5 metrics to consider for your virtual event

Sep 05, 2023

Virtual events are ideal if one of your main goals is to reach a larger audience and generate leads without the expense of an in-person event. If you're in charge of the marketing department for your company, chances are you're looking for ways to measure the success of your virtual event. But like any event, you need to set goals and objectives beforehand so that you can measure your success afterwards. While there are a lot of different metrics you could consider, here are the top five metrics you should consider when planning your virtual event.

Number of Attendees

This is perhaps the most important metric to consider for any type of event, whether it is on-person, hybrid or online. You need to set a goal for how many people you want to attend your event, and then track registrations to see if you're on track to reach that goal.

If not, don't panic! There's still time to promote your event and get more people to sign up. It’s important to organize and announce your event in advance in order to have enough time to attract those interested in attending your event and to be able to pivot to other ways of promoting the event in case the registration goal is not reached at the stipulated time.

Engagement

To calculate your engagement rates throughout your event, you need to have the number of total attendees at hand. At the beginning of your event, you can measure things like the number of people registered, how many people logged into the event, how long they were logged in for, and what percentage of the virtual event they watched. Answering these questions will give you a good idea of how engaged your audience was during the event, and comparing these engagement statistics to your total number of attendees should give you a good idea of what percentage of your total audience stayed engaged through the event.

If you see that a large percentage of people logged in and watched the entire event, that's a good sign that they found it valuable. On the other hand, if fewer people logged in or if they only watched a small portion of the event, that's a sign that you need to make some changes for next time.

Also, just because someone attends your virtual event doesn't mean they're paying attention. That's why it's important to measure engagement by tracking things like how long attendees spend on each page of your event, what content they interact with, and whether they click through to any of your Call-to-Actions (CTAs).

Satisfaction

After your virtual event is over, it's important to survey attendees and ask them how satisfied they were with the overall experience. This will help you identify areas that went well and areas that need improvement for next time.

Customer satisfaction surveys should ask questions that can provide insight into how the user felt about the event platform, the registration process, how useful it was for them to attend the event, whether they would attend the event again, whether they would recommend it, etc.

Try to make this survey easy and short to answer, with clear questions that are quantifiable, avoid asking open questions because it will be more work for you and your sales team and besides, the probability of attendees answering this type of questions is lower.

Lead Generation

One of the primary goals of any event is lead generation, and virtual events are no different. Be sure to track how many new leads you generated from your event so that you can determine its ROI (return on investment).

A successful virtual event should generate qualified leads that you can then follow up with and turn into customers. Look at how many leads your event generated and compare that to your goal. If you met or exceeded your goal, great! If not, don't despair—that’s why event data and statistics are so important. They reveal the strongest and weakest parts of your event so you can improve your engagement rates on the next one. There are always things you can change for next time to increase your lead generation.

Sales Generated

If your virtual event resulted in any sales, be sure to track them. This is perhaps the most concrete metric for determining the success of your event, because it is the goal of any marketing effort, and it's especially gratifying to see results like this from an event. Even if you didn't generate any sales from your event, though, all hope is not lost. You can use the leads you generated to continue working towards making a sale down the road.

We hope this gives you a starting point for thinking about which metrics to track for your virtual event. Virtual events are a great way to reach more people and generate leads, but only if they're done right. By setting goals and measuring the right metrics, you can ensure that your virtual event is successful. Remember, attendees, engagement, customer satisfaction, lead generation, and sales are all important factors to consider when measuring success.

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5 ways to promote your online event and attract your target audience

07 Nov, 2023

Organizing an online event can be a great way to connect with your target audience, promote your brand, and build a community around your product or service. However, with so many online events happening these days, you might be wondering how you can make yours stand out from the pack. So, it's more important than ever to make sure your event draws attention to and attracts your target audience. Here are some tips for promoting your online event: 1. Utilize social media Social media is a great way to promote your online event and reach your target audience. You can start by creating an event page on each social media platform that suits your business and include all the pertinent details such as the date, time, location, and a brief description of what your event is all about. Also, you can create a unique hashtag for your event and start promoting it on all your social media channels in the weeks leading up to the event. Be sure to also add and use other relevant and trending hashtags so that people searching for events like yours can find it easily. Additionally, consider creating promotional videos or graphics to post on your social media platforms. Paid advertising on social media to reach an even wider audience and is a great strategy to grab people's attention and give them a better idea of what your event is all about. When creating your ads, be sure to target them specifically to your target audience. 2. Send email invitations Email invitations are another great way to promote your online event and reach your target audience. Include all the important details about the event in the invitation, and make sure to personalize the message so that it resonates with the recipient. You can use paid advertising to reach an even wider audience by purchasing email lists, using a tool like Google AdWords or your clients contact email lists. Another great way to promote your online event is by sending personal invitations to people you think would be interested in attending. You can do this via email or even through direct messaging if you're connected with them on social media platforms. In your invitation, whether it is an email list or a personal email, be sure to include a link to where they can sign up for the event so it's easy for them right from the get-go! 3. Use other marketing channels In addition to social media and email lists, there are other marketing channels you can utilize to promote your event such as blog posts, traditional billboards, print ads, TV commercials, radio spots or flyers if you're looking to reach a local audience. These channels can be highly effective in reaching people who may not be active on social media or who don't use email frequently. Plus, they can help create a sense of urgency and excitement around your event that will get people curious and wanting to participate. Again, be sure to include all the important details about your event and try to make your marketing materials visually appealing. If you have a website for your business or organization, be sure to create a dedicated page for your event that people can easily find. 4. Collaborate with other businesses or organizations A great way to promote your online event is by teaming up with other businesses or organizations that serve a similar target audience. For example, if you're hosting an online seminar about starting a small business, reach out to local small businesses and see if they'd be interested in sharing information about the event with their customers or clients. Not only will this help spread the word about your event, but it will also give you some credibility since you're being endorsed by another business. 5. Offer Incentives Finally, don't be afraid to get creative in promoting your online event. There are endless possibilities when it comes to marketing, so try thinking outside the box and coming up with unique ways to get people interested in attending your event. For example, you could host a contest leading up to the event or offer discounts for early registration. One of the best ways to get people interested in attending your online event is by offering them something in return. This could be anything from a discount on products or services to freebie items such as eBooks or downloadable templates related to the topic of your event. Whatever it is, make sure it's something that will appeal to your target audience and incentivize them to attend. Event organizers now have more tools available than ever before when it comes to promoting their events. Utilizing digital channels is essential in today's age, but traditional methods such as print ads or TV commercials can still play a role in promotion. Moreover, being creative and outside -of-the-box will help make an impression on potential attendees. At the end of the day, what matters most is that the right people are interested in attending your virtual event! Remember, promoting your online event doesn't have to be difficult—just follow these simple tips and you'll be well on your way to attracting your target audience! Utilizing social media, sending email invitations, utilizing traditional marketing methods, collaborating with other businesses and offering incentives are all great ways to promote an online event and for sure you’ll attract attention from your target audience.

How to improve your inbound marketing strategies through virtual events

24 Oct, 2023

Virtual events are a great way to build your brand and generate new leads. They’re low-risk, cost-effective, and scalable, allowing you to experiment with new content types without worrying about the overhead costs associated with marketing campaigns. Events are a great way to give your audience a look at who you are and what you do. Virtual events can help grow your inbound marketing strategies. With the right setup, you can create engaging events with little effort and investment.

The rise of virtual events: why some industries thrive when the world shifts online

17 Oct, 2023

In a world that's increasingly driven by technology, it's no surprise that virtual events are on the rise. With so many industries embracing the power of the internet, it's only natural that more and more events are being held online. While some industries have been slow to adopt this new trend, others have embraced it with open arms. Here are four industries that have thrived as a result of the shift to virtual events. Education The boom of online learning has led to a period of adaptation where educators have had to get creative in order to continue providing students with the same quality content they would provide in-person. Enter: virtual events. Virtual events have allowed educators to host virtual lessons where, just like in the classroom, students can listen to lectures, participate in activities, and engage with their classmates. Here are a few ways in which virtual events have benefitted the educational industry: Increased access: Online learning provides greater access to education for students who may not have access to traditional brick-and-mortar schools. This includes students who live in rural areas, students with disabilities, and students who are unable to attend traditional schools for other reasons. Flexibility: Online learning allows students to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. This can be especially beneficial for students who have other commitments, such as work or family responsibilities. Cost savings: Online learning can be more cost-effective than traditional education for both students and schools. For students, online learning eliminates travel costs, as well as material costs for bags, or school lunches. For the school, online classes reduce the overall cost of delivering education as they save money on physical printed assets, stationery, school-provided technology and more. Increased engagement: Online learning can help to engage students who may be disengaged in a traditional classroom setting by providing a more interactive and personalized learning experience. Some students also find it easier to engage with work in the comfort of their own home where they might not feel as much pressure as in a traditional classroom. Technology The tech industry is another that has seen great success with virtual events. In fact, many tech companies were already using online platforms to hold events before the pandemic hit. From promotional events to internal organizational events, the tech industry has widely benefitted from hosting virtual events. These benefits include: Increased accessibility. Online events make it easier for people with disabilities as they can participate from the comfort of their own homes. This can help to increase diversity and inclusion within the tech industry. Virtual events also provide higher access for international or faraway event attendees who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend due to traveling time, planning or costs. Cost savings: Online events can be more cost-effective than traditional in-person events, as they eliminate the need to rent physical event space and can reduce the cost of logistics and travel for both organizers and attendees. Once again, these cost savings lead to greater event scalability and increased attendance. On the one hand, a higher number of attendees will be able to afford to attend the event. On the other hand, the company doesn’t have to worry about capping attendance based on physical space and other resource availability. Increased visibility. With increased accessibility and attendance comes increased visibility. Online events provide an opportunity for tech companies to showcase their products and services to a wider audience, often internationally to those in countries where that tech brand is still growing. This can help to increase the visibility of the company and its offerings and can also help to generate leads and drive sales. Improved engagement. Online events can be more interactive and engaging than traditional in-person events, as they often incorporate features such as live Q&A sessions and interactive polls. This can help to increase engagement and make the event more impactful for attendees. Marketing When it comes to marketing, virtual events have become a key marketing strategy for increasing brand awareness and loyalty. Here are a few ways in which virtual events have benefitted the marketing industry: Increased accessibility and visibility. We’ve covered these points in the previous industries but it’s with mentioning here too. In a profession that often places increased visibility, awareness and lead count as a key goal, virtual events have become an indispensable strategy in marketers’ toolbelts. Lower costs mean greater scalability and higher attendance capacity. Shorter event planning time. While an in-person event can take the better part of a year to plan (even just booking a venue well in advance can place your event date on the distant horizon), virtual events can take mere weeks to put together. This means marketers can create more frequent events throughout the year which increases the amount and consistency of communication they have with customers and allows them to create and put out more content that increases visibility. After all, smaller bursts of consistent engagement through the year are better than one giant event and then no engagement for the rest of the year. Event statistics and data. Virtual events offer marketers a great way to collect real-time data about their target audience before, during and after the event. By tracking attendees' behaviors such as enrolment, and attendance, as well as their engagement with event content, marketers can gain valuable insights into what type of content most resonates with their audience and make necessary adjustments on the fly or for future events. This level of data-driven decision making is invaluable for any marketing team looking to stay ahead of the competition. Hospitality The hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit by COVID-19 due to restrictions on travel and large gatherings. However, even in these difficult times, there are still opportunities for businesses in this sector to thrive—and many of them have found success by pivoting to virtual events. Turning to online learning. One benefit the hospitality sector found during lockdown was the ability to harness its services into online learning classes. From cooking to workout classes, hotels took the opportunity to show attendees how to use new skills and start new hobbies. Fostering community. Some hotel events set up activities such as games for families, or special interest groups such as cooking groups or reading clubs. Hotels benefited from creating a flowering community around their brands. As the world becomes more technology-driven, it's crucial to remember that businesses in all industries can still thrive, even during times of crisis like the current one. By embracing new trends like virtual events, businesses can stay relevant, connect with their audiences, and keep operating when traditional methods are no longer possible or viable.