3 Ways to Engage Your Customers with Virtual Events This Year
It has officially been over a year of most of us working remotely and having to connect with our teams, colleagues and clients virtually.
Safe to say Zoom fatigue is real and we are all finding it hard to concentrate and commit to yet another virtual meeting.
Here are three ways to make waves and standout in a sea of virtual event invitations.
1. Think Outside the Zoom Box
Don’t get me wrong, Zoom is an incredible tool and has helped so many of us stay connected this past year. However, over the last year there has been an increase in virtual event and meeting platforms offering features that allow your attendees to engage more authentically and robustly with one another and your content.
Whether it’s video networking tables, expanded Q&A and chat features, direct feeds for integrating external service providers or gamification options to incentivize participation, there are a lot of options out there that will take your virtual event from zero to hero if budget allows.
2. Mix It Up…. Your Content That Is
Not every virtual event has to be an hour long or follow the format we are used to: content delivery followed by Q&A. Consider a TED Talk style program where no one presents for more than 10-15 minutes. Get your customers involved and make them the star. The ultimate goal is to create two-way dialogue between you and your attendees.
Aim to interact with you audience in some way every 7-10 minutes during a presentation as it will keep them on their toes and help them to retain your content.
3. It’s All About Balance
We know that virtual events have an average no-show rate of approximately 30-50%, especially if there is no cost to attend. So how do you ensure those who do decide to join and participate stay connected from start to finish?
Along with how your content is being delivered, it’s important to have a balance of what content you are delivering: business, fun and networking opportunities. Incorporating a fun activity such as a how-to on meditation, a virtual wine tasting, hosted live trivia, or even a make-your-own cheese board with supplies sent in advance can help keep your audience engaged and entertained. Also, create opportunities for your customers to connect and learn from one another; and if you are inviting prospects, it’s even more important to provide them with opportunities to engage with your raving fans.
At the end of the day, don’t be afraid to try a new approach. Gather feedback after each experience to measure how you did and where you could improve for the next virtual event.
The landscape of virtual events is continually changing and with hybrid events on the horizon, it will be important to be able to create unique experiences that attract both in-person and virtual audiences.
Written by Loren Maisels, CMP, Founder & President of LOMA Marketing Agency – an events experience firm that creates holistic strategies for events that meet the strategic, creative and experiential goals of their clients and partners.