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These are unprecedented times, aren’t they? And with businesses and organizations closed and people staying at home to practice social distancing…what is to become of your event? It’s true that you won’t be able to host it in person—at least not for a while. But that shouldn’t stop you. Have you ever considered holding your event virtually? As with any event, the key is proper prep work and organization. Use these five tips and you’re sure to see virtual event success!

Know your audience

If your audience is not tech-savvy then a virtual event probably isn’t the right direction. But assuming your followers—millennial homebuyers for instance—have some tech knowledge, all you need is to understand what they were looking for from your event in the first place. Was there an exciting speaker? Great workshops? Helpful how-to events? All of those things can be shared virtually given the right platform. Not sure what everyone was looking forward to the most? Send out surveys ahead of time to ensure the event is focused on the correct topic and falls within a time length that will work for everyone in their new environment. Which brings us to…

Keep it short

People attending events usually want to get the most for their money, so logically it seems like it would make sense to make your virtual event a full day. But right now, the opposite is true. Between getting used to working from home, spouses sharing space, and kids on the loose it’s likely your virtual audience wants a lot of information packed into a small time frame. Respect that and you’re sure to find success.

Select a good hosting platform

The right platform for virtual events is vital to success. Not only will it keep your event organized, it could allow people to chat, truly engaging with one another which is something many event attendees look forward to. Don’t forget that a good platform will allow attendees to join you through multiple device types—from smartphones to laptops. Being able to dial in to get audio of the event is also a good feature. You never know what devices people have access to from home—some people still use landlines.

Use a host or moderator

A host or a moderator can help keep your event organized and on track for the masses. Even if your planned event is short don’t be afraid to utilize a moderator who can help keep things moving, transitioning from one part to the next and ensuring that each presenter stays within their allotted time from. Note that when you’re selecting a moderator for an online event you’ll want to make sure that he or she can speak clearly and is comfortable speaking directly to the camera instead of looking at a script!

Market the event

Marketing is key to the success of any event, and this is especially true with virtual events. Promote your event through your social media channels, boost posts if you can, and share the event to the pages of your followers and sponsors—just as you would if you were hosting a live in-person event!

Here’s the bottom line: In order to ensure your virtual event is successful you need to stay organized and realistic. Unorganized events will cause people to tune out—and you may not have the opportunity to catch them again in the future. But by throwing a FANtastic online event that distracts everyone from their current circumstances, you’re sure to find new fans and encourage more business.

Categorised in: Crisis Marketing, Digital Marketing, Technology, Video Marketing, Working From Home