As we already discussed, holding an in-person event is expensive! This is not practical for most people due to cost or time constraints. Therefore, if you are looking to launch your event planning career, then investing in virtual event marketing strategies is the next best step.
There are many ways to run a successful virtual event, from using technology to facilitate engagement, to optimizing the logistics of hosting and producing the event, to finding new events to connect with online followers.
In this article, I will go over all these tips along with some more specific ones that can help you become a great virtual event producer.
Buy advertising to execute your marketing strategies
Having your event website is great, but buying an advertisement or sponsoring an existing one is another way to spread your message. Creating an account at Vividly, for example, allows you to advertise via their platform in ways that include YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
There are many different types of advertisements you can insert on these sites, so experimenting is fun! They also offer a free trial period which gives you time to determine what works best for your business.
By using their services, you keep control over your advertisement content as well as the length it runs for. It’s much more cost-effective than producing your ads if you don’t have special effects or fancy graphics.
Host the event
Running an in-person conference is expensive! And while it may be easier to start with, you can always need more funding. So why not hold your event online?
This will cost less money as well as time for you to organize, plan, and promote the event. Some of the most successful virtual events are free to host and run!
By using the right tools, hosting a live stream or chat session, and promoting it properly, you can earn some revenue and grow your community through this approach.
There are many ways to make money online via streaming and talking about things that interest you. Many people use these services to turn their income on and keep earning rewards by advertising products and services.
Does anyone else find it frustrating when companies ask for your email before giving you a discount or prize? I know I do! Thankfully, there are ways to get past this so you don’t have to give up reward junkie habits.
Distribute promotional materials to ensure your marketing strategies succeed
One of the most important things you can do as an event promoter is to distribute all relevant information about your event. This includes flyers, posters, social media posts, etc.
Flyers are one of the best ways to promote your event because they are very accessible. You can place them in places where people will likely see them such as bus stops, train stations, or grocery stores.
By doing this, your event will be seen by many more people! And since most people these days have their phones with them at all times, using mobile apps to spread awareness for your event is a great way to reach more people.
There are several free app distribution tools out there that help you get the job done. Most of them are tied to a specific goal-have you pay only when someone uses the app so it does not cost much if you are looking to spread around some info.
These apps make it easy to upload and print your flyer, cover photo, and description before sending off on your mission to spread the word.
Offer a ticket price
As seen with our virtual event marketing tips, offering a ticket price is one of the most important strategies for success when it comes to investing in online event marketing.
As we discussed before, giving away something (the event tickets) will create interest in your event and will help you draw in more attendees.
Offering a low price can be done through coupons or by using a cheaper venue than what you planned. This way, you do not need to spend as much money to have the event succeed!
Your attendees can also choose to purchase higher-priced tickets at a later date if they can afford them. This helps retain customers and keeps them coming back!
Planning an event does not happen overnight. It takes time and effort to get the word out about your event and recruit people to attend.
Encourage people to register
A lot of times, the hardest thing about virtual event marketing strategies is encouraging individuals to participate in the event. People can feel like they are not needed or important enough to invite themselves to join you for something.
That’s normal! We’re all connected through technology now, so inviting someone to an event no longer feels personal.
Inviting friends to events has become very expensive due to the fees that most invitation services charge. So many people have given up doing it because it’s too costly.
By instead offering your online community as a platform for the event, you can keep the costs down. This gives them a way to be involved without spending extra money.
Tell everyone about the event
When hosting an in-person event, there’s always that one person who doesn’t seem to get involved with other attendees. They don’t talk much, they stay at the party even when others are leaving, and they never invite anyone else around them. This person is usually rich or well-known, so it’s not necessarily because they’re hiding from the spotlight — it’s just that they don’t need to promote their presence.
For this reason, most virtual events have very little engagement beyond the initial announcement. People may see the event posted online, but few will attend until you do something to draw attention to the event.
This should be done as early as possible for two main reasons. First, your potential guests will lose interest if they can’t find out where the event is being hosted. Second, people will start forgetting how to connect outside of the digital realm, which means they’ll forget how to meet new people.
If you want to host a successful virtual event, then you must actively work to encourage attendance. Luckily, there are several ways to do this.
Be consistent in your marketing strategies
Consistency is key when it comes to virtual event marketing strategies. This means consistency in posting on social media, consistency with engaging users online, and overall consistency between postings, activities, and conversations.
Consistency is important because people will get tired of being asked for their attention constantly if you don’t have something valuable to tell them.
When they see that you don’t have anything new to say, they will stop interacting with you and give you theirs.
Connect with your audience
The first way to succeed in virtual event marketing is by connecting with your audience. This can be done through posting comments on their blogs, responding to messages they send you, or even creating your blog site or forum for this product or service!
By interacting with them, you’re showing that you care about their well-being and want to help them feel better about themselves and life.
That makes them trust you more than if you just went straight up selling something. Your followers will give you higher-quality reviews because they like you already!
Your online presence is one of the most important things people look at before deciding whether to do business with you. The greater sense of confidence you create in others, the more likely they are going to purchase from you.
Interacting with other users also helps you find out what types of products and services are popular so you can cater to those needs.