One would think that keeping your attendees engaged would be the least of your problems in virtual events. After all, they’ve got a VIP view, excellent audio, and all the comfort that comes with lounging at home in your pajamas. However, the very things you expect will help them focus may be why their attention is divided.
That VIP view is not shared with a companion, and multitasking with chat groups is distracting in itself. Attending an event in your pajamas may be too comfortable, and when you factor on external distractions from their home and other devices, you’ve got the perfect recipe for disaster. This means that as an event organizer, your job is to make it easier for them to choose you over anything else they can pay attention to.
It’s an overwhelming task, but once you get the hang of coming up with a truly engaging event, getting your attendees to participate will be a piece of cake.
You Don’t Diversify Your Content
A PowerPoint presentation won’t cut it. Info-dumping on your attendees using text and unimaginative photos will not only discourage them from participating but will also force them to opt out of future events you organize. The reverse is also true. You can drown your attendees in too many impressive visuals and music that the entire experience becomes jarring. You’ll look like you’re trying too hard, and no one likes to attend events where the organizers aren’t sure of what they’re doing.
The trick is to find the balance between minimalism and maximalism in your content. What do you emphasize, and which strategy works for each content? Suitability is a factor that you must always keep in mind, too, because your attendees will be confused about why you’re using a trend that doesn’t fit your brand or industry.
One simple way to determine when you’ve achieved that balance is if you’re invoking the right emotions and reactions. If it’s a concert, are you using the right tools to hype them? If it’s a conference, are you equipping them with the means to interact with other participants? Make sure your options make excite, motivate, inspire, startle and move them into action when you want them to
You Don’t Have The Right People for The Job
The right people include experienced IT personnel to handle tech issues, manage the chat section and attendee concerns, cue the hosts and the multimedia you’ll use, and the host themselves. These are the key tasks that you’ll need to be extra careful about managing because their performance can make or break your virtual events.
When you’re looking for an emcee for events, you’ll want someone who can cater to your target audience. Just because an emcee is talented doesn’t mean they can engage all kinds of crowds. Finding one that suits the taste and humor of your target audience is a must in keeping their eyes glued on their computer screens.
The same applies to the rest of the personnel who will be handling the actual event. The person who encourages and responds to chats and comments must know how to address attendees appropriately. The person who cues everyone else needs a mastery of presentation and must be capable enough to make spontaneous adjustments that will benefit the attendees and the event as a whole. Your IT should be experienced in this endeavor; otherwise, you’ll find yourselves at a loss when even they can’t figure out how to solve your video and audio problems halfway through the event.
You’re Not Using Gamification Techniques
Even virtual events can now utilize puzzles, quizzes, polls, and Q&As that will keep attendees hooked. Imagine how much more engaged they’ll be if their participation can result in prizes that can either be emailed or delivered to them. You can start immersing them in the event even before it officially starts so that they’ll have more reason to tune in. These can involve waiting for a certain segment before submitting their answer or including a raffle in-between activities.
Save the biggest announcements and prizes for the latter part of the event to give them an incentive to watch the entire show or participate. If you can, and it’s appropriate, continue the engagement after the event. You may glean insightful feedback and convert traffic to sales by interacting with attendees this way.
These techniques may feel outdated and common, but there’s no contesting their efficiency.
It’s Simple
Give yourself a break if your previous virtual events didn’t exactly live up to your expectations. What’s important is that you learn from your mistakes and avoid these three common ones that dampen attendee participation. Keeping them engaged shouldn’t be as complicated as it feels when you’ve got the key elements right.
