is totally different from others, otherwise you wish to clarify why the audio system are so pleasant. In case you can present these issues quite than simply inform them with textual content and even with the photographs, that actually will get you a lot additional with the people who find themselves visiting that touchdown web page.
Dan: Yeah, you mentioned that should you’re going to create a touchdown web page, why not put a video on it as a result of you recognize that it does enhance conversions. However I assume the opposite aspect of that’s should you’re gonna undergo the difficulty of making a video, why not put it on a touchdown web page the place it has a greater likelihood of really persuading folks to do what you need them to do, after which giving them an outlet to go forward and do this in order that they reinforce one another in that sense, I assume.
Kristen: Yeah, completely. You already know, we stumble upon so many people who find themselves making these unbelievable movies about their firm or about their product. After which perhaps they’ll simply share it on social, or they’ll simply put it on YouTube or they’ll do one thing else with it. And perhaps they need to be doing these issues as nicely, but it surely simply kills me if you don’t see them additionally placing it on a touchdown web page and utilizing that touchdown web page to gather leads or drive their enterprise ahead in a roundabout way.
Dan: Put your video in an atmosphere the place it has an opportunity to really, you recognize, hit these advertising objectives — whether or not it’s lead gen or ticket gross sales or no matter.
Kristen: Yeah, to try this kind of arduous give you the results you want.
Dan: One tactic that you just point out in your publish that I like is utilizing video to woo huge identify audio system who’re making an attempt to get to your occasion. Can you’re taking me by the place that occasion got here from and the way you go about it for a WistiaFest?
Kristen: Positive. To be trustworthy, I’m not even certain the place this got here from. It’s one thing that we’ve been doing right here and there for awhile. And I assume it stemmed from a scenario – and some conditions – the place we discovered ourselves chilly calling, if you’ll, or simply doing kind of chilly outreach to folks and feeling so awkward about it. I imply I’m certain you’re the identical, Dan, the place you will have despatched emails and even making an attempt to make a telephone name to somebody you didn’t know and it identical to feels actually awkward.
Dan: Story of my life.
Kristen: Yeah, it feels awkward. I’m certain it feels awkward to them, too, frankly.
Dan: Yeah.
Kristen: And it’s really easy for folks to say no in that context. So our reasoning behind it’s let’s give them a purpose to say sure. You already know, present them that you just care and that you just’re keen to go the additional mile and you recognize, give them a really feel for who you’re. I feel perhaps simply figuring out just a little bit extra about why you need them there — why you assume they’re uniquely certified to talk at an occasion — may help tip them over the sting. I’ll say additionally, although, that this will fail generally. Like we have now had conditions the place we’ve tried this and it didn’t really work out. And I feel that that may really really feel much more jarring or I don’t know, simply disconcerting or uncomfortable than having someone merely not reply to an e-mail or say no in an e-mail. So you recognize, I feel that it’s vital to method it with a thick pores and skin and acknowledge that hey, this isn’t going to work on a regular basis. However as with something, hold doing it and I feel that in the end it does yield nice outcomes. And you recognize, even when someone comes again and says I’m sorry I simply can’t be there, you’ve had a extra significant interplay with them as a result of they’ve seen your face and watched this video. And they’ll go away that have with a way more constructive impression of you and your organization, I feel, than had you simply despatched an everyday e-mail. Particularly should you’re fascinated with, you recognize, headline audio system that get quite a lot of requests. They get one million emails about this on a regular basis so you recognize, differentiate your self just a little bit.
Dan: Yeah, they usually know that you just’re not simply sending the identical type e-mail to a thousand folks saying: I actually, really need you at our convention. You really need them and it’s clear, and I feel that’s flattering to folks and yeah, such as you mentioned, builds a relationship with them even when they don’t come.
Kristen: Yeah.
Dan: Okay, so let’s get to the large day itself: the occasion. Are you able to inform me how the search advertising convention SMX West used video whereas their convention was nonetheless occurring to interact attendees, and I assume even individuals who couldn’t make it to the occasion?
Kristen: Positive. In order that they, and I feel quite a lot of different conferences lately are considering exterior the field about how they’ll use video throughout shows, and even between speaker shows or on the social occasions. And I acknowledge that sometimes this will really feel scary to occasion planners as a result of there’s at all times this uncertainty about whether or not the expertise will work as you anticipate it to. However that could be a very simply solvable drawback. That’s one thing that with just a little little bit of foresight and a dry run, you’ll be able to remove as a priority. However I additionally assume that looping in outsiders – you talked about individuals who can’t make it to that occasion – I feel that is enormous. And it’s actually unbelievable to me how folks really feel just a little involved about doing this. That in the event that they loop in outsiders – you recognize – let’s say they’re letting folks use Meercat or they’re even signing up for a reside streaming video service – folks appear to be involved that it’s going to cannibalize ticket gross sales.
Dan: Proper, or devalue the expertise of really being there.
Kristen: Yeah. And you recognize, I’m not – I’m simply not satisfied by that. I feel an occasion, sure; it’s in regards to the talks and listening to these talks. However at this level, most audio system have video content material of talks they’ve performed on-line anyhow. So partially it’s about wanting to listen to them in particular person, sure. However I feel a lot of it is also in regards to the expertise of being there and the opposite connections that you just’re going to make, and the learnings that you just’re going to have simply on an advert hoc foundation within the hallway or the dialogue you will have over lunch a couple of presentation you simply heard. And I feel a lot of this isn’t attainable to duplicate simply from watching a reside stream of an occasion. And I feel that – I wish to see extra corporations and extra occasion planners embracing that and getting over that concern that it’s going to cannibalize their ticket gross sales. As a result of I feel it’s a extremely vital method to model your occasion and get the phrase on the market that it’s value going to. And in 12 months two, 12 months three, I feel folks will reap the advantages of that openness.
Dan: One factor that you just guys at Wistia do higher than anybody else, actually, is utilizing movies to introduce audio system at your conferences. Are you able to share a few of your secrets and techniques there, or at the least some finest practices?
Kristen: Positive. Effectively initially, thanks. So we begin out simply by researching the heck out of all of our audio system and we wish to know the whole lot about what they care about, what they’re into. You already know, ideally discover some embarrassing pictures from, like, highschool or one thing the place we are able to present just a little little bit of their previous or kind of their humorous sides. You already know, I assume when it comes to finest practices, I feel it’s nice to poke just a little little bit of enjoyable on the audio system as a result of oftentimes the attendees really feel as if the audio system are these gods and goddesses up on a pedestal, which is, I don’t know, perhaps it’s precious in some regard. I really can’t consider why. I really assume, although, that it may be detriment – I imply I can see the cons of that fairly clearly. In case you consider these audio system as gods and goddesses, any of the actionable suggestions that they’re supplying you with, you usually tend to simply low cost since you’re like, “Oh, in fact so-and-so can do that. He is aware of the whole lot about web optimization. That’s gotta be simple for him however I don’t know if I might ever do that.” You already know, whereas I feel should you acknowledge that that speaker is simply human and that they’ve foibles, they usually have embarrassing pictures from after they have been at highschool and no matter, you’re extra prone to be forgiving if one thing goes mistaken of their presentation. You’re extra prone to put your self of their footwear about how one can observe up and observe a few of the suggestions that they give you.
Dan: That’s actually attention-grabbing. I by no means considered it that method. However yeah, completely. In case you assume they’re simply gurus, then it’s such as you’re watching a film or one thing but it surely doesn’t appear actionable.
Kristen: Yeah, yeah. Again to that kind of alibi factor. It’s too simple simply to say that appears actually arduous. That particular person’s doing it however that’s as a result of they’re good — they’re the CEO of this firm.
Dan: I assume that’s the distinction between, like, writing at an occasion that’s like inspirational versus one which’s actually actionable the place you wish to know that individuals might return to work and implement these techniques.
Kristen: Yeah, that’s an incredible level. I assume I feel most about and kind of work together most with occasions which can be designed to be actionable. So yeah, I imply that’s definitely what we’re at all times driving in direction of: serving to folks go away and really go and do issues in a different way and do issues higher due to the occasion they simply attended.
Dan: Completely, yeah. Effectively, that is the Name to Motion podcast so we’re with you on that one. So as soon as the occasion is over, you’re normally left with some good recollections, generally some embarrassing pictures, hopefully some new techniques to check out. However you write that video can be an effective way to resume your vows with attendees. What do you imply by that?
Kristen: As you have been simply mentioning, having someone go and really take motion after the occasion, I imply that’s the Holy Grail. That’s precisely what all of us are striving for is to create that feeling of inspiration but additionally that can-do angle and pleasure about going and implementing what they’ve discovered. So I feel in all probability the most important factor is nearly maintaining the momentum and the passion going, and reminding those that they actually can and may go and do these issues. I imply my background is in schooling and in educating, really. So I’ve thought rather a lot about and browse rather a lot about reminiscence. And it’s stunning how rapidly folks overlook issues. Like an hour after studying stuff, folks bear in mind like 20 p.c after which a day later, it’s like 10 p.c and every week later, it’s like 2 p.c. I feel contemplating that most individuals will go away instantly after after which they’ve the flight residence, we’re fortunate if they’re recalling even 2 p.c of what they discovered as soon as they really get again into the workplace. So serving to to remind folks what they wish to do in a different way and what modifications they wish to make of their jobs and of their lives and of their corporations I feel is actually one of the simplest ways to make sure that they get essentially the most worth attainable out of that occasion.
Dan: Right here’s one for you: speaker recording movies. Do you cost for them? Do you place them behind a lead gen type? Do you simply allow them to run free? What’s your tackle that?
Kristen: Perhaps I’m influenced by Wistia’s method of doing issues, however typically, kind of the Wistia method of doing issues is to make instructional, useful content material as accessible as attainable. And for us, which means free. We don’t promote any of our content material. We simply make it freely out there. We not often gate something behind an e-mail type as a result of we wish it to be as accessible as attainable, generally to our personal detriment, I feel. However I feel it’s vital that corporations who care about being thought leaders additionally make it simple for folks to have entry to speaker movies. And I don’t imply to say like an e-mail type is undermining that; I feel that’s a very affordable ask. I do assume that it’s kind of a bummer if you see corporations charging like $100, $200 no matter {dollars} for speaker movies – simply because I can’t assist however take into consideration the educators, for instance, who’ve a complete of a $100 funds for his or her whole college 12 months and might’t have entry to that content material. Or the nonprofits and even simply the startups who seemed rather a lot like Wistia seemed in our early days.
Dan: It does appear shortsighted, I feel, when it comes to spreading buzz about your occasion and getting it on the market to folks.
Kristen: Completely, yeah. I completely agree.
Dan: You finish your publish by reminding readers that, as with all marketing campaign, it is advisable to begin together with your objectives. What’s one of the simplest ways for entrepreneurs to determine whether or not movies needs to be a part of their marketing campaign technique?
Kristen: I have a tendency to consider advertising and kind of the objectives of promoting on this method. I assume I are likely to really feel like as a marketer, you will have received if you will get folks to do considered one of two issues: if you will get them to take some kind of motion, and if you will get them to really really feel one thing. Taking an motion oftentimes means shopping for one thing, but it surely might additionally simply imply signing up for a e-newsletter or giving their e-mail handle. And you recognize, when it comes to getting folks to really feel one thing, I cite that as a giant win for entrepreneurs as a result of if you get someone to really feel one thing, they may bear in mind you. Our recollections which can be tied to emotion stick with us far, far longer than recollections that aren’t emotionally charged. So you recognize, I assume in any context, when a marketer is beginning to consider a marketing campaign, I assume I’d query what are the objectives of the marketing campaign. Like are you making an attempt to get folks to do one thing? In that case, in all probability video will assist you get them to do it at a better fee. Are you making an attempt to get folks to recollect one thing about you or really feel one thing about your model? In that case, video might be the precise transfer. So yeah. I imply I assume in all probability most of what most entrepreneurs do drive in direction of a kind of two issues, if not each. So maybe, unsurprisingly, I’d nearly say that I can’t actually consider that many conditions the place video wouldn’t assist you attain your purpose until it’s a funds or a time concern.
Dan: I’d argue really that these two belongings you talked about are associated: getting folks to really feel one thing and getting somebody to take motion. As a result of I really feel just like the emotion is usually what spurs the motion, no?
Kristen: Yeah, that’s a extremely good level. I feel in all probability we’re way more prone to take motion when our feelings are stirred up. I wish to supply a name to motion.
Dan: All proper.
Kristen: We, I feel, are within the very early days of video advertising proper now. And that is so cool and so thrilling and presents so many nice alternatives for corporations as a result of so few persons are doing it. So these of us who do deal with the maybe daunting animal that’s video have the chance to face out and differentiate ourselves. The draw back, I’d say, with being so early days with video, is that there’s a lot that’s nonetheless unknown. And to your earlier query about conversion, like how does video impression conversion on a touchdown web page, there’s not like a single proper reply. There’s quite a lot of murkiness round what the reply is, and even how we’re phrasing the query. So anyway, I assume my name to motion is get on the market and use video extra. However even past that, mess around with it and take a look at it and acquire knowledge on it, and share that knowledge. As a result of I feel that each one of us as enterprise professionals and as entrepreneurs and people who find themselves considering exterior the field about how we’re presenting ourselves and our corporations, we want higher knowledge. We have to have higher solutions and simply have extra folks on the lookout for solutions about how we are able to do that nicely.
Dan: Completely, yeah. And I feel to circle again to what we have been speaking about firstly, usually these things might appear extra advanced or tough or much more costly than it truly is. And one of the simplest ways to recover from that hump is simply to start out taking pictures and testing and measuring, and simply do it.
Kristen: Yeah, completely.
Dan: Cool. Effectively, I feel that could be a nice name to motion to finish on. So thanks a lot for taking the time to talk, Kristen.
Kristen: Thanks.
Stephanie: That was Kristen Craft, Director of Enterprise Improvement at Wistia. You will discover her weblog publish on this episode’s present notes at unbounce.com/podcast. All for attending the CTA convention in Vancouver on September thirteenth to the fifteenth? Go to CalltoActionConf.com for extra info. I hope to see you there.
That’s your name to motion. Thanks for listening.
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