Be Different or be dead

December 23, 2020

How to make virtual events work for your business

Source: Pexels

As humans, we’re wired to spend the first part of our lives trying to fit in, only to figure out that the magic of what we have to offer is in the things that make us stand out.

Sameness is safe. The brain is wired to notice anomalies because they may be dangerous. But they also make life more interesting.

If a continuous tone drones on for a while, you’ll just tune it out. But, change the pitch or volume, and the brain snaps alert. In psychology, that’s called the orienting reflex, and it helps us stay alive.

As in biology, so in life… and business.

This is particularly true of the event-planning business.
In this unprecedented time, we’ve all been violently shaken out of our normal: face-to-face has flipped into screen-to-screen.
The time is ripe to start using virtual events to get your message out.
So, how do you make a virtual event work for you?

Why choose virtual events?

Before we go into how you can leverage them, let’s look at why virtual events present an opportunity for your business.

Virtual events may be the new kids on the block when it comes to marketing, but they have been gaining in popularity since long before the pandemic outbreak. Why?

Virtual events are more budget-friendly and accessible to wider audiences, with no geographical limitations. They are not dependent on the venue, the weather, refreshments, or other factors that require serious consideration in regular event planning.

All this doesn’t mean you should just wing it. You’re responsible for providing your attendees with the most value possible, while reaping the biggest benefits for your business.

Online networking and forming a community

Having a community has never been more important than it is now, and communities that form around virtual events will become a lifeline for many businesses that choose to adapt.
What learns and adapts lives on. What doesn’t, withers and dies.
In your community, you and your partners can find solutions together, bound by a common goal, interest, or need.

The benefit of a community is support. You don’t have to know everything, as long as you have a relationship of mutual respect with someone who has the skills that help you achieve your goals.

Combined effort built civilizations, and it can do the same for business. Use the virtual event as a networking platform and an opportunity to widen your scope, influence, and visibility, and therefore value.

The rule of community is that when one grows, the collective grows as well.

Picking the right virtual event format for your business

In business, it’s important to know your goal, and then find the best way to get there.

Explore your niche and get to know your customers.

Depending on the product or service you offer, some types of virtual events will have a higher chance of success than others.

Do you need an up close and personal webinar for your core audience, or a workshop to disseminate hands-on knowledge to a large user base?
Perhaps a highly structured conference for industry professionals is the way to go?

Maybe a behind-the-scenes tour of the business or an informal fireside chat to touch base with your home-bound, pyjama-clad team? Pick the format that works for you and follow through.

KPI, ROI and intelligent strategies

Once you’re clear on the goal you want to achieve, determine what key performance indicators (KPI) you’re going to use to measure your success.

There’s a variety of indicators for you to focus on, such as new leads, revenue, exposure via social media, or attendance.
Keep in mind that data is invaluable. It is a source of precious insights, and it will help you improve each time and get the kinks out.

Start by making a meta-strategy and plan the execution timeline. Break things down into smaller segments and dive in.
Be ready for surprises and minimize wild cards. There is always more to do than you think, always!

To minimize the chance of being blindsided by an unforeseen circumstance, make sure you have a detailed strategy in place.
This will help you prioritize and make sure all the hard work you and your team have put in pays off.

Delivering the right content to the right audience

There is a tribe of like-minded individuals out there searching for what you have. Find them.
If you go all wide and vague trying to target everyone just to run up the numbers, you’ll waste resources for barely a blip on the radar.

You don’t need everyone. You need to laser in on your ideal customers to make the biggest possible impact with the resources at your disposal.

Cross-reference with your current customer base demographics, look at who your closest competitors are targeting, or imagine your perfect attendee/customer/guest and build from there.

Make sure to keep your target audience in mind through all aspects of planning.
From determining the channels you use to promote and hold the event to the content, its format, and even the accompanying materials such as landing pages or e-booklets, your marketing choices and communication style should align with your target audience.

Knowing your audience will allow you to be less generic, to stand out, and truly deliver at a higher level than the bland beige monotone of ‘trying to speak to everyone’.

Follow up, thank-yous and feedback

Organizing an event means creating a memorable experience. Harness the reverberations of this experience in the days following the event and follow up while the emotions are still fresh.

In marketing, that’s known as the maximum impact zone. Send out thank-yous to make sure the people feel that you appreciate the time, attention, money, and effort they’ve invested in your event.

Thank everyone who contributed and participated, and use the recorded materials and insights to gain more traction, sending out ripples long after the wrap-up.

Wrap up

When you do things your way, they patronizingly label you crazy or strange. After you succeed in doing it, they lovingly call you eccentric.

Don’t be afraid to do things differently and venture into modes of communication you’ve never tried before. Keep what is tried and true, but add your own flavor.
When you plan your virtual event, remember what attracts audiences to you in the first place.

The bottom line is, if you don’t stand out in business, you’re (virtually) dead.

So make sure you stand out.

— Lisa Michaels is a freelance writer, editor and a thriving content marketing consultant from Portland. Being self-employed, she does her best to stay on top of the current trends in business and tech. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter.

• Posted 12.23.20 at 05:09 am by Roy Osing
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