How Time Spent at an Event Affects the Persuasiveness of Posts
This article was automatically translated from the Japanese original. Read the original in Japanese
When time spent at an event is too short, posts tend to stay at the level of surface-level photo posts. Securing enough time for attendees to speak about their experience tends to make posts more persuasive. In a short visit where attendees simply take a photo and leave, the information they can post is limited to "appearance." But when there's enough time to engage with the substance of the experience, posts gain the attendee's own impressions and details of the experience, increasing their persuasiveness for readers.
Why Short Stays Tend to Result in Surface-Level Posts
A short stay doesn't allow enough time to gain anything beyond visual information. As touched on in What Is an Experience Event, and How Does It Differ from a Press Presentation?, experience-based programs derive their value not just from viewing but from the act of experiencing itself. When the stay is short, attendees leave without having fully received that value.
How Much Time Should Be Secured
While we can't offer a specific numerical target, a useful benchmark is whether attendees can describe the substance of the experience in their own words. If enough time is secured for attendees to put into words not just what they photographed but what they experienced and how they felt about it, we consider that sufficient.
How to Compensate When Sufficient Time Cannot Be Secured
Due to venue constraints or the number of invited guests, it isn't always possible to secure enough time on-site. As touched on in What Is a Photo Spot, and Why Is It Necessary in Event Design?, it's possible to compensate through spot design that conveys the context of the experience even during a short stay, or through providing information in advance. Time spent on-site is not the only means available.
Who Should Be Responsible for Designing Time Spent at an Event
Time spent at an event is a design matter that spans both venue operations and the guest list. As touched on in The Synergy Between Event Invitations and Social Media Posts — Conditions for Turning Experience into Content, we recommend designing the time allotted per guest at the same stage as when deciding on the number of guests to invite.
Time spent at an event is not merely a matter of how long guests are invited to stay—it's a design element that affects the quality of the resulting posts. We make it a point to consider, within the constraints of venue and guest numbers, how much time can be secured.