How to Monetize Content Post-Event

 

Your event was a tremendous success and attendees are still buzzing about it. Now, it’s on to the next one. Or is it? Event tech, marketing and content strategy authority, Dahlia El Gazzar of DAHLIA+Agency says capitalizing on FOMO can bring a healthy boost to your bottom line. People are willing to pay to experience previously enjoyed content if their peers are talking about it. But it’s more than just putting it online. It requires detailed strategies on curating and packaging. In this Event Marketing Sevinar, host Rachel Stephan, Snöball founder, and Dahlia El Gazzar, discuss how to get more bucks from the bang of a successful event. 

Let’s break the ice:

Micro dose content.

“Everyone’s so overwhelmed with so much great content and highlights from the event,” says El Gazzar. So, deliver it to them in small portions instead of another big meal. “It’s like drugs. You get them hooked, you get them addicted, but you do it in chunks.” Content gets broken down into subscription-only portions based on individual topics, rather than everything covered at the event all at once. Learn what your audience wants more of and what they will pay for and serve it to them hors d’oeuvres style.

Trap the chat.

At a virtual or digital event, when people are really engaged, the chat catches fire. Whether it’s during a general session, breakout, or panel discussion, El Gazzar says this is a valuable resource to mine for future gold.

“People give content and insight, specific to a certain profession, or niche to that industry. It compliments the session. Repurpose or package that chat.”

For an in-person event, chat becomes part of the event design, says El Gazzar. “Fascinating conversations are taking place. You want to be a fly on the wall, capture it, transcribe it, package it.” And/or use it when you’re creating promos for your next event.

What do you need to set chat on fire? “Strategy, confetti guns, and cheerleaders with pom-poms,” says El Gazzar with a smile.

Match Content With Sponsorship Opportunities.

Match topics and interests to products and services in pay-to-play for another source of income.

“When you repurpose content, add an element of products and services that your sponsors or key exhibitors can become thought leaders in,” says El Gazzar. Offer these opportunities to key sponsors but not as part of the original event. This stream becomes a post-event sales tool. For breakout session content, for example, “whoever is playing in that arena can become part of that content,” says El Gazzar.

Tap sponsors to host or present a session and allow users past the paywall. It’s branded content for the sponsor and a benefit for the attendee.

A second tier to this concept is a state-of-the-industry report from an analyst, that can be offered at a different price point.

Who Makes It Happen?

We’re talking about post-event revenue. So, with everyone hyper-focused on the event itself, and then moving on, who has the responsibility for chasing these streams?

“Marketing and Biz Dev own these roles,” says El Gazzar, adding that, “sometimes groups have to co-create and co-market.” She warns against siloing the concepts with a sales team that hasn’t sold content before. Or handing them off to only marketing. And not to the current event team that’s already busy enough. Either sales and marketing work together or bring in a task-specific person to “shake the money tree.”

Set Paid Touchpoints.

The pricing strategy is built around content you know is valuable, El Gazzar advises. She suggests following the streaming channel price model. Sell a virtual pass, but if they want to go to a breakout room, they’ll pay on the way in or the way out. The customer journey dictates the number of paid touchpoints they’ll encounter.

Bottom line: Dahlia offers advice for the future of post-event revenue acquisition: “Step out of your own way when creating content. What’s going to happen in the next couple of years is audiences are going to be more critical than they were before. Vanilla conferences won’t cut it.”

Looking to mobilize your audience to help you amplify your content post-event, book a 17-min chat, and we’ll share some ideas that work.