As the novel COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the global business sector, leaders and managers find themselves increasingly using advanced conferencing tools and leveraging digital technologies to retain productivity, efficiency, and output in the “new normal”. Now that many companies are still forced to manage teams remotely and are unable to host live events anymore, leaders are relying on virtual events to push their marketing, PR, and internal processes forward while adhering to the social distancing rules and regulations.
Remote participation is keeping companies alive nowadays, as it’s more important than ever before to maintain high brand engagement and trust until normal commerce resumes sometimes in the future. Today, we are sharing the key elements that experienced business leaders always put in their strategy to organize and how successful online events that inspire, engage, and convert online audiences.
Planning the event in detail
Goal-setting is one of the primary objectives for many leaders when it comes to planning a successful event, as there is a need to hit a specific set of metrics and make the performance of the event measurable so that they can improve the next time around. For this and many other reasons, managers will start by identifying the key goals for their virtual event, which will allow them to create a detailed outline of the tactics they need to employ to achieve them. These goals typically follow the SMART mindset, making sure that they are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely to keep the project on track from inception to realization.
Once the goals are set, the event planners and strategists will start devising the concrete steps to achieve them, making sure to plan every detail. These details include everything from choosing the date and time, to choosing the virtual venue and the host, all the way to script-creation, rehearsals, and the digital tools that they are going to implement to make the event engaging and impactful.
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Ensuring quality and building a professional virtual venue
One of the primary problems presenters and organizers face is the lack of quality equipment, monitoring, control, and design necessary to organize and run a professional virtual event. More often than not, virtual events are riddled with technical problems that produce lag and desynchronization for participants, make the hosts speak over each other, and ruin the viewing experience for all parties. This is why organizers need to focus on creating a tech-driven virtual infrastructure that will ensure a seamless experience.
To achieve this, leaders need to work with professional virtual event organizers who focus on creating complete virtual gallery solutions that deliver high-end production value. That includes production crews, the necessary technology and software, presenters, and a fully-equipped remote master control room. Having a virtual gallery is the perfect way to minimize risk and ensure top quality for an important online event, which is why organizers need to focus on this aspect in the planning stage.
Choosing a theme and a unique angle
Given the fact that many companies and solopreneurs are hosting virtual events nowadays, brands need to differentiate themselves and their own events by choosing a unique theme and a distinct angle of approach that will set them apart from the competition, especially if their event occupies the same time slot as their competitor’s virtual event. Choosing a unique theme and a different format is in line with the industry and the brand’s values, identity, and visuals is paramount if one of the goals is to attract as many participants as possible.
What’s more, experienced marketers know that in order for an event to attract a big audience, it needs to have a great hook. This can be an all-access pass that costs a bit more than a regular ticket, but comes with a variety of bonuses, perks, and VIP experiences that will allow appeal to the majority of their online audience. Along with a free promotional item for each participant, this allows the company to add value to its event.
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Finding the ideal speaker
Good speakers are difficult to come by nowadays, and it’s not uncommon for organizers to make the mistake of choosing the wrong person for the job. Experienced marketers and event planners understand that hosting a virtual or live event requires excellent oratory skills along with specific soft skills that will help convey the right messages, inspire the audience, and inspire them to take action. For this reason, hiring professional presenters and hosts is imperative.
Event marketing and promotion
Executing a successful virtual event means investing heavily in marketing and promotion in order to attract participants, sell an adequate number of tickets, and improve brand visibility, awareness, and authority. This is why business leaders need to invest in event marketing through proper digital channels, including social media, search engines, forums and industry-specific networks, and more.
Wrapping up
Virtual events are becoming increasingly popular in times of social distancing, and companies around the world are using them to achieve their marketing, sales, and PR goals. These are the key steps experienced leaders take in order to plan their virtual events and make an impact on the industry.
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Thank you for sharing these tips, these are a lifesaver. As an event planner, it has been a hassle to plan virtual events, webinars and shows. The tips you mentioned are super helpful, more power to you.