It’s been quite a while since we encountered the devastating news of the novel coronavirus that shook the dust from the nation’s feet. Almost every industry was taken down by this pandemic and none were ready to face the brutal challenge that came along with the virus. Amongst all, the event industry was hit the hardest and was the first one to react upon the cause.
Even though there’s a constant rise in demand for digital solutions, many organisers are still dealing with how to conduct an event that replicates a similar look and feel to its audience like they would in live events.
Many researchers have demonstrated that, keeping every attendees engaged throughout the event is the biggest challenge faced by event planners, precipitating interaction being the second issue lined up.
On top of that, the sudden shift in trends has completely inclined towards online elements which means distraction can rather emerge easily. Hence, finding solutions that can exclude all the tension and introduce enticing engagement tactics for audiences is something palpating amidst event planners.
So far, we understood that organisers are still struggling to fit in the new normal and need a way to uplift their audience engagement. In the following segment we have put some convincing approaches that can offer tangible results for your virtual events. Here are five engagement ideas with virtual event platforms that you must apply to small or large events.
Why is Audience Engagement Important?
Just like traditional events, the jade of conducting and inducing onto prospects’ engagement in virtual events is true.
Today, many organisers are vigorously searching for different techniques that could improvise and escalate their audience experience. This is tremendously important in order to correlate the overall success of the event.
According to stats, almost 49 % of advertisers agree that engagement is one the crucial elements in making the event reach its potential and mark the success of the virtual event. Â
Ready to get hold of exhilarating techniques that would help in maximising the engagement level and keep audiences hooked throughout the event. Read below.
5 Ways to Increase Your Audience Engagement with the Help of Virtual Events Platform
1 Enhance Interaction with Live Polls
Live polls are one of the influential ways to capture audience attention. It can switch one-way interaction into two-way and scale up audience engagement.
Polling helps organisers to understand what’s in the audience’s mind better and cater them efficiently in their event. While on the attendee’s front, they feel more valued and important which further improves their participation in the event.
According to stats, almost 81.8% of organisers have agreed that leveraging live polling tools have offered better brand-user communication. Â
Taking polls before the event can make your event look more relevant and vibrant while at the same time build better connections with attendees and increase your show-rate immersively.
2 Incorporate fun and exciting games and quizzes
Indulging into contests and gaming activities is something we all appreciate to the T. Experts believe that putting games and relatable activities into the event can instantly grab the attention of half of the participants. The biggest benefit of playing games in an event is that it creates a room for interaction amidst prospects. Moreover, they are more likely to pay attention, keep themselves entertained and engaged in all the activities.
Besides that, incorporating quizzes alongside rewards can really keep attendees curious and attentive throughout the event effectively. This may also uplift their participative spirits in the right amount.
3 Set up virtual photo booths
Virtual photo booths can eradicate all the boredom from your virtual event platform and tune in fun and unforgettable experiences for audiences. Create a charming photo booth that gives liberty to attendees to click pictures and make funny GIF clips that can be stored in their personal files and use it in their social media for sharing their overall experience in the platform.
From the organiser’s front, they can seamlessly customise their virtual backgrounds, incorporate stickers and filters, templates, overlay their brand’s logo, or even put in details of sponsors and exhibitors.
A virtual photo booth allows guests to see other participant’s pictures through the live gallery and inspire them to do the same. A full-proof way to reach more attendees and grow your brand visibility is enabling attendees to share these images on their social media handles with the inclusion of your event hashtags.
4 Offer high-end, enticing content
No matter how well you plan your goals and promotional strategies for your event, without having a compelling content you may not find an edge.
If you are willing to attract attendees and want them to stay until the event lasts, having a content that adds value to you and your attendees is a must. Creating content that can help amplify the event experience, and ignite curiosity amongst participants, is imperative. Incorporate as many enticing visuals and imagery into your content as possible to capture attendees attention easily. That is why almost 61% of event planners and marketers take advantage of compelling content for better engagements and interactions.
Take our advance and design your content that replicates your niche and inculcates fun elements such as polls, Q&As, trivia, quote, puzzles, etc.
5 Create a room for interaction
Introduce rooms that allow freedom and integrity to attendees that help them to connect and network with other participants, sponsors, exhibitors, and even the hosts seamlessly. To encourage group or individual discussions, organisers can utilize networking tools such as networking tables wherein they could either join a discussion or anticipate 1:1 discussion as per their convenience.
Additionally, you can also create exciting themes around attendees through which they can share their opinions, ideas, post comments, and meet people that match their interests. Let’s face it, none can stand an event full of information with limited or no fun activities, this will only hamper your engagement tactics. Hence, the best way to engage attendees is by creating a conversational event wherein people could freely meet and connect with each other effortlessly.
Over to you
The most important thing of all is choosing the right platform for your event that can offer exclusive engagement ideas. About 87% of the marketers leverage the opportunities created by virtual event platforms as this is an essential aspect for achieving success.
This large number indicates that virtual events not only play a significant role in how companies are conducted in the ‘new normal,’ but also that the organisers’ and participants’ perceptions and attitudes have shifted dramatically.
Employ these strategies to effectively boost your audience’s virtual event engagement and elevate your business. And, hey, if you’re still unsure, don’t hesitate to contact us!
