How This Popular Event Made Waves on Social Media (and How You Can, Too)

You know the power of a stunning image to tell the story of a concert, a festival, an experiential marketing stunt, or a conference of the smartest minds in an industry. But what if you could get everyone attending your event to share that amazing photo – and tap into the networks of your biggest fans? The team at Content Marketing World 2019, a gathering of 4,000 content marketers in Cleveland, Ohio, did just that.Rather than taking hundreds of photos and waiting to use them for next year’s event, they turned images around in real time. Then, they gave them to attendees so they could share them on their own social media channels, amplifying Content Marketing World’s message far beyond their own channels.

Watch the video to go behind the scenes!

In the past, Cathy was responsible for getting photos where they needed to go on her own, and it was a very manual process.

“It takes me a little bit of time because I’m over here helping an attendee, or attending a session myself, or speaking,” says Cathy.

This year, photographer Michelle Loufman sent photos from her camera straight to Content Marketing World’s PhotoShelter digital media library via FTP. As soon as the images hit PhotoShelter, they were routed automatically to attendees’ phones via an integration with the social distribution tool, Greenfly.

Seconds after the images were captured, event attendees could post them on social media, telling all their peers about why they love Content Marketing World.

The workflow allowed them to reach new audiences in an authentic, compelling and relevant way, with a powerful ripple effect. Think about it: you’re more likely to go to an event if it’s recommended by a friend.

The best part? It all happened automatically, making it easier for Cathy and her team to focus on the conference.

Cathy says it’s crucial to have reliable partners like PhotoShelter and Greenfly that can solve problems and take work off her plate.

“It’s done, and it’s done well, and it’s done in a way that, wow, not only is it what I thought we were going to get, but it’s better than what I thought we were going to get,” she explains.

She recommends that other event teams get a jumpstart on planning the photo workflow for their events so they can maximize the ROI of every image.

“Start early,” says Cathy. “Get connected early, get your systems, let them understand what your event flow is so they can work with you, because it seems really easy to adapt to different needs, and just have fun with it.”

Content Marketing World’s images had an immediate impact on their audience, but those images will also be easily accessible for projects in the future.

Cathy and her team are already planning for next year as they celebrate the event’s 10 year anniversary. They’ll be digging into their archive for promotional emails, social media updates, event signage and more.

Cathy says these images highlight what’s special about the Content Marketing World community.

“Five years down the road, 10 years down the road, you’re like, this was this person that I met at this amazing event and we captured this – and now look, we’re business partners, we’re colleagues, we’re friends,” says Cathy. “And this community year after year comes back together and it’s become a family reunion.”