In the last couple of months, a lot of companies have canceled their meetups, conferences, and other key events due to the covid 19 pandemic. Others have postponed their concerts in hopes that the pandemic will end soon enough. However, forward-thinking organizations and individuals went digital and hosted their events online. This way, people can carry on with their events while staying safe at the same time.
If you are looking to host a virtual event and want it to be a successful one, below are some helpful tips.
Planning
The first and most important thing you need to do before hosting any virtual event is planning. On the face level, virtual events seem like something that can be done on short notice. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Having a well-defined goal is the most important step in hosting a successful virtual event. The goal of virtual events can be to inform, entertain, increase sales or increase awareness of your brand.
Once you note down the goal of the event, you should then proceed to ask yourself some questions that are crucial to your planning process like:
- What type of event do you want to host?
- Who are the people you expect to attend the event?
- What kind of experience do you hope to deliver?
- Will the event be live, on-demand, or both? Is it free or paid? How many speakers? What is the duration?
- What is my budget? Etc.
Choose The Most Convenient Time And Date
When picking the date and time for your event, “convenience” should be the watchword. This is because no matter how important the event is if the time and date are not convenient for the audience, you will most likely end up with just a few people attending. So make sure you research your audience well to know the best time to host your event. You can do this through a survey or by asking for suggestions via the event’s official social media handles or a newsletter if you have one.
One more thing, try as much as possible not to choose a date that another popular event in your industry is going to hold.
Technology
When it comes to hosting an event online, there are numerous platforms and technologies out there for you to use. Nevertheless, you still have to choose based on the type of event you plan to host. This is because not all streaming platforms are perfect for all virtual events. Webinars for example require very few technicalities and can therefore work well on platforms like Zoom and Google Meet. Other events like virtual award ceremonies or online tours need more robust platforms.
Depending on the type of virtual event you are hosting, you may also require a custom landing page software, analytics & tracking, or a retargeting pixel if you plan on running ads. For help with the best platform to use for your virtual event, you should talk to a virtual event consultant.
Design and Marketing Materials
When it comes to promoting your virtual event, you want to stick with attractive designs only. You also need to make sure all your marketing designs are social media friendly and suited. All your marketing assets should also be complete before the promotion starts. They can be in the form of an event logo, a one-pager PDF or slideshow about the conference to send to speakers, sponsors, or partners, a full landing page or a full web page, etc. The webpage will contain every detail about the upcoming event.
Promotion
To host a successful virtual event you must invest a good amount of time and resources in promoting it. In most events, the speakers are usually the key selling point. If you are lucky enough to find speakers with large fan bases you must take advantage of this by asking them to help promote the event on their pages. You must also do your part by providing them with all the tools they need to spread the word. This can be in the form of promotional videos, event graphics, bulk SMS, social media posting/ads, and other marketing assets.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when hosting a virtual event is waiting until some weeks to the event before spreading the word. The earlier you start advertising the better.
Be Prepared For Technical Problems
There is always a probability of you having technical problems. Problems like network failure, electrical problems can show up and ruin your event. If you are not prepared for such problems, you may be left with no other option than to put an end to the program. So how do you prepare for such issues? First, carry out multiple tests before the event and try to have as many alternatives as you can get. You should also make sure that there is another speaker available to take over if anything happens with the actual speaker.