Why The World Is CRAZY Bored With Virtual Events
Virtual events can be amazing, but there are a couple of initial stumbling blocks to overcome. If you fail to recognize and address these issues, you risk being lost in a sea of endless virtual options that your guests are constantly surfing through. This is why virtual events have become boring even though the trend is still new.
It’s an oversaturation problem in many ways. It’s also about a lack of connection. The easiest way to break out from the crowd is to adopt disruptive tactics. These are radically new ways to elicit the response you want from your guests while totally breaking from convention.
Here are some of our expert thoughts on how to stand out and engage your guests. This is how we recommend overcoming virtual event boredom.
Bored With Virtual Events? Picking Your Platform Should Still Feel Familiar
Let’s start right off with something counter intuitive. This whole blog is about how to shake things up, but your platform choice might not be the right place to step away from the crowd.
Consider the fact that your potential attendees have attended events and meetings before yours. Do you want to make them sign up for a whole new platform and walk through the registration and login process?
The answer may be yes, but make sure that your platform choice delivers greater value to them if you’re asking them to jump through extra hoops.
It’s also wise to keep in mind that attendees will get more out of an event if they’re already familiar with the platform. If your attendee pool is loyal to you or they’ve attended many of your events in the past, it might be a great idea to poll them for their opinions.
This also works well for intracompany events like training and companywide meetings. Try to pick a platform and stick with it.
Bored With Virtual Events? Become A Fly On The Wall
Have you ever daydreamed about being a spy? Creatively and artfully sneaking behind enemy lines to gather valuable intel? Now‘s your chance!
On a more serious note, you want to know what your closest competitors are doing. If possible, you want to be on their mailing lists. You may even want to attend one of their virtual events.
You can’t differentiate yourself and less you know what they’re up to. It might seem underhanded, but it isn’t. The truth is, one of the greatest secrets in inbound marketing is to discover what your competitors are offering and do the same thing better.
It’s not about ripping them off. It’s about improving on what they are offering. This is an easy way to set yourself apart.
Bored With Virtual Events? Step Away From The Whiteboard
Let’s talk about presentations. We all know the easiest way for most speakers to present is with analog tools like whiteboards. Your speakers might not be able to create a PowerPoint presentation or, a slick video, or even evocative graphics in Adobe.
If you have team members available who have a skill set in any of these areas, get them involved with your presenters. If you can illustrate their knowledge in an immersive way, your guests will remember the experience.
It’s worth the extra time if you have the manpower to devote to it.
Bored With Virtual Events? Schedule Creative Intermissions
In-person events have a lot of downtime. That allows guests to interact with each other and network. It also lets people give their minds a break during information-rich events.
It’s easy to get lazy about these breaks when running virtual events. Instead, consider establishing networking time in between your presenters. Many platforms have this feature already.
Hire Artists
Another creative way to stand out from your competitors is to offer a creative break featuring a local musician who will stream in from their home. Comedians, poets, and storytellers are also great options. If you can think of an art form that relates to your brand identity reach out to local creative‘s and see if you can involve them.
This gives you additional humanitarian and community outreach bonus points. Many of these creatives are struggling during this time and the more you can help them by involving them, the better.
Pre And Post Engagement
We strongly recommend that you establish an engaging friendly and inviting environment for your potential and registered guests well before the event begins. The way you do this will depend on your brand identity. If you have an informal way of interacting with your target audience, your pre-and post-event outreach can be likewise informal.
There are easy ways to do this using your social media accounts, polls, social posts that ask for input, and sneak peeks or behind-the-scenes footage. Can you profile your presenters in an engaging way leading up to the event? Can you create an engaging brand story and push that on social media leading up to your event?
Be Relatable Or a Trusted Authority
Depending on your industry, you can become relatable or establish a role as a trusted authority before a guest even signs up. Not only will this help attract attendees, but it increases their feelings of investment in the event itself.
In fact, if you can think of a way to involve them by asking them to send in testimonials or questions prior to the event, that’s even better! On the other hand, if your goal is to be an authority, consider dripping “pro tips“ on your social media the month prior to the event.
During The Event
Encourage your presenters to ask for audience participation. Are they willing to take a few questions during their presentations? Can they pick people out of the virtual audience to ask questions to or use as examples?
Think back to school- you paid closer attention in classes where you might get called on, right? The same goes for your virtual events! Your guests may also get more out of the presentations if they’re part of the examples.
After The Event
After the event, follow up with attendees in creative ways beyond just asking for feedback. Virtual events don’t have the benefit of guest-generated selfies, but you can set up similar opportunities anyway. Try asking guests to take and submit selfies before during or after your event and share them on social media.
People love to see themselves featured, so make it clear that you’ll reblog their posts.
If you are sending out any goodies or swag to your guests before the event, even better! Ask them to pose with these items in their selfies. You may even consider a post-event giveaway and ask guests to share these selfies on their accounts and tag your business in them for entry.
Bored With Virtual Events? Overcoming Sign Up Resistance
Virtual event boredom even affects getting people to sign up in the first place. How can you overcome their boredom fueled resistance?
You simply have to get creative. This is why working with an expert team can truly help you. Not only are the pros at engagement, but they’re working with a lot of clients and they know what other people are doing. They know what’s working and what’s falling flat.
Raffles, contests, and prizes can still occur in virtual events. If your business offers a product or service, consider giving away some portion of your wears to a certain number of attendees.
Your prices don’t have to be business-related however. Seek out sponsors in your community that are willing to donate something they offer. Alternatively, giveaway company merchandise, a members-only behind-the-scenes experience, or a bonus question and answer with your presenters.
You can offer these things to random drawings or as a first sign up bonus for a limited number of attendees who are willing to go early bird.
Bored With Virtual Events? Work The FOMO
Another great way to increase attendance it’s to leverage people’s FOMO. Maybe you have insider information to share with the attendees. Promote that.
Let your marketing talk up some form of scarcity or something people who don’t attend will miss out on.
This doesn’t have to be information-based. It could be a fun factor. Your industry and your brand identity will help steer you in the proper channels for you.
Blast that boredom
Maybe you haven’t thought about virtual event boredom before. Hopefully, this post hasn’t scared you. Our goal is to inform you so that you can be proactive.
These tips and tricks are time-tested and they’ve worked for our own events and the events we plan for clients.
If you’re intrigued about what we do specifically when we plan events, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
We not only plan events for individuals and businesses of all sizes, but we also consult with event planning teams to help take them to the next level.
We believe in you! Rise above that plateau.
