In recent times, there has been a notable rise in Virtual event platforms. Although virtual events were imposed on several industries due to the global pandemic, today they are the most convenient way to boost brand awareness, reach global attendees, or discuss a shared goal or objective.

If you are looking to get started with online events, then let us take you through some of the best practices that help you elevate the level of your first virtual event. 

What are Virtual Events?

Virtual events happen over the Internet using a secure and robust virtual platform. Depending on the business objective, they can be categorized as the following, with many more:

• Webinars
• Conferences
• Trade Shows
• Virtual Meeting
• Job Fairs
• Live Streaming

The greatest advantage of conducting virtual events is that it’s highly cost-effective — the expenses of renting a venue, traveling, arranging food, and accommodation get eliminated when all you have to do is log in and host the event.

How to Host a Successful Virtual Event?

With several online events happening every day, it becomes more vital than ever to include unique elements to stand out in a virtual event. Here are a few steps that can help you host a successful event:

1. Identify the Goals

To take your event in the right direction, set clear event and business goals. It is important to understand the cause of your event. 

Do you wish to promote your brand and deliver unique brand experiences? Do you want to reach a global audience to display your new product and its features? Or is it just to generate qualified leads and gain revenues?

Setting clear objectives helps you understand your event motives as well as the target audience.

2. Choose the Right Virtual Event Partner

Virtual event software plays a significant role in elevating the experience of your event. Therefore, be very careful while picking your enterprise solution. 

An ideal platform can seamlessly host quizzes, live polls, surveys, and games to encourage engagement among the attendees. It also has a robust tracking feature that helps the event planners with a complete record of attendee navigation and other insightful data. Another thing you should check is the security and reliability of your platform. It should be end-to-end software that is 100% safe and secure.

Related: Ace Your Marketing Strategies with Actionable Tips

3. Make Your Event Super Impressive

To leave your attendees in awe, consider leaving an impactful impression right from the beginning of the event. Ask your service provider to get a little creative and design an attractive stage enriched with stunning graphics, 3D designs, lively imagery, and engaging content.  You can include 3D mapping, dynamic banners, GIFs, and 360-degree tour features to deliver unique and memorable experiences.

Content is king. Therefore, take time, strategize, and prepare engaging content. You can also consider getting incredible speakers onboard who hold expertise in delivering the content and engaging with the audience simultaneously.

4. Engage Your Audience

It is vital to keep your audience engaged and involved to ensure the success of your event. That Includes the right means of engagement to minimize the chances of diversions. You can think of adding games like spin the wheel, tic-tac-toe, crosswords, word games, or shooting games to arouse excitement among the audience. 

Another method to deliver real-like experiences is by making way for live polls, surveys, and Q&A sessions, or live chat features while the speaker is addressing. It facilitates 2-way interactions in real-time. Remember to keep short sessions to eliminate distractions or attendee drop-off. 

You can also use an AI matchmaking tool that allows individuals to connect with like-minded attendees during the event. This tool helps you set different filters and connect with people who share common areas of interest and concerns. 

5. Offer Networking Opportunities

Networking is a significant aspect of any event. Many people attend events just to make new connections or enhance their existing bonds. Therefore, it is essential to include excellent features that allow the audiences to learn, connect, and interact. Make the most of virtual networking tables that comprise live chat, audio, and video features to promote 1:1 and group discussions. 

Other features that enable you to make new connections are the business card feature, B2B meetings scheduler, DIY booth builder, and many more.

6. Promote Your Virtual Event

To increase the ROI of your event, you need to attract more people as attendees, exhibitors, or sponsors. But, the question is how to let the world know that your event is happening? So, firstly create a compelling landing page with engaging content, date, time, and registration link of your event. The landing page acts as an effective tool to lure more people. 

Also, social media is the essence of the digital world. Make sure to promote attractive content, event-specific posts, videos, and pictures of your event. It will spread awareness about your event to a large number of individuals. 

You can also ask your speakers and exhibitors to post updates about your event on their social media handles. This practice will keep their followers and fan base notified too, regarding the event. 

7. Check the Technical Aspect

A genuine virtual event software is always backed by 24/7 customer support. They have great backend support and access control features that offer immediate help to attendees who face issues while signing up or navigating on the platform. 

8. Perform a Dry-run

Lastly, once you are done with the above steps, do not miss the rehearsal part. Perform a dry-run with all the platform features, run multiple system checks, and test your Internet connectivity. This practice will help you avoid any sort of unforeseen errors.

9. Take Follow-up Steps

After the event, send a simple survey or feedback form to the attendee’s email to obtain their valuable feedback. You can ask questions such as “Which feature did you like the most?” or “Which session did you find the most engaging?”. You can also ask for their suggestions. This feedback will help you learn if you were able to meet the expectations of your audience.

10. Obtain Detailed Analytics

This refers to a complete record of insightful data that your virtual event platform provides. This contains the insights of attendees’ navigation, the count of downloaded content, the number of messages sent between the exhibitors and attendees, etc. These insights help you gauge the success of your virtual events.

Conclusion

It’s no secret that virtual events are the future of corporate strategies. So, if your company is about to take the leap into digital gatherings, don’t forget to follow these tips to create an outstanding experience that will have your attendees wanting another event. 

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