Events and conferences can be amazing both for learning and relationship building but how can you create content at and around the events you attend?
That’s what we’ll look at in this week’s podcast.
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I’m just back from a conference, the Sage Summit in London, and before that, I was just back from a conference in San Diego. Can you guess what I’m doing this week? You got it, going to a conference.
Conferences and events are great opportunities for content creation. You’ll find yourself packing your learnings into your content schedule for weeks, even months to come.
I still look back at my notes from Inbound in 2015 and the Content Mastery Summit last year when I need inspiration and over the last few weeks I’ve packed notebooks full of notes.
But it’s the content we create at conferences, whilst on the go that can have the best results.
Why create content at conferences?
1. Relationship Building
As you know, I can be a shy networker at times. Having a content plan and project can help you break the ice. You could talk to people and ask them to share an insight with you. Or if you find a good conversation ask if you can capture it in a live video.
Krishna De did this effectively at the Sage Summit when she shot this Live relating to a panel on Diversity we were about to attend.
2. Be Remembered
We’ll talk about apps you can use and creating a conference style for your images later on. Doing this means that when people see your images pop up in their feed the know they are yours.
3. Fill your content calendar
I alluded to this already but if you learn something, pass it on. Your readers will appreciate that you are sharing the knowledge you’ve picked up.
4. Reaching beyond your own audience
If you create a content project and get attendees, speakers and the organisers involved you’ll be able to extend your reach beyond your own followers.
How to create conference content
Planning
How do you plan your content in advance, how do you create it, what should you bring with you and what apps should you use?
Plan your day
Most conferences have an app or release the agenda in advance. Make a list of who you want to see and second choices for if you can’t get in the room.
Who do you want to meet?
If you can get a list of attendees in advance you’re at an advantage. If not follow the event hashtag on Twitter and Instagram and make a note of the people who are planning to go.
Are there specific people you want to meet? Can you connect with people who share a passion with you? For example, at Social Media Marketing World we organised a dinner for attendees who were excited about facebook advertising.
You could do the same and approach some of the people you meet for a short interview afterwards.
Do you have a content project?
I like to have a project whilst I’m at a conference. At both Social Media Marketing World and Sage Summit I created video.
At Social Media Marketing World I chose a topic everyone was talking about. How long it took us to travel. I approached everyone I met and cut it together into a short video.
How Long?
At SageSummit, assisted by fellow blogger Joanne Dewberry I made a more quirky video as we tried to tie down one of the speakers. Dragon Deborah Meaden.
Where’s Deborah?
Having a topic makes it easier to start creating straight away.
Making space
It’s just terrible when you go to take a photo and your phone says no, no space. By the time you delete something you’ll have missed the moment.
Clear off your phone before you arrive. If you are an iPhone user like me you’ll need to clear your deleted photos before it frees space.
List the Twitter handles of speakers and key attendees
Prepare this in advance and save it to your notes application. it will make it much easier to tag when you can just copy and paste.
Equipment
This is my kit bag (shot live on Twitter)
Apps
If you want a memorable online presence at an event create a house style for your visual content. This is my process:
1. Take a photo with your fancy camera
You can use this later on in your blog posts.
2. Take a lot of photos of each speaker with your phone
In most cases you will need to use your digital zoom here but don’t worry, I have a secret weapon that means even a very low res image can still look great.
3. Use PS Express (iPhone and Android)
This is a cool app that lets you crop, edit and filter photos on your phone. Us the same filter each time to get the consistent look.
4. Use Prisma (iOS or Android)
This is my secret weapon. Prisma is an art filter app. It makes your images look like paintings. Because it alters the image so much poor quality images can look great once the filter is added.
Choose one filter that you will use for all your conference photographs.
5. Keep a note of speaker quotes
I use a pen and paper for this but if you prefer you can use the notes application on your phone. You will overlay these quotes on your images later.
6. Add quote overlay using Adobe Spark Post (iOS only) or Wordswag (iOS or Android)
I like adobe spark because you can copy the template from your last image and use it again. Once I’ve created my image I can just swap out the image and text to create a new version.
7. Share
Now you’ve created the image share it on Twitter or Instagram. I created daily Instagram swipe posts for Social Media Marketing World and Sage Summit and tweeted the individual images as I created them.
Don’t forget to tag the speakers and add the event hashtag when sharing.
After the event
When creating content at an event the emphasis is always on speed. You need to get it out there fast whilst people are paying attention.
Your after conference content can be created with more thought. Look at what you made on the day and think about how you could repurpose it.
1. Video content
Did you make a video? If so can you transcribe it and make it into a blog post?
2. Visual content
Curate the quotes you collected into a blog post telling your readers why each resonated with you.
Use those quote photos you created and make them into a SlideShare. You can embed this in a post or simply share it on social media.
You can make a video from your quote photos using the Flipagram app.
3. Pick a theme
What was the theme of the conference for you? Was it networking, the future of your industry, diversity,
Choose something and make that the heart of your blog post on the event. Once you have the theme find two or three highlights from the conference that tie into that theme.
Your Task
Next time you go to a conference think about the content you can create. You’ll find it helps you build relationships and it will give you great ideas that you can share with your audience.
What’s the best bit of content you’ve created at or about an event you’ve attended? Leave me a link below, I’d love to see it.
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