Engaging nudges in the right direction
MYKYTA FASTOVETS DISCUSSES POST EVENT FOLLOW- UP ACTIVITIES TO ENGAGE VIRTUAL ATTENDEES
ith the jury still out on hosting physical meetups , most event professionals are organising their yearly event offering by including more virtual elements to it . But , even as these types of events and conferences gain greater traction in 2021 , questions persist around the value they offer for networking , leads and revenue .
Virtual conferences are a potent means of driving higher ROI , given a wider audience reach and cost-effectiveness . However , their success depends on engagement with remote attendees , especially when the event comes to its conclusion .
Once the log-out button is clicked , the virtual audience will be subject to a world of distractions , their interest in the sessions they just sat through fading . It becomes imperative for the organisers to have a solid post-event plan that keeps the connection going and creates a steady stream of potential leads .
Here are some recommended post-event engagement activities :
1 . Send follow-up emails
Emails are the oldest – and one of the most effective – tricks in the marketing playbook for post-event engagement with the event audience . By creating a well-crafted email to summarise talking points and takeaways of different sessions and panels , conference organisers can reshare tangible information with the attendees .
They can encourage their mailing list to re-engage by :
• Offering a downloadable eBook or on-demand webinar ;
• Directing them to a content hub , where they can find related videos , presentation decks and other materials ;
• Offering incentives for next year ’ s invite .
It ’ s also important to send emails to attendees who were not able to attend . They can be informed about the dates of the upcoming conferences and provided with interesting content from previous events for further interactions .
2 . Use engagement scores to qualify and nurture leads
Attendees can be assigned an ‘ engagement score ’ based on their interactions during and around the event – from registration to post-event survey . Some of these engagement metrics can be based around the number of sessions attended , meeting requests sent and time spent at different virtual booths .
The higher the engagement score for
Above : Mykyta Fastovets , CTO ExpoPlatform
an attendee , the greater the chance to convert them into a lead . Based on this score , the organiser can :
• Pitch them a live demo and offer an extended free trial of the product or services ;
• Schedule a consultation call to assess their needs in detail ;
• Share relevant , helpful content to support their needs .
3 . Increase online engagement with the community
When organisers build an online community around their conferences and keep it engaged , they get a ready-made group of potential attendees once the time comes to start selling tickets . And they may even be able to recruit loyal brand advocates to help extend the reach of their virtual conference .
Here are some tips to build an engaged community and increase post-event conversations :
• Get industry leaders to participate regularly and hold focused discussions before , during and after the event ;
• Share content that interests and engages the event audience ;
• Build a content hub with eBooks , White Papers , How-to guides , product videos and blogposts , and encourage participants to leave their feedback and share it in their network ;
• Organise contests and giveaways to keep interest levels and enthusiasm high .
Conclusion
The organisers should focus on creating a rich , enhanced experience for attendees by adding more bells and whistles to their virtual conference . However , they also need to stay in sight of their goals and convert these attendees into potential leads – a task easily achievable in the form of a small nudge through these post-engagement activities .
22 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 111