Content and events. Name a better duo. I’ll wait.
As the name suggests, CONTENTEVENTS is truly a double entendre.
Once we’ve worked together, events clients should be happy (content) with their event planning experience. Content clients should feel certain that what we’ve created together has the look and feel of a planned event – it’s organized, purposeful and memorable.
It’s a simple concept that’s often overlooked. Don’t have enough content? Plan an event. Randomly creating content with no plan? Treat your content plan like you’re organizing an event.
EVENT AS A CONTENT SOLUTION
Every business owner – every person that works in a business – understands the need for content. Rather, understands the need to be communicating with their audience, clients and potential clients. These business owners need to:
- Attract audience attention (so they are aware of your business)
- Keep audience attention (so they begin to recognize your value)
- Build audience trust (so they legitimize your brand)
- Inspire audience action (so they buy your product/service over competitors); and
- Maintain audience relationship (so they keep coming back for more)
The best content is content that seems simple. Yet, a lot of planning is required to successfully break through the flood of other messages that bombard your audience each day.
One of the biggest challenges businesses have, is trying to create enough content to achieve these goals. Events become a wonderful reason to generate content. They are a huge source of things to say to your audience.
Pre-event you create:
- content to publicize and raise awareness (invitations, press materials, social media etc.)
- content that describes the purpose of the event – fundraiser, client or family appreciation, milestone celebration etc.
- a key message for the event – some reason you’re trying to get people into the room, the main piece of information you want to share with your guests
- promotional content about the success of the previous event of its type
- information about which VIPS are going to be there and what info they’ll be sharing
You create event programming
- content for the event itself, i.e. what you say to your guests once they’re in the room
- speakers’/performer’s/MC’s content
- marketing materials and takeaway collateral
- guests/user generated content such as live social media feeds
You create and share post event content
- Photos
- Survey results
- Thank you’s to participants, volunteers, staff and guests
- Results of fundraising effort and the impact it will make
- Key insights from speakers or participants
Generating content isn’t the only reason you hold an event, but it’s a great outcome of event planning.
CONTENT AS A PLANNED EVENT
It’s commonly known that there is a ton of time, organization, and resources that go into any great event. Full teams are built, vendors are hired, and staff are put to work to make it flow smoothly. People travel from far and wide to attend; vision boards, colour schemes and storyboards are created as the day’s programs and activities are being brainstormed. This level of thought and organizing is a given when planning any event, but it’s also necessary when hoping to create compelling content.
Much like an event planner, content planners should be thinking about:
- The content’s goal/purpose – mark a milestone, raise money, increase audience, boost memberships
- What the voice of the content should sound like – is it authentic to you
- How to reflect personality or brand throughout
- What resources are needed to make it resonate
- What venue (medium) you’re going to use to release the content
- How the audience will see it
- What the lasting impression will be
THE BOTTOM LINE IS…
Businesses and individuals miss an important opportunity to uplift their content and create more lasting event experiences when they fail to acknowledge and leverage this relationship.
These two seemingly different disciplines coexist in the same world, even if many don’t realize. That’s what’s dynamic about CONTENTEVENTS. Content and events together truly is a love story. Although each discipline can be practiced separately, it’s also offered together in one package, under one roof.
So, if you’re looking to plan an event whether for business or social milestone. Or if you’re a business with a communications challenge and no communicator to do it for you – let’s chat.
You don’t need a Masters degree like me, to do this well. Which means, reaching out to me is not your only line of defence. I have created a set of tools and templates to help you be successful all on your own.
Stress less. You’re not alone. Let me help you create better content and events for yourself and your guests.
Talk soon,
SC/CE