There’s no doubt we’ve all been super engaged lately, signing up for many webinars, online courses,
online events, training courses and webinars. And, as we have all experienced, some of these
activities really hit the mark and some, let’s face it, just do not.
Why then do some online events and activities work and others not? Well, for me, a lot of it has to
do with tone and personality. It’s not possible to take what was your traditional on-site event and
just pop it “online” and bob’s your uncle. It’s not adequate to simply take that format and stream it.
The only way to solve the mystery of how to make your online events really shine is to look at the
reasons why we enjoy certain events and then figure out how to bring those experiences to your
online version.
For example, if your event is to simply impart wisdom and knowledge to your audience, this is pretty
achievable online, if you have some strong quality content and a decent tech platform with which to
showcase it. However, if you’re looking to run an event that seeks engagement from the attendees,
as well as interaction with each other, you definitely have to work harder to achieve that but it’s still
very possible to do.
Here are just a few ways (but there are many) to make your event more attractive online
1. Communication
You can set the tone for your event in all of your pre-event communications. If the text and
content of your correspondence is robotic and functional, then that’s an insight for your
attendees into what to expect at your event. If you’d like to inject some personality into
your event, this is a good place to start by keeping the tone light, encouraging participation,
telling your attendees what to expect and really making them feel welcome, even before the
event has started. It may also help to reduce your falloff numbers.
2. Technology
Don’t be afraid of the technology, embrace it! Technology can be a fantastic tool to help
bring your event to life on the screen. Choosing the right tech to stream your event is
important, but also embracing apps that help you and your attendees to engage with each
other, connect with each other, give feedback, participate in a meaningful way and basically
have their voice heard. We are all missing “real life” networking events, so feeling like a
blank bot sitting at the back of a classroom does not make for a meaningful event
experience – use the technology available to you to create the online buzz! This tech can be
used in the pre/during and post phases of your event.
3. Content
What you choose to put on the screen, the videos you play, the graphics you use or the
presentations you flick through, now more than ever need to be impactful, visually
appealing and clear. Sittiing in a conference room with 300 other people, gives attendees
plenty to see and observe – the stage, the screen, the speaker/panel, the other attendees,
event blurb/agenda, lots to look at. If your event is online, then engage people with the
quality of your content, as that is where all of the eyeballs are (or should be!). Update your
content, test is out online and see if it’s effective, ask for feedback, test it out on different
audiences, there are lots of ways to pilot your content and see if it’s suitable, relevant,
visually impactful and suitable for the end user’s online experience.
These are just a few suggestions, we’ll explore more over the coming weeks but in the meantime, if
you have any questions or concerns about bringing your event to life online, please feel free to reach
out us at Leigh Gillen Events.