Virtual events are a great way to connect with your customers, get more sales, and have an all-around good time. But what makes them so successful? How can you be sure that people will show up for the event? In this blog post, we’ll answer these questions and discuss some of the most important aspects of hosting an engaging virtual event.
Have a strong theme and clear goals
One of the main reasons that virtual events are so popular is because they allow you to have a strong theme and clear goals. For example, if your goal for an event in person was to increase brand awareness, a virtual event might be better since it will give people time to think about what you said rather than being overwhelmed by all of the information at once.
In addition, having a stronger sense of identity from your business can help with creating engaging content later on in the process. This allows for more cohesive branding across platforms, which increases activity levels and eventually leads to longer-lasting relationships between customers and brands.
Choose a platform to host the meeting on
Choosing a platform is the first step in actually hosting an engaging virtual event. You’ll want to make sure that it’s user-friendly and easy for people to use, so they don’t get frustrated with it before you even start your presentation.
Don’t forget about promotional tools.
Another important aspect of having a successful virtual event is utilizing some great marketing materials as well as social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Make sure that people are aware of the event beforehand so they can register early, and you’ll get more sign-ups. This will also help to make them feel like they’re truly a part of something great rather than just coming in at the last minute.
Make it interactive
The best virtual events are those which encourage audience participation or include some type of game or challenge for people to complete. If your business is hosting an online webinar on how to improve customer service skills, consider adding polls about different ways customers might want their issues handled within the presentation itself, so everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinion and share what works well with them as individuals instead of trying out one person’s method.
Allocate enough time for questions
Finally, make sure that there’s some dedicated time at the end of your presentation to answer any lingering questions people might have about what you discussed on stage or how they can apply it to their own business. This will allow them to feel like an active participant rather than simply passive observers and could even lead to better results later on down the line.
Plan a precise program with timelines
People love the idea of virtual events because they give them something to look forward to and can work on their own time. But this also means that you need to make sure that there is a precise program with timelines for everything. Make sure everyone knows what’s going on when it starts or ends and any deadlines they might have in order to participate fully in the event itself.
Build anticipation over time
Another important aspect of hosting an engaging virtual event is to consider the virtual event platform features. This is a crucial consideration because people might not know what to expect after being let into the virtual conference room. You want to build anticipation before it even begins, so people are excited about attending rather than feeling like they’re walking into a room full of strangers who already know each other better than they do. Social media posts from your brand, as well as some great promotional tools, will help create hype around how people can participate as well as what they’ll be able to walk away with.
Be sure to plan for contingencies and cancellations.
No matter how much you prepare, something might come up which could hinder the success of your virtual event. That’s why it’s important to make sure that there are contingency plans in place if people need a refund or even decide not to show up at all.
Send out a follow-up email or text after the event.
Don’t forget to send out an email or text message after the event thanking everyone for their time and reiterating any information they might have forgotten. This will help them feel more involved in what you discussed on stage, as well as encourage them to go back and check it out at a later date if there is anything that really interests them.
Be sure to stay consistent with your follow-up emails, and don’t be shy about sending some texts either just because you’re not necessarily face-to-face with people anymore. It’s still important to make customers feel like they matter even when you can’t talk directly over the phone so try reaching out through different channels until someone responds or sends one back.
Final Thoughts
To host an engaging virtual event, make sure you have a precise program with timelines, build anticipation over time through social media posts and promotional tools, plan for contingencies or cancellations, be flexible if things don’t go as planned during the meeting itself, so no one feels left out in the cold. If possible, it’s also important to send out an email or text message after your event thanking everyone for their time and reiterating any information they might have forgotten.
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