When COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill, we thought that the show halts for event management companies. Conferences, seminars, live performances and other events were being cancelled to protect the safety of workers and attendees. Once again, digital marketing specialists were able to think quickly on their feet and months of event preparation don’t need to go out the window. Organising events in a virtual space is the future-proof solution to combat social distancing and travel inconvenience.
Online Marketing Strategy to Move Events from Physical-to-Virtual
A couple of years ago, virtual events sounded a lot like science-fiction than reality. Fast-forward to 2020 and it has become a necessity for today’s businesses. We have seen a rapid growth of virtual events as the result of technological advances such as 5G coverage and online communication platforms. Anyone in the world can attend virtual events without stepping out of their homes because most devices such as laptops, desktops and mobile phones are internet-ready.
COVID-19 has created a boom in virtual events. We discovered endless possibilities for virtual events since the outbreak of this global crisis. Some popular events that can provide an online experience include virtual tradeshows, job fairs, conferences, webinars, product launches and learning platforms. It is highly flexible because organisers can choose to live-stream the event online or create on-demand video content for users to view at their convenience.
New Marketing Technology Relates to DATA
For marketers, a rich source of marketing data can help them make better informed decisions. We can track the activities of each participant before, during and after virtual events. A successful event moderator will use a virtual engagement index to measure interaction quality of participants and this will benefit the sales team. By referring to the virtual engagement index, sales people will know the quality of the lead they are pursuing.
So what are the most important metrics we should gather at virtual events?
Numbers – The total number of people who have registered for your event to determine the event’s success. You should also record the number of people who registered for a particular session to prioritise which speaker or topic to include at the next event. And finally, the number of participants who became customers after attending your virtual event.
Engagements – We can break this down to emails and social media, An introduction email is the preview of your virtual event. The average open rate for virtual events is 23-26% and the click-through rate should be 4.95%. Improve these numbers by understanding participants’ demographics to create targeted content for future events. More reactions to your event’s posts (likes, shares, comments, etc.) equate to better content resonance with your social media audience. Social media mentions will determine how much engagement your participants had with your virtual event.
Revenue – Compare expenses incurred for organising the virtual event with the number of qualified sales leads generated. A successful virtual event can increase efficiency ratios (cost-to-revenue ratios) because of minimal expenses.
Digital Marketing Saves The Planet
One of the biggest benefit of moving your live events to virtual conferences is sustainability. Do you know how much rubbish physical events create per day? Virtual events can start our green agenda and back your brand up as a socially responsible company to applaud. The world is becoming more environmentally aware and customers are often looking to do business with companies that ‘go green’.
A Forward-Thinking Digital Marketing Agency
We understand that social distancing is crucial for preventing the spread of contagious illnesses but this should not stop us from gaining knowledge to improve ourselves. Infra Design hosts webinars that feature professional speakers from various industries including PropTech, MarTech and EduTech. The team wants to collaborate with professionals from any other industries and we will be glad to explore new ideas with you. These are some of the most influential people who have had joined us as a speaker:
Mr. Soma Sundram – CEO of MIEA (Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents)
Mr. Charles Tan – Founder & Executive Editor of kopiandproperty.com
Mr. Chris Tan – Prestige “Top 40 under 40” Recipient (Top Outstanding Young Malaysian Award), Famous Corporate Real Estate Lawyer & Writer
If you are ready to add value to your company by introducing ZERO WASTE EVENTS, contact us for a FREE consultation!
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