Lights, Camera, Engagement: How Associations Can Use Video to Reach Marketing Goals

Let’s face it: video is everywhere. From TikTok’s viral dances to LinkedIn’s thought leadership clips, social media has gone all-in on video. And audiences? They’re responding with higher engagement and stronger emotional connection.

For associations, this shift presents a big opportunity. Whether you're looking to grow your membership, promote your next event, or just build stronger relationships with your community, video can help you do it more effectively. The best part? You don’t have to do it alone.

The Social Media Shift to Video

Social media platforms are no longer just text and image based. TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and LinkedIn have embraced video as their primary mode of communication. What began as B2C storytelling has evolved into a new language for B2B connection: short-form, personality-driven video now drives thought leadership, engagement, and credibility. This isn’t just a trend. It’s a transformation.

According to Sprout Social's 2025 Index, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in video form, compared to only 10% when reading it. Short-form video now delivers the highest ROI of any content type, and nearly nine in ten businesses use it as a core marketing tool.

Even LinkedIn, once known for its professional tone, has seen a 45% year-over-year increase in video uploads, according to Sprout’s 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report. The platform’s rollout of immersive features like full-screen vertical feeds and personalized video recommendations underscores the shift towards video-first engagement.

For associations, this means video isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a must.  

Getting Started: Making Video Work for You

If your association is new to video creation, the good news is you don’t need a big budget or production team to get started. You can use it to highlight member benefits, share authentic testimonials, and bring your events to life with teasers and recaps. It’s also a powerful way to tell human-centered stories that build loyalty and connection.  

To get started, what matters most is understanding how to make the most of the tools and content you already have.

Associations have a wealth of great content opportunities waiting to be captured on camera.

• Want to build trust and foster community? Member testimonials do just that.

• Hoping to keep the momentum going after an event? Post-event recaps help extend the experience.

• Need to position your organization as a trusted resource? Educational clips showcase your expertise.

• Want to engage members in real-time? Live Q&As and announcements make your audience feel part of the action.

• Looking to spark energy and connection at the start of your event? Opening videos set the tone, build excitement, and inspire engagement from the first moment.  

• Trying to generate excitement and attendance for your big event? Teasers (aka “sizzle reels”) set the tone. For example, the National Plastics Expo (PLASTICS), recently partnered with us to create this sizzle reel announcing their 2027 event theme.

Making In Happen

You don’t need fancy gear to bring your video ideas to life on screen. A smartphone with a good camera, a tripod, and natural lighting can go a long way. Free or low-cost editing tools like Canva, CapCut, or iMovie make it easy to polish your footage, while adding captions, logos, and consistent branding gives your videos a professional finish without breaking the bank. Of course, we find that Adobe Premier Pro and After Effects are still preferred by most video editors because they provide deeper levels of control.  

Once you’ve mastered the basics, the key is to understand how each platform works and tailor your video content to fit. Here are some tools to help you get started.

Video Size Guide

Video Platform Guide

Next Level: Advanced Video Strategies

Once you’ve covered the basics, it’s time to think bigger. A thoughtful video strategy ensures consistent branding across platforms while adapting content to fit each target audience.

Tracking key performance metrics like watch time, engagement, and reach can reveal what truly resonates with your audience. These metrics also provide insights that can guide smarter, data-driven decisions that you can pay forward in your marketing campaigns. Including motion graphics, captions, and other brand elements in your videos can enhance accessibility, professionalism, and overall impact.

Video also plays a powerful role in paid campaigns, driving event promotion, membership growth, and audience retargeting. In fact, we typically see video ads outperforming static ads in both click-through rates and conversion rates.

Aligning your video content with your event cycle, from registration launches to post-event engagement, keeps your organization visible, relevant, and top of mind all year long.

Let’s Build Your Video Strategy Together

Video might just be the game-changing tactic your association needs to elevate membership and event marketing.

At 360 Live Media, we help associations plan, produce, and integrate video into their broader marketing and event strategies, including:

• Video content planning and production  

• Social media strategy integration  

• Event video packages and post-event engagement campaigns  

Ready to roll? Let’s make your next video your most impactful one yet. Contact us.