Marketing Guide for Virtual Events and How to Maximize its Outcome
Have you had to cancel travel arrangements for a business event? Or you had to cancel your own event as a result of COVID-19? If so, then you’re not alone. In these recent times, many event planners had to transform their onsite plans into virtual events.
COVID-19 has entrepreneurs abandoning their travel arrangements and signing up for online sessions. Instead of a crowded business networking event at downtown Toronto, they’ll be watching live product demos from the comfort of their homes.
As an event marketer or event planner, how can you utilize virtual events effectively?
With the right method, you can still produce fantastic outcomes from virtual events – here are some tips to help you optimize your approach.
Valuable information
Before you throw an online event, you want to make sure the topic is helpful to your targeted audience. You need to have engaging content for your audience, a good presenter, and a good reason for your event that solves a problem. This is the most important step before promoting the event.
RSVP for Virtual Event
Take advantage of platforms like Eventbrite (which has free and paid events) or Facebook events (for free events) to create an event that will allow your audience to RSVP. You can even set up and RSVP straight form your website. If you need more assistance, feel free to reach out to Banki Designs.
Where to Promote your Virtual Event
Now that you have a subject or theme, you need to determine the proper outlets to promote it in. First you need to know who your target audience is and your marketing budget before diving in. Utilize your knowledge of your niche to decide on where to promote your virtual event. You want to promote your event where your niche hangs out most of the time.
Incentives
One of the best ways you can create a buzz around your virtual event is to reward past attendees with a discount code or extend an offer to “the first 20 participants” as a way of showing gratitude. This can inspire RSVP sign ups and help swiftly circulate the word – everyone likes freebies and discounts! Its importance that your offer is applicable to the event or audience, like a free course provided by the presenter, a sale or promotion code, or something that will really persuade individuals to check out your virtual event.
Another option is to run contests on various social media platforms to create more buzz about your virtual event.
partners, speakers and sponsors
Sponsors will support with incentives or swag for attendees and will help widen the reach of the event. It’s always wonderful to have another brand supporting your event because it gives your event legitimacy and has the power of the name behind it. Invite your partners to the event and have everyone invite attendees from their network. Have everyone promote the event on their social media platforms and their email list to expand your reach for free.
Track, discover, adjust, and improve
Just as any other marketing strategy, make sure that you set up measures of achievement so that you can track your progress, discover new things from your experience, adjust your approach for upcoming events, and continue to improve your methods as you host more virtual events.
How to Create Online Events That Generate Leads
Let’s face it, you head to a conference for many reasons, but your main motive is to gather leads.
So without that face-to-face aspect, how can you get emotional buy-in from remote attendees? There are a few strategies to tackle here. Must-haves for your virtual events include:
- Goals to guide your event
- Compelling messages and a unique story
- A format emphasizing customer experience
- Professional video design and production
Before heading to any event, you’ve already calculated your ROI – you know who your potential customers are and what they’re looking for. Pivot towards tactics that work for virtual events. Forget stagnant PowerPoint presentations and drop the stale pre-recorded speeches from your CEO.
Instead, look to deliver a powerful experience to your remote audience.
Be the first to access updated blogs, podcast, events, educational courses and so much more.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today!
