Avoiding Meeting Pitfalls Beyond The Virtual Event Management Platform

A virtual event management platform can cater to all your virtual needs under one umbrella. But are you ready to manage your event? Often, attendance is low because of marketing practices we did not implement. Or because we focus so much on promoting the brands and disregard the virtual experience per se.

Well, do not fret because you will find out how to avoid the most common virtual event management pitfalls. The following six tips will help you design and optimize your live conference for the best results. Of course, we will also touch upon marketing materials that improve attendance for webinars and on-demand sessions.

Facing competition: The Starting Point

Marketing and management are two crucial aspects of any virtual event. After all, the basic idea is to make your event stand out from the rest. Pretty much everyone had to go virtual in the past two years. So, these tips aim to help you make all the easy steps to connect with sponsors, clients, and even stakeholders to execute the most engaging and profitable show you can put on.

1. Opt For The Best Virtual Event Management Platform

If you have hosted a webinar or live class before, you know that not every virtual event management platform works the same way. Depending on the type of event, you may have found yourself struggling to receive payment or handle coupons. Marketers who host a lot of events usually want to track the attendees and gather vital statistics. Or you might need team collaboration tools and to manage permission.

Valuable software prevents you from wasting time, money, and energy. So, choosing the best-fit solution is critical. Eventtia is without a doubt the one-in-all virtual conference management software that we find easy to recommend. It packs the mentioned functionalities and has more features than many other options. Plus, it comes with a Resource Center filled with practical advice and tutorials.

Eventtia works on every device and smartphone. On top of that, it already covers the rating system we will later explain in tip #6.

2. Equipment and technical challenges

The first goal of any virtual event is to grab people’s attention. Before you turn on the camera, the focus is on marketing and making potential attendees see your links and posts. And once the event starts, it is all about the host and the content quality. However, a factor remains that might prevent you from succeeding: technical difficulty.

Streaming any form of communication relies on a good Internet connection and equipment. For example, if you did not invest in a quality microphone with the noise-canceling feature, the audio quality will be less than optimal. As a result, the viewer will succumb to distraction. Think of all the things that may distract your audience: the dog, the cat, the kids, the kitchen timer.

Good lighting is another essential element for success. And the good news is that it is easy to fix. At any time, you can download a free lux meter app on your phone to assess how bright your recording place is. On average, between 1,000 and 2,000 lux are necessary for a satisfying streaming experience.

3. Lack Of Engagement

If the live video stream is dull, people will complain about it being boring. For instance, your marketing strategy works and creates hype, but the content is not on par. Failing to hold viewers’ attention can cause your brand to sink as well as bad press.

When hosting a conference, make sure that the speaker is visible. Above all, do not let the slide tower in front of the small speaker box. Most viewers need to see the speaker talking to connect with the content. On a side note, this is also why the news is so obsessed with close-ups.

You can also gamify your conference and use e-badges. Here are other ideas you can use to engage your audience:

• do a raffle or giveaway to give a product, program, or service for free to a lucky few
• launch hashtags for requesting answers
• sell a product during a live demo (or stage a sale)

4. Rethink The Schedule As A TV Producer

Most virtual events follow the same trite formula that does not sell. That is, a sequence of steps that usually includes:

1. a welcoming message
2. the reason why you all gathered online
3. explanatory slides
4. breaks
5. call to action

In reality, such a schedule cannot win against the million distractions just one click away. So, it is always better to put your best content right at the beginning. The faster you can get the viewers’ attention, the more hints you can give about the upcoming content.

An effective marketing strategy is to post on your social media part of a video you will present during the event. Just like a movie trailer, a captivating video can draw onlookers. Plus, it can showcase your presentation skills or provide social proof and give you a reason to go straight into the nuts and bolts of the event.

5. Use A Marketing-Friendly Approach

When preparing an event or conference, make sure the virtual event management platform integrates into your website. Even better, set up a responsive website dedicated to your webinars and shows that viewers can access via their phones and tablets.

Plan paid digital ad campaigns carefully. Most of the time, they do not replace attendance generated by organic searches and subscriptions. Ads should make big promises and claims to attract big spenders. So, experiment wisely. Or hire professional writers for the best results.

Send reminders and incentives via email. Email marketing is the most valuable tool at your disposal. Also, sharing exclusive content via email can increase loyalty and brand perception.

6. Prepare Event Surveys In Advance

If the virtual event management platform does not do it for you, create post-event surveys. You can either set up an online page or use an online survey app. But this last option may feel a bit tacky.

Ask the attendees’ opinions and suggestions. During the conference, make sure they know they will have such an opportunity. In this way, you can receive valuable feedback to improve your skills.

Simple Yes and No questions work great for most survey topics. But adding one or two open-ended questions will give plenty of room for your audience to note what they liked and disliked the most.