What you need to know about branding in virtual events

The world of virtual events is getting increasingly crowded. But in such a rush to create new content, many brands are failing to take the time to think about their audience and how best to reach them. As a result, many virtual events feel generic, with an incoherent mishmash of topics that are unlikely to hold anyone’s interest for long. To get ahead in this competitive field, you need an edge that sets you apart from the crowd. A strong brand identity is key to standing out from the crowd in any industry. But what does that actually mean? Read on for a quick overview of what branding really means and how it can work to your advantage when creating new content like virtual events. 
 
What does Branding mean? 
Branding is the process of creating a name, symbol, or design that represents your business and what it stands for. Your brand should be unique and easily recognizable so that when people see it, they immediately think of your company. A strong brand will help you build trust with customers and make it easier for them to remember your business when they need your products or services.   
To put it simply, branding can be thought of as a promise. Brands are promises, propositions, and invitations all rolled into one. They’re meant to invite customers to become part of the story behind a product or service. They’re supposed to make customers feel connected, engaged, and invested. Branding is about more than just a logo or a catchy slogan. Branding is about creating a message, a tone, and a visual identity that is consistent across all platforms. It’s about looking at your target audience, your competition, and your resources and determining how you can set yourself apart from the rest. 
 
Why Is Branding Important?   
There are many reasons why branding is essential for businesses, but one of the most important is that it helps you stand out from the competition. In today's world, there are countless businesses all vying for attention, and if you want people to remember your company, you need to make sure your brand is memorable. A strong brand will also help you build trust with potential customers and show them that you're an authority in your industry.   
 
 
Branding in the world of virtual events 
In a world where physical events have been replaced by virtual ones, it's more important than ever to make sure your brand stands out from the crowd. Branding is essential for any business that wants to be successful and combining branding with a virtual event is a great way to ensure your event is remembered long after it's over. 
The way we think about branding changes when we apply it to virtual events. For many companies, virtual events are an essential part of their marketing strategy. They provide a way for customers to get the information they need without ever leaving the comfort of their home. When you’re branding your virtual events, you want to focus on the same aspects you would if you were branding your entire company. You want to consider your target audience, the competition, and your strengths as a brand. You want to make sure that your events are consistent, engaging, and unique. 
Branding gives potential attendees something to latch on to when they are making their decision whether or not to attend an event. It can make an event more memorable by giving it a cohesive look and feel. And a strong brand identity can help increase an event's ROI by drawing in more attendees and sponsors.   
When done right, branding can make an event more professional and polished, which can in turn attract higher-caliber speakers and presenters. In the era of virtual events, branding can also help an event stand out in a sea of sameness.   
 
Using your brand to inform event creation 
The first step to branding your virtual events is determining the audience they are meant to serve. This way, they can tailor fit their event theme and content to that audience and their needs. Many brands will create a specific customer “persona” —a fictional persona that represents that brand’s average customer. This persona will help you to identify a specific type of customer and determine how best to reach them. Remember to use the same branding techniques when you are creating your personas that you would when branding your entire company. Go through the process of determining what your strengths are and what you can offer as a company. You want to make sure that you are consistent in your approach to all aspects of your branding. 
 
For example, if you are an arts and crafts shop, you might consider your customer persona to be a person, aged 25-40, who enjoys making different kinds of crafts as a hobby in their spare time. You might then note that this customer (1) enjoys crafting, (2) enjoys trying out new things, and (3) is looking for a simple craft they can do that they can finish within their spare hours. Keeping this in mind, you can then decide to host a crafting class where attendees can purchase the materials for the class beforehand and work alongside the class instructor on the day of the class. The craft may be small and simple—something that can be finished within a couple of hours and that attendees can recreate on their own later if they’d like.   
 
 
Using your brand to create event consistency 
The way you create consistency in your brand will ensure that your virtual events have a visual appeal that is easy to recognize. You want to be consistent in your use of fonts, color schemes, and imagery. You also want to make sure that your tone is consistent. This is especially important in your use of language. Be sure that you are always using language that is consistent with the rest of your brand. For example, you want to be sure that you are using the same language that is consistent with your brand throughout the event. If your brand is known for being informal—like talking to a friend—you don’t want to suddenly use stiff corporate language. 
There are several ways you can use branding to make your virtual event a success. First, make sure your event's name, logo, and overall design represent your brand well. These elements should be eye-catching and recognizable so that people will remember your event long after it's over. Secondly, promote your event heavily on social media and other online platforms using your brand's colors, logo, and messaging. This will help create excitement around your event and ensure people know about it. Finally, consider giving away branded merchandise like T-shirts, stickers, or mugs as part of your virtual event. This will not only help people remember your brand but also serve as a valuable marketing tool for future events.   
 
Using your brand to promote event engagement 
Engagement is an essential part of any event. You want your customers to be actively engaged with your content. You want them to feel challenged and motivated by what they see and read. That’s where your brand comes in. You will use your brand to promote engagement through your choice of speakers, your choice of topics, and your choice of topics. Earlier, we used the example of an arts and crafts shop hosting a crafting workshop. How can this event increase engagement? Perhaps they can get attendees (who feel comfortable doing so) to turn on their camera so they and their creation can be seen throughout the event. Or maybe the event organizers can encourage attendees to share pictures of their creations on social media afterwards with the use of an event hashtag.  
 
No matter what industry you're in or what type of business you run, branding is essential if you want to be successful. In today's world of virtual events, branding is even more important because it's the best way to ensure your event is remembered long after it's over. Summing up, 1) Develop a theme and color scheme for your virtual event and use them consistently throughout all your marketing materials. 2) Come up with a creative name for your event that encapsulates its purpose or theme. 3) Make sure all your visuals (logo, website design, social media posts) are on brand. You want potential attendees to be able to instantly recognize your event when they see it. 4) Choose speakers and panelists who are well-known in their field and who will help attract more attendees. 5) Have sponsorship opportunities available so that businesses can get involved and gain exposure for their brand while helping you offset the costs of putting on the virtual event. 6) Utilize social media platforms to promote your event leading up to the big day. Create graphics with the event logo and details that attendees can share with their networks.  7) On the day of the event, have everything set up in advance so that there are no last-minute hiccups. This includes making sure everyone knows how to log into the virtual platform being used, having tech support on standby in case anyone has trouble logging in or experiencing audio/video issues, etc.  8) Finally, follow up with attendees after the event ends with a survey so that you can get feedback and improve upon future events.   
 
Branding is an essential part of any successful business. And it can be an essential part of any successful virtual event. By using your brand to inform the creation of your event, you can make sure that it resonates with your customers. When you use your brand to create consistency throughout the event, you can be sure that each part is relevant to your brand as a whole. And when you use your brand to promote engagement, you can be sure that your event is focused on meeting your customers where they are. By following the tips above, you can use branding to make your virtual event a success and stand out in a crowded field.