See article online: by Chris Syme, Owner/Partner, CKSyme Media Group, at cksyme.com
Syme is a former athletic communications professional, featured presenter at numerous CoSIDA convention and continuing education sessions year-round, and a frequent contributor to CoSIDA.com. Follow Chris on Twitter: or on her blog/website: ckyme.com
See related article: 5 Tips for Formulating an Instagram PR strategy, but Lee Glandorf via prdaily.com
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Considering the real-time pace of a live event, images are a perfect way to engage the divided attention of attendees and give online followers the feeling they are there as well. Using a storyboard to boost your live event with Instagram will guarantee that you capture the images that will maximize the event experience for everyone.
I know the concept of story is coming dangerously close to the edge of overuse, but understanding the key elements of story will help social media managers look beyond the simple pieces of an event and put together a narrative that draws fans into the experience, whether they are present in the flesh or simply following online. Here are a few key elements to keep in mind:
1. A story has many storylines.
Every good story has multiple pieces. Weaving them all together constructs the plot. Every event can be treated as a story by brainstorming the different pieces of action going on in any given event. For instance, if you manage live sporting events, the actual flow (score, stats, big plays) of the game is only one piece of the storyline. When identifying the storylines, a good place to start is to identify the people/experiences at the game: fans, cheerleaders, players, coaches, ticket takers, opponents, referees, concessions, tailgating, music, in-game promotions, and the list goes on. After you’ve identified the characters in the story, brainstorm about how they experience the event. If your event is a conference or a fundraiser, you can use the same process. Go through the event through the eyes of the participants. And don’t forget those watching online—what would they want to see?
2. Storyboard your event.
In my first video production job, my mentor taught me the importance of storyboarding every piece we produced. Depending on the piece, sometimes it was a short meeting. Other times, we spent multiple meetings discussing the flow and story of a video. Luckily for me, my background as a high school English teacher helped acclimate quickly to the idea of producing a story, no matter if it was a short 30-second commercial or a longer feature piece.
"What he was trying to teach me was that storytelling is a mindset, a way to approach video production, not something that you slap on a project."
Storyboarding can be simple or it can be elaborate. You can do it on paper, you can do it in your mind. However you do it, it is a necessary step in covering live events with images. I would suggest you do it on paper until it becomes second nature.
Start by taking the information you gleaned in number one above and put together a chronological story about the event experience, complete with characters and storylines. You can do this on a chart or using actual thumbnail sketches using stick figures. I would bring the photographer into this process. The thumbnail tactic is especially helpful in coaching your photographer through the appropriate shots. The end product is your shot chart (timeline) for the event.
Talk about point of view. Who is telling the story? What is the mood? Is your photographer the conduit of the experience for the audience—told in first person? Or are you going to tell your story through the view of the characters? At the end of your planning session, you should come out with a plan of specific shots at specific points in the event that you will post on Instagram. Also talk about how to capture spontaneous moments and how they work into the story.
3. Cross promote your Instagram story on other social media channels.
At events such as conferences and sporting events, we are getting used to seeing large screens that show a real-time Twitter feed that revolves around a hashtag. What about a live Instagram feed that is fed by your event hashtag? Your story will encourage others to add to the story, just as followers do on a Twitter hashtag. You can also selectively promote the photos of others on your live media at the event and encourage people to post their experiences on Instagram as well as Twitter.
Don’t forget to promote your story using the social media channels that your attendees frequent during the event, whether that is Twitter, Facebook, or Snapchat. This is especially important for followers that are not on-site. Your images are their link to a virtual event experience. Make sure you tell a story that keeps them feeling like they are there, and makes them want to attend your next event.
With a little work, you can boost your live event with Instagram stories. If your social media posts for a live event consist only of a mass of mindless photos and selfies, you are missing an opportunity to tell a story that can keep your followers glued to their screens much like the readers of a good novel cannot put a book down until they are finished.