Don’t get me wrong, virtual events have been the holy grail since the pandemic. It’s a safety measure. It saves time, cost, and lives. But it comes with a downside.
When it comes to virtual events, attention is at a premium. Most people out there have a short attention span. They could easily get distracted by commercials, their favorite TV shows, and their loved ones.
But what if I tell you there are ways to keep your participants engaged?
Compelling content is one of the first few things that determine whether a virtual event will be engaging or not. And if we are going to keep it real, it’s much more difficult to keep people focused on a virtual event. It’s even next to impossible if your content is anything but engaging.
Content that compels should not just be about you and your brand. It should add value to your participants. You can also engage your participants with content that has a mix of humor, Q&A, slides, visuals, long/break sessions, and recap/highlights. Apart from that, it would be great if you find a way to get participants involved. It should not just be all talks, all presentations. Get them involved.
What better way to engage than a virtual live poll?
Virtual platforms like Livestorm come with integrated polls. You can easily infuse a couple of live polls in a virtual event depending on the length. With live polls, you can understand the behavior of your participants and test a theory. You can even make sense of how the public feels on a particular subject.
There are many ways you can achieve this. You can gamify your event website. You can also use mobile apps. That will spice your virtual event up and keep things engaging. Gamified ideas like quizzes, giveaway prices, and announcing winners can be a game-changer for your virtual event.
Gamifying your event could be a perfect avenue to create room for sponsors for your event. Brands would like to be a part of an event that speaks volumes to their event.
Moderators, hosts, or even presenters for your virtual needs to be prepped before the D-day. You might have every other aspect locked, but an ill-fitted speaker can undermine all the work you have done.
With that said, it is paramount that your speakers understand what is expected of them. What you are trying to accomplish. They must be dynamic and have what it takes to inspire your participants.
More importantly, they must understand the art of getting the audience involved in an event. Irrespective of the subject of discussion.
Conclusion
The truth is when it comes to planning an engaging virtual event, there is no one cap fits all. It is crucial that you think outside the box and not settle for what is common or cliche.