YouTube for Event Managers: How to Draw Inspiration, Know-how and Reach from the Video Platform
YouTube: the second largest search engine worldwide behind Google. For event managers, the video network is a source of many pearls of wisdom, “life hacks”, exciting channels and, last but not least, content reach.
It truly is unbelievable: Over one billion hours’ worth of videos are played on YouTube every single day. This daily total is spread across more than one billion people using the video platform worldwide – that’s almost a third of all internet users.
While “fast” networks such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram play a major role in the live reporting of events, YouTube is used for a somewhat different purpose. The platform is used by people to search for content, tutorials, informative pieces or entertainment, in a similar manner to Google. And this is why YouTube is considered to be the second largest search engine. Users are therefore in a pull position, in that they actively search for content. On Facebook, meanwhile, they are flooded with push-info from the news stream.
For event managers, the video network offers huge potential from a variety of angles:
- YouTube can be used as a channel for distributing your own content.
- When it comes to training, education and self-improvement, it is an extremely useful platform.
- Are you looking for inspiration and creative stimulus? Well YouTube is the ideal place to discover this as well.
A lot can happen in an “internet minute”, and so to avoid getting lost in the vastness of the YouTube universe, we have prepared some tips for you on how to get the most out of YouTube as an event manager.
YouTube as a content platform for event marketing
The first thing you need to do in order to get your content discovered on YouTube is… post videos there!
This means that you need a clear strategy as to what content you want to and can produce when it comes to your event. This can be a post-event video, of course, but you could also include interviews with conference speakers, exhibitors or visitors, further content, streaming whole sessions…
YouTube can also serve as a live-streaming platform.
But what distinguishes the successful YouTube videos from those millions of clips with just 50-100 views? There are, of course, also tips on the channel itself such as advice from “video influencers”:
Tyrone has a number of tips that cover everything you can do when it comes to creating YouTube videos:
One useful piece of advice, by the way: The secret of many YouTube stars is regularity. Many influencers post at a precise time, thereby helping to establish themselves as a brand.
Transferring know-how via YouTube
Started initially as a blog, EventMB has now become one of the leading sources of inspiration and know-how for event managers. YouTube is also used intensively by the team surrounding Julius Solaris. In the following video, Julius gives his own take on what the EventMB channel is all about:
A clear recommendation!
With over half a million views of its channel, EventPlanning BlueprintTV is both exciting and well-structured. Melanie provides expert interviews, tips on budget planning, productivity, event marketing, event technology and much more. How to compile the perfect event planning checklist, for example:
Geared specially for the subject of event technology is the YouTube channel of Event Tech Live, an event in London that revolves around innovations for the event world. Here you can relive the interesting keynotes and sessions from the event.
Inspiration and motivation
It goes without saying that YouTube offers a lot of inspiration and suggestions pertaining to your daily work as an event manager – where it is always about reinventing the wheel and inspiring event audiences anew!
In this regard, TED Talks are the cream of the crop, both in terms of content and layout. In these videos, event managers will not only find inspiration for themselves but also come across the very best speakers, one of whom the event manager might invite to their event to be the next keynote.
Just to give you one example: Josh Kaufman’s wonderful TED Talk on learning:
Taking place recently: the SXSW (South-by-Southwest) in Austin, Texas, one of the absolute event highlights when it comes to digital technologies and visions for the future. On the SXSW video channel on YouTube, you can truly understand and appreciate the versatile spectrum of this top event for yourself.
How does this interactive session with Elon Musk take your fancy?
If you want to garner ideas for your own events, these video channels of top events are also highly recommended:
Bottomline
YouTube offers unending possibilities for event managers to take their events to new levels. Especially today, when organic reach on Facebook is on the decline, it makes sense to deal intensively with YouTube, not merely as a content channel but also as a “know-how platform”. Our tips will help you with this process – so have fun YouTubing!
