Category: Blog

Virtual Event Marketing: How to promote your online event

Event Marketing describes the process carried out to promote an event, whether it is a presentation, a seminar or a fair. No matter the kind of event, its characteristics, or its aim: if we do not know how to efficiently promote it or get to our target audience, all our efforts will be in vain.

An event offers a unique opportunity for users to interact with brands and get a clear idea of the approach, the perspective, and the personality of a business. In fact, nowadays customers are not satisfied with just an explanation of the advantages of a product or service: They want interaction in order to gain thorough understanding of the alternative they are being offered, evaluate and choose the correct option.

With that said, Event Marketing is crucial, as it combines an action strategy aimed to promote, with the objective of attracting a considerable audience and achieving high ROI.

Within online events, there are several ways of carrying out virtual event marketing. Each of them has its own characteristics and requirements when promoting it, but all have been established on the same basis: the interaction of the attendees with the company.

Virtual meetings eliminate physical boundaries, allowing for geographically disperse attendees to reunite and, thus, easily drawing a bigger audience. The most common virtual events and the greatest allies of marketing specialist are:

Webinars: Meetings based on presentations, debates or workshops which take part online. They can be in real-time or on-demand.

In the former, interaction between participants is enabled and they are given the opportunity of receiving or discussing information concerning a certain topic through different web tools.

Live Streams: These are meetings or presentations that take place in real-time and are streamed.

Just like in webinars, these kinds of events also provide attendees with the possibility of interacting through chats or social media, thanks to which we can get our audience involved from the start. Although this is not true for every case, as there are occasions where participation is not possible.

Virtual Events: These are the most comprehensive in terms of interaction. Virtual worlds are the greatest allies for event planners, as the irruption of this new technology in corporate events has caused the emergence of immersive, innovative, and unique experiences.

We can find companies like Virtway Events, which use the resources provided byvirtual worlds in the best way possible, to recreate abstract situations while maintaining great realism. Thus, offering virtual events with interactive 3D avatars. These avatars mimic each of the participants and allow us to create interactive scenarios where it is possible to communicate.

The advantages of virtual events, no matter if it is a conference, virtual training activities, webinars, online conferences, or any other more complex type of meetings, are endless. Likewise, endless (or almost) are the existing marketing strategies, which result in lower costs and a greater outreach than regular advertising campaigns.

3 REASONS TO USE VIRTUAL EVENT MARKETING STRATEGIES

Companies choose to participate in an event for several reasons. Virtual events for businesses have different aims. A small business, for instance, may go for the possibilities given by a webinar to connect with its audience, while a bigger enterprise may need the face-to-face interaction that virtual fairs offer.

However, all these events have three essential objectives that Event Marketing representatives pursue. These are the main reasons for a company to plan, organize and promote a virtual event:

1. Build and position the brand while creating awareness

Virtual Event Marketing strategies are infallible tools to advertise your company and position it in an increasingly competitive market. Through virtual events, it is possible to increase brandawareness share ideas and communicate directly with our target audience.

This is where social media takes on an important role. We can begin with the common Twitter and Facebook posts, but we should go a step further and take advantage of Instagram andTikTok potentials to give our audience a sneak peak of where the event will take place and who will be in charge.

It is also interesting to use social media content to include information about the event through videos, connection tutorials, registration information or interactive guides.

2. Lead generation

Another important reason for companies to participate in virtual events is to generate leads. This is the top priority for marketing representatives, and not in vain: attracting potential clients and stimulate their interest in the offered services or products is a fundamental step for any business.

In this sense, planning a virtual event has an enormous potential to attract and generate warm leads. Without geographical barriers or time limitations, this kind of events ensure a great information exchange and has turned into a gold mine for Event Marketing.

3. Create solid relationships with the clients and increase sales

When promoting an event, the digital environment allows you to reach a broader number of users while requiring a lower investment, and the immediacy of online sources will allow access to hundreds of people which may become loyal followers of your company.

In this respect, a virtual event offers a high level of commitment with the client, as it allows highly personal interactions despite the remoteness.

Moreover, these events give us real-time access to the assistant’s data, which provides marketing representatives with useful information about ROI. Thus, giving them the chance to study and improve the quality of present and future events.

All in all, virtual events should be part of every companies’ marketing strategies. And to advertise them, we should bear in mind some key objectives.

The essence of these events makes it possible to achieve these objectives, thanks to the creativity, the level of interaction of virtual events, and the possibility of consulting results in real time. These elements ease the tasks of the Event Marketing representatives, not only when promoting these online events, but also for ensuring the highest ROI.

How to turn a conference into a virtual event

...a step towards online networking

Our lifestyle is headed towards a virtual world and many already noticed this tendency a few years ago, but it is now when we can appreciate that this reality has come to stay. Additionally, the global crisis caused by the coronavirus is a clear trigger for this quick change.

For months now, the way we connect with each other has radically changed. Within a few days, personal meetings were substituted by online encounters through virtual platforms and video calls were the meeting point with our friends and family.

And, although this change of scenario and mentality seemed to only affect people on a personal level, it was soon followed by companies, businesses, and commercial activities on all levels. In a matter of hours, a conference or any type of face-to-face meeting became dangerous for our health and the ones around us.

What began as punctual cancellations or postponements quickly became rules: all in-person events were to be suspended indefinitely. And with that, in-person activities disappeared almost entirely from offices around the world. At this point, most businesses had to face the challenge of finding a virtual conference platform, both to communicate with their users and to be in contact with their remote worker, in order to avoid the entrepreneurial activity to be entirely annulled.

Virtual reality was the key that opened the doors to this whole new world. The great advances made in this technology during the past years has allowed us to combine the security and commodity of online meetings with the interactivity of face-to-face activities. And, although it was considered as a progress only accessible for big enterprises, that is no longer the case. In fact, nowadays, virtual conferences seem to be the order of the day, no matter the size or the activity business. Online networking is now found in every sector and at every level.

The reasons to invest in virtual events in 2020 are several and diverse, nevertheless, you need to know how to do it. Like any entrepreneurship, a strategy and some guidelines are required to reassure making the right choice.

Top 7 tips for organizing virtual conferences

1. Choose the topic for your virtual conference
  Common sense is a basic element that must be present in each step of organizing a virtual event. If we want to present a perfume, we might want to approach it from a innovative perspective, at least until they create a platform that allows us to smell (someday, for sure) but, for now, we might want to think if the topic is adequate. However, the event organizers will definitely know how to overcome these limitations.
2. Define your target audience
  For any successful planning, it is essential to determine who we are addressing and who is going to be listening. The functioning of a virtual conference is similar as for any other kind of event: we need to know our audience, how to get their attention and design a effective videoconference structure.
3. Choose the platform that best meets your event needs
  Thanks to the advances in this technology, we can find implements to suit all tastes and objectives. Therefore, it is important to analyze which is going to better meet our requirements. We can simply opt to share a video message on social media or go further and use interactive 3D avatars. This is one of the most vanguard options we can nowadays be found, and it allows us to organize videoconferences and online seminars where hundred of assistants work simultaneously, aiming to achieve an almost real and immersive interaction. This is one of the reasons for supporting virtual events based on 3D avatars: extremely realistic and interactive experiences.
4. Create a smooth and effective structure
  The same way it happens with face-to-face meetings, virtual conferences require defined guidelines and a script with a delimited structure, which can meet the requirements of the company and the audience. Therefore, it is essential to create an event built on presentations, seminaries, and activities, as well as provide some time to solve possible doubts and questions. In this sense, it is interesting to take into account these avatars. In fact, Virtway Events has a highly advanced virtual platform in which the virtual characters can mimic the physical aspects of the conference keynote speakers, and can have real-time conversation through VoIP (even the volume is regulated depending on the proximity between avatars). Showing emotions, such as greeting or clapping, is also possible thanks to the animations.
5. Design content upon request
  One of the most successful elements of these virtual conferences is the possibility of on-demand content. This possibility enhances the experience and raises the interest in participating. For this reason, it is important to provide the participants a broad variety of opportunities to get to know the products and services that are being exhibited through pictures and videos, demos, flyers, electronic books, and all kind of digital material that can be downloaded and checked at any time.
6. Define a follow-up strategy
  After the event, it is essential to perform a follow-up of the potential clients that have shown up. To guarantee future conversations, it is possible to send an email to all the prospects, asking about their opinions about the event, or inviting them to take part in a survey. These actions not only will help getting new clients and their loyalty, but also, will be key for identifying which parts of the online experience were effective, with the aim of improving future events.
7. Share content and create connections.
  Online conferences can be filmed, which turns them into information sources that can be easily shared. In this sense, it is important to arrange a good database to present the content, so the event will expand exponentially, especially if we take advantage of social media.

The advantages and possibilities that virtual conferences can offer cause it to become the ultimate business communication tool, no matter the moment or situation. However, it is now when its value is at its peak. Because, as we have seen, we live in an uncertain present where in-person events cannot take place, and companies must focus all their efforts on maintaining services with remote solutions.

The Future of Work: Here in the Present

The world crisis caused by the coronavirus has caused a 360º turn in a lot of our lives and we’ve really had to rethink many of our day to day routines. And not only on a personal level, where the impact of this new situation has been of huge, but also in regard to our professional lives.

There’s no denying that the future of work, something that professionals have been predicting and defining for years, has shown up and has shown up quickly confirming that remote working is our new reality and frankly, it’s likely here to stay.

One of the business consequences of Covid-19 is that the economic and productive landscape changed completely in a matter of days. What was considered normal a few months ago- going to work in offices or holding daily physical meetings – are now exceptional situations.

Although it is true that many countries and businesses had already begun opting for remote work as a more permanent way of working, many companies are still on the fence about this option as possible within their policies. Within a week’s time, everyone was able to see how teleworking has been the only -and obligatory- way out for many businesses to keep moving forward successfully.

So now that we can breathe a little easier and have seen for ourselves how remote employees are the present and future of corporate activities, it is time to know and understand all these changes. The objective: to learn from them and continue applying them in the day-to-day business.

Trends that will impact the workplace during and after the coronavirus

The panorama of uncertainty that marked the beginning of the crisis caused by the pandemic, where contagion in the workplaces was a huge risk, displacements were very restricted and borders were closed, was the key for companies to look for effective and efficient alternatives.

The solution came at the hand of technology: to use the great advances that we have at our disposal in online and virtual environments. And now, the concept of working from home at different levels (from performing a routine task to holding meetings via video conference, to holding all kinds of events and corporate activities) is a reality.

To learn from this new normal and improve upon it, it’s important to know which are the main trends that are already impacting the future of work:

A new hyper-connected mentality.
If years ago someone asked whether all our actions would be visible on the web, we would not have believed it. But the truth is that today, our lives are public as a result of the continuous use of social networks and mobile devices.
This mentality is translating into a change in attitude in companies, forcing them to redefine many strategies to reach their customers and to adopt new measures aimed at innovation. Both are mandatory outlets if they want to continue to have a presence in an increasingly globalized and competitive market.
The unstoppable advance of technology.
Cloud services, big data, virtual worlds and all the new platforms that are playing a leading role in the current panorama have changed and will continue to change the way we work.

What was possible only yesterday to do in a face-to-face manner, is possible today without any physical contact. In fact, the advantages of virtual events are such that more and more companies are joining this trend.
New generations are on the move.
Young people are part of a group that is driving the most imminent changes making their influence on companies increasingly important. Their world is 100% digital and new technologies are essential in their working environment.

One of their objectives is to work as remote employees and carry out corporate activities from anywhere. For them this is completely normal, and if companies want to retain and harness the qualities of these young talents, they must invest in solutions to retain and motivate them.

Virtual corporate activities: The present of the new normal

The day-to-day of most companies is full of events, presentations, meetings and various appointments. And all of them are adapting to the new times that demand to break with the physical barriers. It is no longer necessary to be in the same space to connect or to be able to communicate. What once seemed to us to be the fruit of science fiction, is more than a palpable reality nowadays.

The best example can be found in immersive virtual activities, a trend with many followers among event organizers. These are very real experiences that take place in imaginary worlds.

There are already many types of interactive corporate activities that a company can implement for customers, headquarters or even among their own employees. Here are some examples:

Escape rooms. A team building activity whose main objective is to not only evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a team, but to also find a moment for fun.

They are an ideal alternative for employees who work remotely and/or in other countries, giving them the opportunity to carry out a live group experience, optimize internal communication and improve the overall work environment. In fact, the most developed skills in this type of virtual event are: leadership, teamwork, decision making and creativity.
Organizational Coaching. Workshops that offer their participants the opportunity to increase their knowledge of themselves as a team. They are designed to answer questions such as why they do what they do and, above all, how they do it.

This is a clear example of how virtual team building activities are able to increase the personal and professional growth of employees, and therefore, improve their performance.

These are just a couple of examples of the possibilities opened up by the irruption of virtual worlds into the corporate event environment. Meetings with workers from different locations, events with customers, employee training… the list of activities that the coronavirus has prohibited -due to the proximity between its attendees- is long, and virtual technology has become the solution for companies to continue with their activity without the need to travel.

Now we can take advantage of this opportunity, improve their presence in our businesses and continue to depend on a working future that is more present than ever.

Can Companies Avoid COVID Setbacks?

The world is going through a difficult time due to the unprecedented expansion of coronavirus, COVID-19. In fact, most countries have declared a state of emergency at some point over the last few months.

This situation has created the need to take drastic measures to prevent the spread of this virus. One of these measures, which widely started to be put into force around mid-March, was to restrict the free movement of citizens.

Although health undoubtedly comes first, and therefore all government actions must be focused on guaranteeing it as much as possible, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the economic impact of the coronavirus can be and has been devastating for many in the business community.

According to various international economic publications, the global economy will experience a loss of almost 1 trillion dollars, due to decreased mobility and reduced commercial activity.

Given this scenario, where infection in the workplace is a great risk, and if we also take into account that borders have been closed and travel is only allowed in cases of extreme need, organizations have already begun to seek viable alternatives to remain connected to their headquarters, customers and/or suppliers.

The natural inclination to this search is clear: to use the great advances in online technology, a tool that can help enormously not to paralyze production in an integral way and to favor remote working to the max.

Remote connections: Solutions to prevent workplace contagion

While some disasters are beyond human’s control, technology plays an important role in providing real and effective alternatives for damage control, both economically and in terms of health.

If we talk about one’s well-being, it is indisputable that technological advances have allowed us not to have go to our workplaces, and therefore, the risk lowering the risk of spreading the virus. And economically speaking, the possibility that companies can continue to operate remotely, without having to stop their activity completely, is a big step towards making the consequences of the coronavirus smaller.

The main challenge organizations face right now is to stay connected and reduce the impact on their daily business. And in this sense, one of the solutions is simple: work from home.

But often, depending on the type of company, the services it offers and the interactions it has with clients or employees, takes more than a laptop and a mobile phone to perform business tasks from home.

Meetings with workers from different locations, events with clients, employee training, networking etc are just some examples of the activities that the coronavirus has limited, since they are usually face-to-face activities that would increase the risk of contagion to the maximum. Which is exactly why more and more of these in-person events are being cancelled across the globe.

However, in a scenario that seems very dark at first glance, technology, and specifically virtual technology, has managed to become a solution to the economic impact of the coronavirus: thanks to its innovative proposals, it allows companies to continue developing their activity without having to travel to any type of event.

Thanks to this, physical interaction is eliminated and replaced by an online and immersive experience, which allows companies to interact with there attendees without the need to travel or be there face-to-face.

Virtual events as an alternative to reduce the economic impact of the coronavirus

Online events are part of our lives much more than we are aware of, and much more so now, during this time of uncertainty we are living. In fact, even government meetings have been held remotely, without any of the participants having to travel.

And this is precisely the strong point of technology: to prevent events from being cancelled, replacing them with other very effective formulas that do not put us in danger. And if online platforms allow for great advances, virtual technology deserves a special mention, since it is capable of offering experiences that exceed the limitations marked by physical events.

Virtual events, like those hosted in Virtway Events, can connect thousands of people simultaneously from any type of mobile device, and if accompanied by 3D applications, your participants can also interact with voice and movement.

But the benefits of virtual meetings for the corporate environment go much further than that. While the elimination of physical proximity is currently top priority to prevent the spread of the virus, there are other benefits that companies can get from this type of event, not just now but also in the future:

- Cost reduction:

Something that nowadays is even more important. And one of the advantages that virtual events bring is the great reduction of costs in comparison with physical events, since the expenses of hiring spaces, travel and trips are eliminated, as well as all those related to the stays of the assistants, catering or necessary material.

- Increased audience and visibility:

Virtual events eliminate geographic and time barriers, two of the biggest limitations when organizing an event. They also increase visibility: when it comes to promoting the event, the digital environment allows you to reach a greater number of users with a much lower investment.

- Immersive and unforgettable experiences:

The main challenge of any corporate meeting is to achieve total attraction over the attendee, and online events have been designed by and for innovation. But for these experiences to be truly immersive, virtual worlds have brought an essential element to business educational entertainment techniques: 3D avatars.

They are a unique way of bringing any corporate event to life, as they are graphic images that represent a person in a virtual world. The possibilities of interaction of a virtual avatar are infinite, and can in fact hold conversations and speak through voice over IP in a natural way, exchange any kind of information and even express their emotions through animations, such as applause or greetings.

The threats and consequences of the coronavirus have forced the cancellation of many business events that have caused significant economic losses. If companies want to stop this trend and keep their business from being paralyzed by the COVID-19, virtual events are the answer: close environments without being close.