Virtual events are seeing a huge boom in popularity.
Following the pandemic of 2020, in-person events and experiences diminished dramatically.
It was no longer safe for companies to welcome huge crowds of people to concerts and virtual expos.
However, team leaders quickly discovered that they still needed a way to connect with their audience in this digital landscape.
Virtual events became the most popular way for organizations to stay connected to their target audience at a time when traditional events weren’t possible.
The great news is that virtual events are easy to create, and often much more cost-effective than in-person ones.
Choose the right type of event, and you can even attract visitors from all over the world.
Before you can start to reap the rewards of your virtual experience, of course, you’ll need to decide what kind of event you’re going to host.
Here are some great ideas to get you started.
Livestreaming Q&As
Livestreaming is more popular today than ever before.
Virtually every social media channel gives you an opportunity to broadcast live video to your audience.
You can use Facebook to interact with customers through Facebook Live, or start up a stream on YouTube or Twitch.
The great thing about livestreaming for your business event is that it maintains a lot of excitement of traditional interactions.
You can set a time and date for your session, then generate hype through email marketing and social media posts in the days prior to your big event.
Livestreaming is also an excellent way to form a deeper connection with your customers.
Q&A sessions are particularly effective for this purpose.
You can teach your clients about your product by hosting Q&A sessions with members of staff from your own team or other professionals in your niche.
This improves your credibility and thought leadership.
Alternatively, you could have a Q&A session where you answer questions submitted from your audience.
This immediately creates a connection with your customer through first-hand engagement.
Create an Interview Series
One of the best things about corporate events is the opportunity to go and learn from specialists in your field.
Most expos and demonstrations have keynote speakers who can offer valuable information for you to learn from.
A great way to recreate this experience, is to host a series of interviews online where your customers can tune in to hear top tips from people they trust.
Find some influencers in your space that would be happy to do an interview with you and make a list of questions you can ask and share with your audience.
You could even engage your audience before the interview by asking them to vote for the questions that they most want you to ask.
The great thing about interviews is that you can make them available to download and watch for an extended period of time.
That way, fewer people in your audience will miss out because they couldn’t fit a specific event date into their schedule.
Host a Virtual Conference or Summit
If interviews with thought leaders just don’t seem like enough of a replacement for the full live event experience, why not host your next summit online?
Exhibitions and events are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in the B2B world.
You can build an online conference platform, where people can find teaching sessions and speeches from influencers that you’ve partnered with for the experience.
Alongside video content, you could also share a range of other valuable tools and materials.
For instance, you could have a series of keynote sessions and virtual networking days where people can join group conversations.
Additionally, you can create downloadable PDFs and guides that people can take with them when they leave the “conference.”
You might even use your virtual summit as an opportunity to make some exclusive announcements and showcase leadership members of your team.
If you know how to generate excitement for your upcoming summit correctly, and ensure that there’s plenty of value for your audience to discover, a virtual conference can be just as great as a real one.
You can even take the opportunity to share links back to your website where people can find extra info about the topics you’ve discussed in your blog.
Host a Behind the Scenes Event
One of the reasons why events are so valuable to businesses is that they allow companies to get to know the people behind an organization.
Today’s customers and clients want to develop a genuine relationship with the brands they buy from.
To do that, they need to see more than just your website and advertisements.
A behind-the-scenes event can be a great way to show your human side.
You can invite your customers and social media followers to join you on a tour of the offices your employees work from, even if they’re working from home.
Also, you can show how your product or service is made and have conversations with previous customers about how you helped them.
This is even a chance for your team members to shine and say a thing or two about what it’s like to work with your brand.
Create an E-Course
Today’s companies are increasingly relying on online education to keep their employees skilled and well-equipped for remote work.
However, online training isn’t just an option for staff members.
You can also earn the engagement and attention of your target audience by creating a course aimed at them.
Digital courses are fantastic options for online events.
You can create webinars that cover common questions that customers ask about your products or services and create a community environment where people can share ideas.
Courses are also a fantastic way to showcase your thought leadership.
If you host videos and offer downloadable content about topics your customers are interested in, and they may even end up trusting you more as a result.
Embrace Online Events
In today’s digital world, online events are a fantastic way to strengthen your connection with your target audience and keep customers engaged.
With software to help you stream content and create amazing online experiences, there’s nothing stopping you from digitally transforming your event strategy.
