All big gatherings and in-person events are now being regulated or canceled altogether due to the covid-19 pandemic. Because of this, people are turning to virtual events, including businesses. There’s been a welcome outpouring of innovation and creativity from businesses when transitioning to virtual events and producing engaging online content. If you find that your small business is struggling to shift from in-person events to virtual events, below are top considerations when going the virtual route, along with tips on how to make it work for you.
Select The Platform For Your Virtual Event
Picking the platform, you’ll use for your virtual event is crucial. Take note that these streaming services have actually been around pre-covid, but they’ve just become exponentially more popular when lockdowns all around the world were implemented. Some of the more popular platforms to consider include Zoom, GoToMeeting, Facebook Live, and AdobeConnect.
These platforms offer different solutions that are particular to the user’s needs, so do your research before choosing. Generally speaking, the platform you pick should be dependent on how you’re planning on broadcasting your content, how personalized the experience has to be, and the number of estimated attendees.
Produce Valuable Supporting Content
To make your virtual event more engaging, you should prepare and produce valuable content that your attendees should receive. For instance, you can create a workbook or worksheets, or even swag bags for attendees before your virtual event. You should also make sure to share your supporting content to all attendees once your virtual event ends so they’ll have and remember the information you presented during the event.
It would be best if you also made certain that attendees can easily access your supporting materials. For this, you could configure your email to send your program and presentation. For example, you could include an accompanying video, graphics, or PDFs of your deck.
Apply the same techniques and standards when dealing with clients and partners. If you are exploring franchise opportunities for a restaurant or boutique, then look for the content the company provides in their email and sites. The better the content, then you know the more information and interesting the franchise.
If you are concerned about inadvertently sharing private details and utilizing the screen sharing features while live, consider practicing with your team in advance. This will help everyone get accustomed to the features and prepare for potential issues before your virtual event.
Craft an Exciting Promotional Plan
As with any event, whether virtual or in-person, you have to build buzz around your event to motivate your target audience to attend. You might not have to spend too much of your marketing budget since everything will be done online. However, you still have to hype up your virtual event.
For starters, you can make your event exclusive by limiting the invites or crafting a VIP experience. You can do this by providing bonus content, one-on-one time with speakers, or bonus content to select attendees. Don’t forget to use all the tried-and-true promo tactics such as email marketing, paid ads, social media posts, updated event landing pages and website copy, as well as a presenter or guest promotions.
Take Cues From Similar Virtual Events
Attend a few virtual events hosted by your close competitors or even those by non-competitors who are hosting events with a format you’re looking to emulate. Jot down notes on what you think makes their events compelling and how you could improve on them. You could then craft a virtual event that will be targeted to the specific needs and preferences of your target audience.
As it is with anything that’s new, you should reserve some room for errors and learn from them as you go. So make sure to select a platform that works for you, craft compelling supporting content, promote the event, and have faith that you’ll pull your first virtual event without a hitch.
