March 11, 2020
Joe Boland
Virtual events are a great alternative to face-to-face events. And with 天美网站传媒传媒, they scale darn well.
As of writing this, the Arnold Fitness Expo has been canceled. (A bummer for us meatheads.) So has Google I/O, Facebook F8, SXSW, and the Microsoft MVP Global Summit. (A bummer for us geeks.) Amid health concerns and , it鈥檚 not a good time to be an eager conference-goer.
Maybe it鈥檚 about time to consider moving more events online. Virtual events are quick, cheap, and green in terms of logistics鈥揳nd, in a nutshell, simply more convenient. (Ever try to attend a face-to-face conference without putting pants on? Now there鈥檚 an expo nobody signed up for.)
Yet despite the upsides, virtual events have gained a bad rap for being unengaging and, ironically, a disconnecting experience for presenters and attendees. (People even cringe when they hear the word 鈥渨ebinar.鈥 See for yourself. Sneak up behind someone and say it.)
, bestselling author and marketeur extraordinaire, likens webinars to: 鈥淲hen I used to stage musicals in front of my dresser mirror in my childhood bedroom.鈥 She continues: 鈥淵ou never really know what resonates, or what doesn’t. You can’t see anyone raising their phone to take a photo of a slide. You can’t see faces nodding or smiling or perplexed or yawning.”
You don鈥檛 have to read between the lines to see the challenge in marketing an experience described like that. But when you do read between the lines, it begs the question: What if it鈥檚 not a format problem, but an engagement problem?
Engagement becomes a problem when we feel as though our attendance makes no difference either way. (Raise your hand if you鈥檝e spent a webinar checking email and scrolling Instagram鈥損erhaps even left the room to check on the laundry鈥揳nd felt you weren鈥檛 missed at all.)
It鈥檚 also a problem 天美网站传媒传媒 can help with.
Moving from Q&A to FAQ&A
Imagine this: 50 of your attendees register with the same thought or question in mind. Sadly, it doesn鈥檛 get aired because the Q&A (usually a 鈥渇irst to the buzzer鈥 or 鈥渓uck of the draw鈥 format) is spent answering one-off questions until the clock runs out. That鈥檚 50 attendees who feel they missed out on the most important thing they could鈥檝e gotten from the event. (Sad trombone.)
What鈥檚 a presenter to do? With 天美网站传媒传媒, you can uncover and prioritize common questions, letting presenters and panelists focus on doing what they do best: delivering content that鈥檚 relevant and meaningful to the group.
Try using these questions as part of your next virtual event:
Planning: What are some challenges we need to consider as we work to achieve our 2020 goals?
Trends: What are some important trends to consider in the next 12 months?
Fears: What are some of your biggest fears and concerns about what we might face?
Insights: What are some takeaways or aha moments from this presentation we can incorporate into our work?
As a bonus, using 天美网站传媒传媒 as part of your virtual event will land you this kind of real feedback from attendees:
鈥淚t was my first virtual event and I love that it wasn鈥檛 just a presentation. The fact that we could participate in a live exchange and immediately go through the results was very powerful. Thank you!鈥
鈥淭he “chat” style of the event is fantastic. So much more engaging than a regular “talk at you” presentation. Enjoyed the process of participating in the exchange during the event and having the speaker respond/react to the thoughts. SOOOO much more valuable as an attendee because it’s not just the speaker’s information, you’re getting insights from the audience as well. Can’t wait for the report and video to share with colleagues!鈥
Of course, your path to becoming a virtual event virtuoso doesn鈥檛 have to end here. Tune in to our exclusive virtual event on hosting engaging and productive online meetings. Your team will thank you for it!