Times have been changing rapidly with the spread of COVID-19 and many businesses have had to re-think their plan and methods of communication. These vast changes have hit the event industry hard. Events typically bring people together to experience something physical and in the presence of others. With nation-wide social distancing in place, there has been a lot of uncertainty on how to carry on our everyday lives virtually.
This uncertainty has put a lot of pressure on event companies to come up with a new strategy for virtual events that will still draw in large crowds. Over the past few weeks, at Oster and Associates, we have had to help clients that work in event services adjust to this new reality. We have outlined some helpful information on optimizing a virtual event below.
There are many different platforms with a wide variety of unique features that can be used to host your event, from GoToWebinar to ClickMeeting to vFairs and so on. But there is more than just the platform choice when it comes to optimizing a virtual event.
Your brand must promote that event ahead of time, preferably at least four weeks in advance. To gain the desired amount of attention around your virtual event, you will need to do both paid advertising as well as public relations.
Paid advertising is key to getting your event viewed by as many eyes as possible, whether it be promoted through social media, influencers, or mentions in a podcast or radio spot. When it comes to public relations, make sure to have a clear and concise press release that will inspire media to cover your event. If your event has other brands or spokespeople involved, be sure to have them leverage their own social media accounts to gain hype.
Lastly, it is also helpful to connect your event to a cause or greater good. This will help in reaching customers who care about putting their money toward something that benefits others as well as give your event a unique story and purpose.
A great example of a well promoted event that will be taking place during this quarantine period is the One World: Together at Home event on April 18th. Aside from the A-list names involved, this event has been heavily advertised through public relations and paid media (advertising on TV, digital and social media). There is no doubt that with all the money and promotional efforts put into this event, it will be a success!
If your company needs help promoting a virtual event, Oster and Associates, a full-service marketing agency is here for you! Please reach out and contact us now.
