It is undeniable that the event industry has been growing in leaps and bounds, but a few years ago no one could possibly imagine that a virtual event would become so important. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, these events have become absolutely essential.
Due to the need for confinement and staying at home to avoid the spread of the virus, event organizers have had to adapt. They have had to do everything in their power to prevent the cancellation of any kind of event and thus have had to bring each event to the guests’ homes instead!
So, to help you plan your virtual event, we have prepared a guide that consists of just a few simple steps! And by following it, we are sure that you will fully reach your target audience and achieve all of your goals, so don’t miss out any of these steps!
Step one: Determine the target audience
Although new technologies rule the world, there are also many people who cannot master them to perfection, such as older people. It is therefore essential that you always keep your target audience in mind, making sure that they are familiar with the platforms or know how to access the event.
Considering the target audience is also essential when organizing the content that you will be offering during your virtual event, because… it has to be very interesting and provide the attendees with something of value! If not… unfortunately they will not want to attend the event.
So, think about what your audience wants to hear. How about taking a survey on Facebook or Instagram?
Step two: Determine the objectives you want to achieve at your event
Another initial step is to decide what you want to achieve by holding this virtual event. Remember that virtual events are different from face-to-face ones, so the objectives may also be different.
Virtual events come in different shapes, sizes and formats, so once you have established your objectives, think about which of the available formats will be the most appropriate to help you achieve these goals, for example: would your event work better by offering viewers the content through a variety of different talks, debates and discussions, or would a simple seminar with a speaker be enough?
One way that we recommend to keep people active, attentive and interested, is to have some extra interaction on your platform, such as a forum or a space for questions, where people attending the virtual event can write their comments or doubts. It’s a sure way to get closer to achieving your objectives!
Step three: Select the virtual platform on which the event will take place
When choosing the platform for your virtual event, there are several factors to consider, so before making the decision, it is highly recommended to ask yourself the following questions:
– Is it easy for your audience to adopt the necessary skills in order to use new technologies to connect to your virtual event without problems? Surely the younger audiences will master them perfectly.
– Does your audience already use certain platforms regularly? For example, Instagram, Facebook, Walcon, eventtia… it will be much easier for them to attend if they already use the platform!
– Is the event free or does it have some kind of cost to access it? In times of the coronavirus, creating a free virtual event will result in a greater level of participant attendance, since in addition to being free, it can also be accessed from any device that has an Internet connection.
– What features are necessary for your event to run smoothly? Good internet connection when it takes place, interesting content, a high quantity of guests, great publicity…
With all the platforms to choose from on the Internet, you simply need to choose the one that best suits your answers to the questions above.
The most basic ones are Instagram Direct or Facebook Live, but there are also many others that include greater customization, such as instant messaging, video or audio calling with attendees, event monetization, etc.
Step four: Think about the place from which you will carry out your event
Because, even if your event is virtual, you need to have a place to hold it in order to broadcast it virtually. In these times of confinement, being locked up at home, the only option is to do it from your home, like on a sofa or at a desk, with a nice background like a bookcase, some plants or a nice painting, in order to transmit that warm atmosphere to your guests.
It all depends on the type of content you want to provide, for example, if we’re talking about business, the most appropriate backdrop is elegant and sober; if it’s a video game event, a background with posters and a console will be perfect; if it’s fashionable, some current magazines will be key, and so on! You just need a little creativity to adapt your space to your audience and the content of the event.
Also, in this section you should think about the type of camera you will be using to broadcast the event, since the higher the quality or range, the better the participants will see and hear you!
The good thing about this situation is the great reduction in costs! You will not have to invest in renting a venue, transport, catering, etc. And on top of that you’ll have many more attendees than in a face-to-face event – cheap, easy and safe!
Step five: Set a date and time and inform everyone of them
Although during these times when we are all at home it is much easier to agree on the time of the event with our audience, you have to choose a time at which you believe that you will be able to host more attendees, for example, in the middle or late afternoon, when people are already free from their main tasks.
If you are going to broadcast your event live to several countries, make sure you consider the time differences, and avoid major holidays and events that could put yours on the back burner! Definitely ensure that it does not take place at the same time as the daily clap for the essential and health workers.
Also remember, it is not necessary for your virtual event to be live. Because, even though most people currently work from home, there are still many distractions, such as housework, child and pet care, etc. So, it is also recommended that the recording of your event remains available for all those people who have not been able to attend at the exact time of the broadcast. It is impossible for the date and time determined to please everyone!
This is another way to make your event reach even more people.
Step six: Use strategies!
As a virtual event will not have the same expenses as a face-to-face event, you can take advantage of this and allocate that monetary amount to a good marketing strategy, because yes, you have to market the event with the same strength as if it were face-to-face so that it has all the attendance it deserves.
In these difficult times with most people at home, it is likely that online marketing methods will be much more effective, as more and more people will be using the internet for longer periods of time. Plus, they will help you reach a wider audience beyond your general target audience.
And what better way to do that than through social media? You can use social media tactics such as paid advertising, the use of hashtags to get maximum reach, publish biographies of speakers who will be speaking at the event… the possibilities are endless!
And don’t forget to promote your event on the same platform where you will be organizing it!
You’ve already seen that organizing a virtual event is not complicated at all, just follow our Perfect Venue guide and you will be ready to walk towards virtual success!
An event of this kind is welcome these days, as it can help you get out of the new monotonous and restrictive daily routine, and remember that in time there will be the possibility to be face to face and celebrate events in style.
And, above all, if your wedding date falls in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, don’t let chaos ensue. It’s better not to cancel it, but rather postpone it and take advantage of this strange period and use this time to plan your new wedding, because you have plenty of time!
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Photo: Euroforum Campus Escorial
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