When companies use live coverage in promoting their events, they expand their scope of viewership and build doors for opportunities. By making events accessible online, more people will watch and get involved in the event, even if they can't physically be present. Live coverage allows you to generate a bigger audience, facilitates online interaction and opens up opportunities for new revenue. So how can you better use live coverage to your company's advantage?
Engage Beforehand
It's important and beneficial to engage your audience early and often. Before an event, find ways to reach brand loyalists by giving them an active role in the event. Ask their opinion on topics that will be addressed and encourage social-media sharing a few weeks prior to the event. Social-media sharing contests, in particular, will get people talking about and sharing your event. Think of creative ways to advertise the event by utilizing all the social media platforms at your disposal.Capture Live Moments with Personal Tech
Sometimes you won't have immediate access to professional camera equipment in spontaneous moments. But chances are that these are precisely the moments that people want to see and be a part of. Always be ready to capture any exciting moment by having your smartphone on hand. Most smartphones now have high-resolution photo-taking capability as well as excellent video recording quality. With a smartphone camera on hand and a readiness to capture ephemeral moments, you'll become invaluable to your company.Keep Your Audience Engaged
After capturing a moment with your phone, whip up a smart caption and post about it on popular social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. This will keep your audience updated in live time as well as engage them by facilitating interaction. People can share your posts by retweeting, tagging their friends or commenting. This will enlarge your audience online and your event will get more coverage. Utilize as many platforms for sharing as possible in order to reach more people. Use Twitter and Snapchat for real-time updates and Instagram for summarizing important moments in the event.Promote What's Next
When the event has officially ended, it's important to follow up with your audience. Don't underestimate the power of using your audience's current attention span to promote upcoming events and give them more information on your company. The time right after an event is a great time to build brand loyalty and bring in new customers. Keep the momentum of your previous event going to the next event. Send emails thanking people for their involvement, remind them of upcoming events and provide information that will draw in new customers as well as strengthen current relationships with loyal customers.Preparing beforehand, staying connect during and following up after may sometimes be a frenetic process but is ultimately invaluable in promoting your brand and keeping it relevant. Consider which content types are at your disposal and utilize them in creative ways to promote your brand. Be flexible when necessary and always be ready to adapt to emerging situations. And through it all, don't forget to have fun and enjoy the event. Your positive energy will help you capture exciting moments and make your cause or event a success.
