Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many business operators and not-for-profits have had to turn to digital events rather than in-person ones. While this is disappointing for the organizers and for attendees who enjoy on-site offerings, online events do open up attendance for a broader range of participants from anywhere in the world.
If you’re looking at running an event remotely for the first time, it pays to know some helpful tips to increase the chances that the occasion is a successful one.
Understand Your Audience
As with any event type or business model, always know your audience when planning what to offer. You need a good idea of the topics your ticket buyers will be interested in and which speakers might be big drawcards to capture attention and drive sales. Know the prime age of people you’re targeting, their needs and wants, where they live, what type of work they do, their hobbies and interests, family life, socioeconomic status, and more.
Think about what your audience hopes to learn or otherwise take away from events, such as particular knowledge, inspiration, motivation, social connections, etc. Plus, get clear on the budget people are willing to spend on tickets and the format of events that work for them.
Some audiences appreciate multi-day conference events, while others prefer short and sweet webinars that disperse over a few weeks or months. Ticket holders might like to have the ability to join breakout sessions where they can get to know fellow attendees, or they might be interested in having the chance to pitch to experts. There are many considerations to consider, so do your research and don’t be afraid to survey your potential audience for their input into your program planning.
Look for Ways to Differentiate Your Event
There were already plenty of online events on offer before the global pandemic hit, but since it did, increasing numbers of organizers have had to turn to digital offerings. You’ll, therefore, have plenty of competition for consumer attention and dollars. Be smart about how you position your digital event.
Find one or more ways to differentiate what you put into the market from what your competitors offer. You might do this via the niche you target, topics spoken about, the event format, the exclusive access provided, or the ticket pricing, among other things.
Consider Timing
Another smart strategy is to consider the timing of your event, both related to the date or dates you run it and the hours of the day selected for programs. Avoid running your event when any other key affairs have been scheduled, especially those targeting your prime audience.
Steer clear of times of the year when you know your likely attendees will be extra busy, too. For example, you wouldn’t want fashion events running around the time of fashion week or retailer-specific offerings around Black Friday, Christmas, or the end of the financial year. Plus, think about times of day that suit your core audience. Events often work best on weekends or after business hours for many industries, as it’s tricky for people to attend during their usual work times.
Another timing issue relates to the length of each session. You’ll want to have an idea of how long your audience’s attention might last without breaks. This length could be 15 minutes, half an hour, an hour, or 90 minutes. It’s best to avoid sessions that go over an hour and a half without a pause, though you can run all-day events as long as people get short scheduled breaks.
Pick the Right Tech Platform
One of the essential parts of running a successful online event is choosing the right tech platform to host it on. Select a service with a solid reputation for reliability and as few outages and tech glitches as possible. Choose a platform that takes cybersecurity seriously, too. Hackers have been having a field day causing havoc with digital webinars and conferences, using various methods. Host your affairs through a company that takes multiple measures to protect against RYUK ransomware and related malware, viruses, spyware, and more.
Also, when working out which platform to use, consider those that work effectively on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Think about the types of features and functionality you need available to you, such as the ability to record sessions, set up breakout rooms, run concurrent events, etc. Consider scalability, price, and ease of use, too.
Following these tips will help you create and operate an event with the best chance of success and thus help you to reach your goals. Take the process step by step and think strategically, and you should avoid common event planning mistakes.
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