The Art of Virtual Event Promotion - Driving Attendance and Engagement
Virtual events are a great way to connect with customers and prospects, but they aren't as easy to promote as traditional in-person events. If you run your virtual event smoothly and have compelling content, you can drive attendance and engagement.
To do that, it's important to understand the audience you're trying to reach and tailor your promotion accordingly.
Why have a virtual event?
The primary reason to hold a virtual event is the same as why you would host an in-person event: to connect with your customers, prospects and partners. A virtual event can be more convenient and accessible than an in-person one, which means that you can reach more people and make it easier for them to attend.
For example, if you're hosting a webinar about how your company uses technology to improve customer service (or any other topic), then there's no need for attendees from around the world to fly into one city at their own expense. They can simply dial in from wherever they happen to be located at that moment.
This also makes it possible for people who might otherwise not attend because they feel too busy or don't have time off work during traditional business hours; now anyone with access online has access!
How to promote your virtual event
In order to promote your virtual event, you'll want to take advantage of all the channels that are available to you.
- Social media: Use social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter in addition to other traditional channels like email marketing campaigns, print advertisements and trade shows. Make sure your posts include compelling images or videos that show off what attendees can expect at the event--and if there's anything unique about it (like live video). When promoting a live-streamed event in particular, make sure people know they need an internet connection and how much bandwidth they'll need (for example, 5 Mbps).
- Email: Create an email template specifically for this purpose with links back out into the world, so people can learn more about registering or RSVPing online; this will help boost attendance rates by directing potential registrants straight into registration forms without having them search around for information first.
Create a compelling, personalized message
The first step to creating a compelling message is to use a personal, customized email address. This can be as simple as adding your name at the end of your company's domain name.
The more personalized the email appears, the more likely it will be opened and read by recipients who recognize you or have interacted with you in some way before.
Next comes subject line: make sure it's relevant and interesting enough to grab attention.
For example, if you are promoting an event about mobile technology for business professionals, then something like [Mobile Technology for Business Professionals] would work well here because it informs recipients what kind of information they should expect from reading further down into your message (and also helps them understand why they might care).
Finally, comes tone--your words should sound friendly but authoritative enough that people feel compelled to respond positively without feeling pressured into doing so (this is often called "perceived legitimacy").
A good rule of thumb is not only being respectful, but also keeping things short by avoiding adverbs or adjectives when possible; instead focus on conveying information clearly while avoiding jargon whenever possible.
Your job isn't to sell your product or service, but instead to provide information about what you do and why people should care. If you can make that clear, then you've done most of the hard work already!
Make it personal
Personalization is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal, and it doesn't take much to make your event feel more intimate, and turn it into a cool brand activations strategy.
The first step is to use a personal tone in all communications with attendees: when you're sending out an email, don't be afraid to address them by their names or even mention something specific about them. If you can include a photo or video of yourself, even better!
A photo will help put attendees at ease and make them feel like they're talking directly with someone who understands their needs--which will make them more likely to sign up for your event.
The second step is to make your event feel more intimate by adding an exclusive, limited-time offer. For example, if you're hosting a free webinar on how to use social media for business, include a link at the end of the presentation where attendees can sign up for an exclusive live Q&A session with you.
By offering something that no one else will have access to--even if it's just for a few minutes--you'll give attendees a reason to stick around and ask their questions.
Use email as the foundation for your relationship with attendees
Email is a great way for you to build relationships with your attendees, and it can be used in many ways. You can use email to help attendees with registration questions, share helpful information about the event, or even get them excited about attending by sending out fun content like videos or photos.
As the organizer of this virtual event, you want everyone who registered for your event to show up on time and participate in all of its activities--and emailing them regularly will help make that happen!
Do live video events for Q&A or behind-the-scenes conversations
Live video is a great way to engage attendees and drive attendance. It can be used for Q&A sessions, behind-the-scenes conversations, or even just to promote your event.
- Q&A: You can use live video as a means of conducting an online Q&A session during the presentation. This allows attendees who are unable to make it in person -- either because they're too far away or just don't want to spend money on airfare and hotels -- to access information from experts in real time. They can ask questions about the topics being covered during breaks between segments; this gives them direct access without having any technical difficulties with audio or video quality (or lack thereof).
- Behind-the-scenes look: Live streaming also offers an opportunity for attendees who aren't at an event physically but still want some sort of behind-the-scenes look at it all going down while they're away from home base (or wherever else they may be). For example, if someone has purchased tickets but isn't able to make it due to illness or other reasons beyond their control then being able to see what goes on via live stream means not missing out entirely--and maybe even getting ideas about how things happen, so next year maybe try something similar yourself!
Stay on top of your social media interactions and provide insightful content in real time
Social media is an essential tool for virtual event organizers. It's not just a way to promote the event and drive attendance; it also creates a sense of community among attendees, who can ask questions and receive answers in real time.
You should use social media to answer questions about the event, provide insight into what's happening at the conference, or even share links or articles related to your topic. You'll want to make sure that your event hashtag is included in all posts related to it--this makes it easier for people who are following along on their own devices from home!
Promoting your virtual event is a critical part of the planning process
Promoting your virtual event is a critical part of the planning process, and using email, live video and social media can help you reach broader audiences and drive attendance.
Implementing an email marketing strategy for the event is one of the most effective ways to promote it. You can use email campaigns to deliver updates on key dates or special offers for attendees who register for it. Live video streaming allows you to share behind-the-scenes footage from events with attendees before they attend, which helps build excitement about what's happening at an upcoming conference or workshop.
Social media platforms such as Facebook Live enable speakers from around the world to share their expertise through live video broadcasts that are hosted directly on Facebook pages rather than on YouTube channels (where they might get buried under thousands of other videos).
Conclusion
If you're looking to take your event to the next level, consider using these tips as a way to engage with attendees and drive attendance.
By creating a compelling message, using email as the foundation for your relationship with attendees and live video events for Q&A or behind-the-scenes conversations, you can build engagement and drive attendance at virtual events--no matter where they reside.
