In 2020 virtual events have gone up 1000% due to the global pandemic. Event hosting is so popular that just one platform has over 52,000 events.
However, if you’ve never hosted an online event you may be wondering how to host a virtual event or host to promote a virtual event. Don’t worry, read this guide to learn the 5 essential tips for virtual event hosting.
1. Understand the Goal of Your Event
Before you schedule your event or do any work on it you need to understand what you want to accomplish with this event. Are you trying to offer a way for co-workers to meet face-to-face, or are you trying to launch a new product? Maybe you’re hosting a large conference that was going to be in person but now you’re doing it digitally.
Put together a list of your goals, then you can research the best event hosting software, such as Zoom, to find one that’s going to be able to handle your event how you need it to.
2. Promote With Paid Ads
Since your event is online it makes sense to run online ads as well. We think one of the best ways to do this is with social media ads. Be sure to run the ads to your target audience for your event.
You should also be mindful if your event is localized even though it’s virtual. For example, if the event is for local businesses you wouldn’t want to advertise outside of the state.
3. Offer Incentives for Going
Someone may have been excited to go to your conference because of all the vendors giving away free swag. Don’t think just because it’s digital that you can’t give out some fun swag bags. Ask your vendors to send you the swag they would have given out and put together boxes and mail them to attendees.
You can even do a contest where everyone who signs into the event gets entered in to win something. This is a surefire way to get people excited and attending your digital event.
4. Prepare for Tech Issues
You should always test your event before going live. However, no matter how many times you do a test run you’re going to run into a tech issue the day of. Be prepared for this by hiring extra IT staff to help you manage the event.
5. Promote Throughout the Event
When you go live be sure to still promote the event! Ask attendees to share the event with their friends. You can even offer incentives or entrances into drawings for people who share the event.
Get Started With Event Hosting Today
Now that you know the 5 tips for successful virtual event hosting, check out how we can help you advertise your event on social media. If you enjoyed this content be sure to check out the rest of our website for more great content. Be sure to contact us if you have any questions.
