How To Do Event Coverage Like A Pro
Working in Memphis, you’ll find no shortage of things happening around town. As a Content Kindler, I have had the pleasure of covering a variety of banquets, parties, luncheons — you name it! Now, let’s dig into all the best ways to make your event stand out on social media, and exceed all your client’s expectations.
Establish a game plan
If you are covering a big event with a bunch of attractions and moving parts, it is good to know what to expect in advance. Often the event planner will have a detailed schedule or a run-of-show detailing all the entertainment to anticipate. A predetermined schedule will help you to formulate a blueprint of where to be and when, especially if the event is held at a big venue. If you’re lucky, they might even have a few talking points for speakers or links to videos that will be broadcasted throughout. This is great for planning captions in advance!
Make sure you have access
In most cases, you will be covering an event for an existing client, but there may be a time where you have a one-off project to do. If so, making sure you have all the necessary access in advance is crucial. You never know what hiccups may arise with granting permissions and roles to a platform. I recommend allotting time to troubleshoot this issue at least one week in advance, giving all involved parties enough time to resolve any connection issues.
Research the event
Going into an event, you want to make sure you are equipped for success by means of technology AND knowledge. One of the best things you can do is research the event or client. A deep dive on guest speakers and attending influencers has benefitted me more times than I can count! Research allowed me to get an idea of a guest speaker or honoree’s personality, brand, history, and purpose at the event. Thanks to advance preparation, I was able to quickly recognize photo subjects, as well as build a sense of confidence and comfort. Another plus is the ability to fire off quick interview questions for quotes and captions later on.
Capitalize on stories
While timeline and feed posts are always going to be popular, don’t rule out the power of posting to story feeds! Story feeds are perfect for reposting content that event goers tag you in, and for firing off quick content needs. For example, rather than live streaming an entire speech, you can upload segments with key points typed out in each post. It’s also great to know that you can post stories across multiple platforms simultaneously. Who doesn’t like a 2-for-1 deal?!
Recap reels are a must
Now that I have gotten accustomed to covering different types of events, I have developed a passion for creating the perfect hype or recap reel. In addition to any regular content I am collecting throughout the event, I focus on capturing numerous five second snippets at key moments to piece together a visual summary for everyone to enjoy afterwards. Snippets may include a quick camera pan of the event, confetti falling from the ceiling, dancer performing, or any other exciting moment. Once you have enough clips for a 30 second to one minute video, all that’s left to do is find the perfect song to match it and write a caption. Then, sit back and watch as the audience relives the thrill of the event in the comments!
While this isn’t a list of everything you can do, it is a good place to start for live event coverage. As you move forward, make note of the things you learned along the way and adjust as-needed. I suggest storing copies of your content and strategy in a drive for future reference. Finally, know that not every event will always go to plan, so be ready to go with the flow!
To learn more about planning the perfect event, and the best ways to market it to your audience, take a look at the full Campfire Collective blog library here.