With the deplorable and unbidden onset of the novel Corona virus, virtual events have become the only means to socialize and interact. We cannot afford meeting in a physical location given the circumstances and it is best sought to conduct virtual events. The main reason why virtual events is a suitable alternative is that they are scalable, they have low barriers to entry, they are cheaper and they provide networking possibilities in times where in-person events are not an option.

Are you planning to host a successful virtual event? In this article, I’ll try to help you with a few tips that will enable you to host an engaging, entertaining, and impactful virtual event seamlessly.

Forge a strategy

Creating a strategy is of foremost importance in every scale of virtual events. Meticulous virtual event planning is a must to host a successful virtual event. You do not want your audience to leave as soon as they tune in. Start by gathering information on your audience to understand what holds their interest. Curating an event that matches the taste and interest of potential attendees is the first step to success.

Choose a right virtual event platform

There are several platforms to conduct virtual events but you have to choose a platform which suits your vision. The platform should offer — two way communication, engaging features, broadcasting content on multiple platforms at once, customizable services, social media integration and the other features that you want.

Select a suitable time and date

While selecting the date and time for your account, make sure that your event is not clashing with any significant event or national holidays. Scheduling conflicts like this will adversely affect the attendance at your event. If you are planning to host a large-scale event with global attendees, keep time zones in mind. Accommodating all attendees with global scaled events becomes a tricky task. Select a time that is suitable for the maximum number of attendees. You could also record the session for the ones who missed the live stream.

Promote the event

It goes unsaid how important promoting and marketing your event is. If your potential attendees are not aware of your upcoming event, there’s a scarce chance of your event succeeding. Here is what you can do

• Leverage your social media channels to promote the upcoming virtual event by running a countdown on Instagram and Facebook stories. 
• Run ads strategically to target the right set of attendees. 
• Market with the help of the right set of influencers. 
• Utilize SEO-friendly keywords for optimization.

Be prepared

Just like in-person events, you can face unexpected technical issues in virtual events as well so it’s always better to have a backup plan. It’s no harm being prepared beforehand. You should a very strong internet connection and test all the other devices that you’re using. You can keep prerecorded presentation and videos to help keep the event going, in case you face a technical glitch.

Encourage interaction

Don’t go on and on with your presentation without pausing and engaging with the attendees. Ask them if they are enjoying the event, do they have any suggestions for you, whether have any questions, ask them to introduce themselves and give you an insight about their lives, etc. This is crucial for a successful event since this lets the viewers know that their presence is valued. People won’t enjoy a dull and monotonous session so keep it lively and chatty. 

Study the analytics to get a better insight of how well your event performed and keep your doors open for improvement. You can learn a lot through the different audiences that you host and bring in the required changes for the future events.