Ever since the emergence of the ‘new normal’, event organizers are placed with the brutal challenge of conducting events that can immerse the audience like they would in a live event.
Research shows that audience engagement has been the biggest challenge that the virtual event organizers are placed with, generating interactions being second in line.
Moreover, with everything happening online feeding distractions is rather easy. Hence, the longing to introduce tactics that can convincingly fetch audience engagement is palpating within event organizers.
So, if you are bored of your ongoing encounters with the conduct of virtual events and are struggling to find out new ideas that can give tangible results, make your way to the end of this virtual event engagement guide.
Why is it important to fetch attendees’ engagement?
The fatigue of generating and holding onto audiences’ engagement in virtual events is real.
Event organizers are constantly looking out for ways to improve and enhance the experience of their attendees, as it directly correlates to the success of the event.
According to statistics, 49% of the marketers agreed that audience engagement is the biggest component in making the virtual event successful.
Keen to know what all benefits you can derive by keeping your audience hooked to the event throughout? Keep reading.
1) Makes The Event Lively & Vibrant
When your audience is having a pleasant time, is participative, and there are rounds of cheer, you know that your event is taking off well. Achieving this becomes essential as it determines the success of your future events.
Moreover, with regards to the drastic changes that the users’ behaviour has undergone, events that lack volatility and responsiveness will face challenges of attracting, engaging, and retaining attendees.
Hence, an interactive setup while conducting virtual events is rather important to hit the jackpot of guest engagement.
2) Improves Brand Image & Awareness
If the attendees are tempted to participate during the course of the event, it will improve your brand’s image tremendously.
A strategically planned virtual event, having elements that engage the audience can inspire them to create alluring content using the branded hashtag. By sharing this on social media, your brand is exposed to a new set of audiences who will be interested to know more about the event and its organizers.
Further, reposting User generated content on the brand’s social pages will initiate two-way communication and make the attendees feel valued, hence improving the image of the brand. This is yet another amazing benefit of keeping the audience hooked to the event.
3) Multiply Business Via Word-Of-Mouth Marketing
Virtual events are not just cost-effective but also lucrative! They are an impressive way to upscale business by simply enriching the audience experience through content that engages.
If your guests are left awe-inspired by the end of the event, they might start following you on social channels to get updates on the upcoming events or share your event schedule on their handles, with friends, or family. This works as an authentic way to market your business via word-of-mouth marketing, gather easy attention from potential users, and multiply business.
Piling up on virtual event engagement plays a very important role not just in the success of your current event but in the future ones too.
Now that you know how paramount audience engagement is, let us look at ways in which it can be achieved.
Must Read: Social Media Virtual Event : Engage Your Audience Virtually
What Ideas Can You Incorporate To Enhance Virtual Event Engagement?
1) Display Attractive Content Via Social Walls
The inability to transform the role of an active offline audience to online appropriately is the reason why some virtual events lack interactions and engagement.
Here displaying a social wall can play a leading role, as it makes way for an entirely different world of communication and engagement. Your attendees are inspired to step out of the shadows and participate in conversations that build connections.
Social media platforms and the posts generated on them greatly drive curiosity and engagement. Showcasing content generated by the attendees, speakers, and sponsors on a social wall can help organizers cut an edge with conviction.
Taggbox Display allows you to effortlessly aggregate all these posts generated via hashtags, handles, mentions, etc., moderate them to filter out content that is irrelevant, and customize the look and feel of it by choosing from amongst 11+ high-end themes.
You can embed it below a live stream or showcase it in between, before or after your sessions.
2) Improve Interactions With Polls
Polling is an influential way to engage the audience. It turns the one-way conversation, two-way and fetches easy audience attention.
Knowing your audience can help you understand their needs and interests better and cater to them efficiently. While on the audience’s front, they feel valued and appreciated which will keep them hooked throughout the event.
Taking polls before the event can make you more relevant and your attendees will better connect to you which will further reduce your no-show rate.
3) Outsource Entertainment
Outsourcing entertainment is yet another great tactic to keep your audience engaged. As artists and entertainers are naturally good at keeping the spectators attentive.
For virtual events that are conducted on a small scale, you can call for sketch or mimicry artists. They can uniquely and creatively entertain your audience and keep them wanting more throughout the event.
For events that take place on a relatively large scale, organizers can call for stand-up comics, magicians, or conduct an open-mic.
Sizeable virtual trade shows, however entertaining or informative they are, might get overwhelming for the audience at a point. And obviously, you want to hold on to your audience’s attention, this is where outsourcing quality entertainment comes to play an important role.
4) Play Quizzes And Fun Games
We have all played quizzes and puzzles and have loved them to the T.
The greatest advantage of playing games is the interaction that takes place amongst the audience. They are thrilled, attentive, and engaged in the activities that they are guided to.
While on the organizers’ front, they can effortlessly spread the word about their venture and create an impact in the minds of their attendees. As information is better perceived with visuals and relevant conversations.
Also, playing quizzes around the purpose and flow of the virtual event can be an amazing way to encourage the curiosity and attention of the attendees while the organizers can keep track of their engagement.
Furthermore, you can also keep rewards to uplift the participative spirit of the attendees and keep them hooked to the event.
5) Set Up Virtual Photo Booths
Virtual Photo Booth can make your event fun and memorable by radically improving your attendees’ experience. As it charms them by providing a space to be creative and engage with each other.
The organizers can tailor their events by adding virtual backgrounds, templates, custom stickers, exciting filters, overlays featuring the brand’s logo, or sponsor details.
By employing smart platforms, your guests can run through the live gallery to see the pictures created by others and get inspired to also click some.
People attending the event obviously miss taking pictures of them at the event. While nothing can replace the vibe of a live event, organizers can take efforts to get close to it by setting up a virtual photo booth.
People get excited to click themselves, share the picture on their social media handles using the exclusive event hashtag, and subtly instigate other guests to do the same. This is not only a fool-proof way to better engage, but also a considerable way to increase brand awareness.
6) Showcase High-End, Compelling Content
Irrespective of how well you plan your event, content is the only weapon in your arsenal that can help you have an edge.
Fetching the attention of the attendees and holding onto it until the event lasts, is indeed a challenging task. Here, showcasing content that adds value to your attendees, ignites their curiosity, and keeps them engaged throughout, is imperative.
Visuals, especially in a video format easily captivate the audience, that is why 61% of the marketers leverage them to initiate interactions.
Design your content depending upon your niche but do not forget to add elements of fun like polls, memes, quotes, trivia, etc.
In fact, statistics show that 71% of virtual event organizers employ polls to hold onto the audience’s attention.
7) Let Interactions Happen Between Audiences
Create room for your audience to interact with you and amongst themselves. A group chat is a great way to facilitate networking, as they can ask questions, post comments, respond to them, and meet like-minded people.
Alternatively, you can also create themes around which audiences can share their opinions and ideas. A conversational event is the best way to gather your attendees’ engagement because nobody likes to be bombarded with information or just sit still while performances happen.
Moreover, people not getting to meet each other in person is a huge drawback that virtual event organizers need to take into consideration. Giving opportunities to connect seamlessly with each other can be your front-runner to combat the challenge.
Over To You
87% of the marketers appraise the opportunities created by virtual events to be a contributing factor in their success.
This being a substantial figure, is indicative of the fact that virtual events do not just hold a major share in how businesses are conducted in the ‘new normal, but also that the perception and attitude of the organizers, as well as the attendees, has changed sharply.
Incorporate these tactics to successfully increase the virtual event engagement of your audience and upscale your business. And hey, if you are still confused, reach out to us!
