VIRTUAL EVENTS FOR B2B
In our ongoing circumstance (read: worldwide pandemic), in-person conferences, expos and gatherings have endured a huge hit. Some organizations are deciding to drop face to face events and utilize that financial plan somewhere else, while others are investigating virtual or hybrid events as a method for greater reach and keeping audiences engaged.
Virtual events can work well when you need a budget-friendly way to mass-communicate information on a single topic. But if you try to wedge your three-day international sales conference into an online PowerPoint presentation, you’re going to lose your audience’s attention.
How can B2B reimagine the virtual event to suit their needs?
Not all physical events are the same. That is an important factor, because your reasons for having an in-person event and the desired outcomes will drive your virtual event’s format.
Maybe the goal is to generate leads or to create dialogue and interaction among your attendees or maybe the event organizers need to test the audience so they leave with a certification. There are different formats for virtual events that can help you achieve the same goals as your in-person event. There are a few things to take in consideration when creating a virtual event.
CONTENT
Your virtual event’s decisions will be influenced by the content you already have or need to create. By focusing on the main points your audience will take away from the event we can organize our virtual event.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER AROUND YOUR CONTENT:
- Do you have existing content to share or will it need to be created for your event? (videos, presentation materials, case studies, etc.)
- Will there be multiple presenters, guests, with their own content?
- Will there be any of the content available for download during the virtual event?
- How much content do you need to fill the desired length of your virtual event?
- Are translations and subtitles required?
KEEP YOUR AUDIENCE ENGAGED
Do not anticipate receiving everyone’s full attention. We all know that event attendees are skilled multitaskers. A virtual event presents the same obstacle. This means that keeping people interested should be a part of your content planning. There are numerous ways of doing this:
SOME IDEAS FOR ENGAGEMENT:
- Event merchandise giveaways
- Prizes
- Gamification
- Interactive polls
- Live Q&A with the guest
- Sessions designed as a shared experience, like a cooking class or a happy hour.
CHOOSE THE PERFECT FORMAT FOR YOUR EVENT.
Any of these options could be combined. You could, for instance, use a combination of live and prerecorded content format. Make use of a webinar format while also incorporating a live breakout session over video conference to encourage audience interaction.
SOME FORMAT OPTIONS FOR YOUR EVENT:
- Audio (i.e., webinar, podcast)
- Video conference
- Live
- Prerecorded
THE RIGHT PLATFORM
Audiences and businesses alike are more receptive to virtual events. A good virtual event leverages existing technology for the best result. Depending on the style of the event we can utilize a variety of tools to create the deliver the desired experience to the audience.
SOME OPTIONS FOR PLATFORMS:
- Video conference tools (i.e., Zoom, WebEx)
- Social media livestreaming (i.e., YouTube Live, Facebook Live)
- Virtual event platforms
- Custom virtual event solution
Brands and their attendee are getting more familiar and comfortable with virtual events. When we’ve worked with clients on adopting this format, many have begun to rethink and allocate budgets for future events and have considered adding new events into their marketing strategy, especially for their global audiences.
Contact us to learn more about how Thedigitalants can help you integrate virtual events in your B2B marketing strategy.
