Skift Take
Some planners believe recorded conference sessions should be uploaded ASAP. Others feel the material should be repurposed, which takes time — weighing the pros and cons of sooner versus later.
Most conferences have concurrent sessions running. Attendees cannot be in two places at once. Having recorded session immediately after they have finished is a significant benefit. If the content is uploaded quickly enough, delegates can watch it while they are still focused on the event.
The Case for Quick Content
Anthony Allen, president of ACA Video, is a pioneer in the same-day delivery of conference session recordings. He has delivered tens of thousands of conference videos shortly after they are recorded. His success is such that his company is about to be acquired by audiovisual company Showgear. An official announcement is scheduled for October 12, 2022 at IMEX America.
According to Allen, attendees are much more likely to view the recordings if the content is good and delivered quickly. ACA believes in making conference recordings available immediately without significant editing to capture the conference’s energy. This is amplified when speakers and other event attendees use their networks and social channels to share the content.
Mike Piddock, founder of Glisser, hybrid and virtual event platform specialists, agrees. “Making more content available while attendees are browsing can be crucial in retaining their interest. It is easier to keep delegates at your virtual event when they are already there rather than to try to entice them back hours or days later,” said Piddock.
B2B online community specialist Ricardo Molina agrees that content is critical. However, he disagrees that making it available immediately is needed. “It is an unnecessary pressure we put ourselves under. You need to give yourself and your team time to do the content repurposing right,” he said.
Repurposing Content With Success
Often, what one says and does are two different things. “Seventy-three percent of attendees said they wanted content on demand, but their behavior was that less than ten percent of them returned, and they only did within the first seven days,” said Ken Holsinger, senior vice president of strategy for Freeman.
An event session that Holsinger delivered for Virtually Live by Kaltura has since been repurposed as a successful podcast. “They’re getting great traffic. Repackaging the session with a host and music has made it valuable,” said Holsinger.
A mix of content approaches appeals to Irina Graf, founder of The MICE blog. “If I’m to publish the full session, I will do it on YouTube to gain more visibility and new eyeballs,” she said. When it comes to slicing and dicing content, she said, “The role of the community manager is to select the most relevant parts from the session and share them instead shortly after the event.”
Graf says this can be done as a blog, social media post, or short video of highlights. If time and budget allow, you can make several and share them across multiple social media platforms over time. “I understand that my community members are busy, and it is my role to make this content easily digestible,” said Graf.
Objectives in Mind
The decision to upload your content immediately or take your time and repurpose it all depends on your objectives. Ash Mashhadi, a content marketing consultant at Design Inspiration, says it is based on your goals. “Are you looking to compress your impact or drive awareness and engagement throughout the year? There are benefits and challenges to getting imperfect content out at speed versus repurposing content into other forms such as infographics, blog posts, or podcasts,” said Mashhadi. If you want immediate results, create short-form content with minimal editing. For longer-lasting effects, take time to craft quality evergreen content.
You need to know your audience. What will they benefit from the most? Are you looking for short-term impact, to build community, to develop brand awareness, or something else? You need to determine the why before you can focus on the how.
