How and to Choose the Right Virtual Events to Maximize Engagement and Generate Returns
In today’s modern society, advancements in technology have revolutionized old practices when it comes to customer engagement. Even before the global pandemic forced Corporate America to trade the conference room for the couch, one would be remiss in not noticing the proliferation of the WFH (working from home) movement, enabled in large part to advancements in technology.
Business leaders that previously leveraged in-person connections to lead their teams and foster customer relationships do not have to reinvent the wheel. They must, however, rethink their approach to ensure their counterparties are safe, engaged, and rewarded for their time.
A Best.Day.Ever. best practice is to loosely ask what type of event better serves your organization’s goals: Smaller Intimate Events or Larger Scalable Open-Ended Events. Knowing that there is a middle ground for everything, it is helpful to look at the sliding scale of features and abilities between these two classifications when asking yourself the question: What is your organization looking to achieve?
SMALL & INTIMATE VIRTUAL EVENTS
From happy hours to round tables, smaller events (BDE defines them as less than 30 people) have a variety of benefits to them that may be just what your group is looking to incorporate. Consider the following truths for this category:
- Personalization – less people, the greater the ability to personalize each participants experience, beyond the standard digital name placeholders, is a welcomed benefit your guests will not overlook.
- Curating – like personalization, a more intimate event provides greater ability to pivot each experience into the wants and desires of the guests. Through real-time feedback, surveying, and social listening, event organizers can direct conversations and actions to the areas most beneficial.
- Free Flowing & Flexible – with a smaller number of participants comes a larger level of flexibility. You can easily and organically swap and trade pieces of your event puzzle without your machine breaking.
- Attendee Engagement – despite being behind a screen, research has shown the closer to one-on-one a virtual interaction can get, the more engaged attendees are.
- Authenticity – simply put, you’re more you in smaller groups; smaller virtual events are the closest you can get to replacing in-person.
LARGE, SCALABLE VIRTUAL EVENTS
From watch parties to virtual conferences, larger events (starting at 50 and increasing open-ended) fit a much different mold than their counterpart. For all the benefits of delivering personalized, impactful, and curated virtual events to deliver authenticity and engagement on a small scale, the benefits of large events are truly unlimited. Consider these truths:
- Lead Generation – with the right promotional strategy behind an open-ended event, your organization has the potential for a data grab that can be repurposed at the top of the funnel as quality sales ammo.
- Structure – given that larger events tend to be more one-way dialogue, they require a dedication to a well-thought out agenda. While this limits flexibility, it ensures that messaging and calls to action always make their way into the programming.
- Community Impact – if sales aren’t your end goal, consider the level of freshly created goodwill that could arise from a well-executed community event. Using your organization’s expertise, relationships, and access to develop engaging programming, and then opening that programming to a large community audience does wonders for brand reputation.
- Trends & Improvement – the data made available through many third-party softwares enable organizations to make drastic improvements to their event strategies. Look for ways to A/B test various features and ensure your optimizing across the board.
Interested in talking more about virtual events? Contact us today.