In this last year, all manner of events have been cancelled or postponed worldwide, from local festivals to major sports championships. And it's happened in the business world too. But just because you can’t host your event in person, doesn’t mean you should cancel it completely.
Research in 2020 found that B2B event marketing was the highest conversion generator of all sales and marketing channels. So, to avoid the loss of such an effective demand generation channel, companies need to replace their traditional events schedules. And virtual events are the perfect substitution. Plus, they offer a wide range of benefits of their own.
Why are virtual events so effective?
Common limitations of in-person events aren’t an issue when it comes to their digital counterparts. Using nothing more than an internet connection, delegates can join a virtual event without the hassle of geographical, travel and time barriers. This increased accessibility allows for a far wider audience reach. It’s cheaper - with no location, equipment or travel expenses to account for – and the technological developments still allow for audience engagement through polls, video and chat.
The highly measurable nature of online events also gives you greater analytical capabilities. With details on everything from login time to who asked what question, this information can be used to fine-tune conversations in the post-event follow-up.
Which type of event is best?
Different events lend themselves to different virtual formats, and deciding which is best for yours is fundamental. This will be dependent on what your event aims are and who your target audience is.
- Small group sessions: Comprising fewer people, these sessions address a specific need and include audience engagement. Often run as online training sessions or round table discussions, these offer in-depth information on a given topic.
- Webinar: Focused on sharing detailed information on a single topic, these sessions range in duration. Typically, somewhere between 30 mins and 2 hours. With less engagement from attendees, common formats include presentations, panel discussions and Q&A’s.
- Virtual conference: A large online event which usually has several speakers and covers a range of different topics. Virtual spaces for social engagement online are often available as well.
How to engage your audience
Whatever event you’re running, whether virtual or in-person, webinar or virtual conference, you’ll want to maximise the success and ROI from your efforts. Communication is key when it comes to promoting and following-up your event. After all, your event won’t be the success it can be if no-one knows it’s happening.
- Email: One of the most cost-effective ways for communicating your event, you can use emails to inform people about your event, send reminder emails and follow-up afterwards too. A good-quality contact database will be needed to make effective use of this channel. If necessary, you can grow your database ahead of the event, or purchase new data to target.
- Social Media: You can use your business social media channels (and those of any partners or sponsors) to promote your event, share updates during it, and distribute event resources. The second option social media offers is to use sponsored posts. Different social media channels have different options here, but you can target specific individuals who may be interested in your event based on the criteria you set.
- Telemarketing: Unlike other communication channels, telemarketing is more difficult to ignore. Again, a high-quality contact database is important for getting the facts right during your call. Telemarketing allows you to quickly establish a relationship with your lead through the personalised approach each conversation offers. You can tailor your call for each lead in order to share event details ahead of the event, or gather feedback after the event.
To get the most from your event, you need to make sure you offer the best possible experience throughout the entire process. From registration through to the follow-up. If you have more leads than your team can handle alone, it is wise to bring in additional support from a professional telemarketing company. They will be able to take over the task of getting in contact with your leads whilst the event excitement is in full force.
For more information on how to make virtual events work for your B2B company, download our guide here:
