Virtual event engagement is one of the biggest challenges the event industry face today.
With short attention spans, the online audience may have trouble focusing as there are more opportunities to “zone out” in front of their computers.
However, using the right event technology tools and more creativity can help you create an event that's able to capture and hold people’s attention in a virtual environment.
If you’re keen to know how to increase event engagement, look no further. We will give you some ideas to help you launch an appealing and productive event online.
Quick Reads
- Assign a great event host
- Prepare an exciting content
- Make the most out of event polling
- Leverage event gamification
- Use interactive quizzes
1. Assign a great event host
Top-notch event hosts are good at capturing the audience’s attention quickly. They keep them engaged by making them feel that they are a part of the virtual event.
It’s important for them to have a remarkably good command of the theme, and chatting with people should interest and excite them.
They are passionately curious and can ask intelligent questions to make the interactions even better. Meaning, having a good handle on the essential questions to ask is necessary.
In addition, presenters show interest in the event and are enthusiastic about the discussion topic.
If some organizations or guests are not comfortable with some topics, discuss them with the event host beforehand.
2.Prepare an exciting content
Since virtual event attendees have short attention spans, interactive content is necessary to hold their interest, or you can lose them in just a few minutes.
Providing supplemental content like informational videos and downloadable worksheets for your audience is recommended.
If you opt to use PowerPoint, make sure that the slides are well-designed and visually appealing.
Incorporating videos can give life to your PowerPoint presentation. They can help you emphasize points or allow you to pause to bring back the focus to the audience.
Using a short video is a good idea, especially if your slides contain many texts.
There are two ways to include a video in your presentation. One is to upload it from the hard drive or embed a link to an online website.
3. Make the most out of event polling
Pre-event polling is another event engagement strategy that can help you assess your attendees' expectations. For this reason, you can prepare the content ahead of time and tailor it to their needs.
If you produce relevant content, you can offer more value to others that can positively affect the event’s return on investment.
Attendees are more likely to show up to your virtual event if they know that it will be a valuable experience. When these expectations are met, it can significantly reduce the no-show rate in event attendance.
Live polling is an easy way for event organizers to interact with the audience and increase virtual event engagement.
We recommend including the live poll questions on your virtual event platform for everyone to see. It can spark conversation and motivate attendees to join other sessions.
Attendees will be more involved in the event experience as they participate in the polls.
The questions you can ask in your live poll are:
- How many of you have experienced using a product similar to what I’m presenting?
- Where do you want to have our next event?
- Which startup company should be recognized for its innovative solutions?
- How many of you are interested in meeting after the virtual event to discuss further?
Poll Everywhere is a tool you can use to engage the audience with activity types like word clouds and Q&As.
There’s also an option for you to generate executive summary reports into insights.
To be successful in this approach, ask for audience input and hold it in high regard.
4. Leverage event gamification
Gamification is another virtual event strategy you can use to encourage attendees to participate.
Setting up virtual booths can increase interaction. For example, whenever attendees visit each virtual booth, prizes and points will be given.
If you want to build more excitement for your event attendees, running a fun and exciting contest is a good idea.
Contests are a creative way to engage them better and make contributions to your event.
You may consider giving away some of the latest tech gadgets. On the other hand, offering prizes that are relevant to your event topic can be a better option.
Ask your event speakers for suggestions and encourage them to contribute some prizes.
The virtual event prizes can be any of the following:
- Free software access for one month
- A 1-hour call with industry experts for thoughtful insights
- Free passes for next year’s event
Another fun activity to do is to launch a virtual background contest if you are hosting a small event.
One of the mechanics could be showing an original background that they have taken or created. The person who gets to produce the most creative virtual background will be the winner.
5. Use interactive quizzes
Quizzes are collaborative with attendees as they try to find the right answers together. They can increase virtual event engagement in a unique and fun way as teams compete with each other.
If you intend to connect the virtual event attendees to your brand or learning materials, you can create a quiz based on your company history. Alternatively, quizzes can be about some random topics.
People are competitive and will do their best to beat their opponents. Make sure to customize some questions within the quiz. Also, refrain from including those that are easily searchable on the web.
Glue Up’s Surveys Solution lets you create polls, surveys, and quizzes. Generating insights from it can also help you make better, data-driven decisions.
Conclusion
Virtual events are more challenging than in-person ones. However, hosting a successful one with lots of opportunities for engagement is achievable. All you need to have are thoughtful planning, the right techniques, and proper execution.
We hope you can use the strategies we have provided to start planning and increase event engagement for success.
Are you looking for ways to simplify and modernize your event processes? Book a demo with us, and we will show you how to scale up your events using our technology.
