Before the global pandemic hit, you might have run lots of in-person events in the past, but these days more and more businesses, not to mention contractors, consultants, and other freelancers who work from home, are turning to entirely online or hybrid digital events instead.
There are many excellent benefits to be enjoyed from running remote events, especially when you have a home office, such as potential cost savings, the ability to cater to a more diverse audience located globally, and having speakers from all over, to name a few.
Before you plan your first remote workshop, conference, product or service launch, or other occasion that you put on from your home, check out some tips that will help you ensure your digital event is a success.
Know Who You’re Targeting
First, think about who your key target market is going to be. You need to know your audience to understand what they’re looking for and how you can provide something that wows them. Wrap your head around your demographic’s average age and sex, their location, work types, needs and wants and pain points in life, socioeconomic status, family life, etc.
Do enough research to see the kinds of topics that people want to hear about and the speaker names that might be a big drawcard for them. You also want to understand the event format they’re most likely interested in, whether numerous short webinars held over weeks or a multi-day conference. Also, people may clamor for events where they can join breakout rooms for connections with other attendees or appointments for direct feedback or mentoring from experts in the field, among other things.
Find Ways to Make Your Event Stand Out
Next, find a way to make your event stand out from your competition. With so many other offerings on the market, you want to create a unique selling proposition (USP) that clarifies how your event is different from others and thus worth signing up for and attending.
There are numerous ways to differentiate your offering. For example, you might run a stand-out event that makes waves due to the type of attendee you market to, the topics presented, the event’s format, the type of exclusive access you provide, how you charge, etc.
Think Carefully About When to Host Your Event
Don’t decide when to host your event lightly. Getting the best date possible can impact how many tickets you sell, how much profit you make, and if your ROI is acceptable. Research what else is on during the times you’re considering to avoid as many other scheduled affairs as possible, especially those for the same target market as yours.
Also, avoid scheduling your digital do when your key demographic is particularly busy. For example, if you’re running an event primarily for retailers or fashion designers, you won’t want to hold your proceedings over Christmas, Black Friday, or the end of the financial year for the former, or during top global fashion weeks for the latter.
Select a Suitable Platform and Keep Security Top of Mind
A big part of the success of your creation is going to come down to selecting the right platform and keeping the whole event secure throughout. Always choose a service known for having few glitches and outages and a strong reputation for reliability and value-for-money. It should work on mobile devices, too, since many people use smartphones or tablets to view online content now. Plus, consider what features you might want available to you, such as the ability to run concurrent events, set up breakout rooms, or record sessions.
You must also pick a platform that’s as secure as possible. Hackers have been getting into more and more online meetings and events in recent years, so you don’t want them to take over your affair, crash the system, or cause other mayhem and issues. Pick a digital platform with multiple levels of encryption and verification that works hard to plug any security gaps that arise ASAP.
Keep in mind that you can do your part to keep your online offerings secure by stopping cybercriminals from breaking into your computer(s) or accounts. For instance, install a comprehensive security software program that guards against various threat types and utilize a VPN proxy to protect your privacy online and secure the sensitive information you type in, track, store, analyze, etc.
Plus, choose hard-to-crack passwords for your devices and online logins, and back up essential information offsite to the cloud so you have a copy stored elsewhere in case of a ransomware or other attack
Be strategic and follow all these tips to help turn your online affair into a success. Take it step by step and think everything through, and you’ll soon be celebrating the finish of a memorable and profitable event.
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