How to Plan and Execute a Great Digital Event
Unfortunately, it looks like we’re back to Zoom events and webinars as the Delta variant continues to ruin all our plans.
Don’t fear! Digital events CAN be done, and can actually be interesting, and can be something your audience is excited to participate in.
Really!
Here are 7 tips for organizing and delivering a great online event:
Give yourself more time than you think you need to prepare
It takes a lot of time to think through all the aspects of a great online event. Give yourself a minimum of a couple of months to plan and execute, and even more time if this is the first online event you’re putting together.
It’s a good idea to work backwards from your ideal presentation date. So, if you want to host an event on December 1, plan to push out the event invitation in the first week of November, and a reminder in the third week of November. That will mean that you’ll need to have your event page and RSVP link ready before you push the event out to your audience, right? So plan to have those things done by October 31. You get it!
Use a free template like this one to help figure out your timing, and be generous with your schedule so you’re not panicking at the last minute.
Choose your target audience carefully
Who are you trying to reach, and why? Yes, it’s the golden question that we ask in every single blog post, and for good reason! If you are planning an event just because you feel like you should plan an event (or someone told you to), that’s not a good enough reason. Why are you doing this, and who will truly benefit?
If you already know exactly who you’re trying to reach and why, you should also plan ahead to learn something from that target audience while you have them available, for the benefit your business or your organization. As the folks over at Rainfocus wrote in this post:
“Simple demographics captured through the registration process such as location help you determine the best way to tailor your content for your target audience. Unlike an email survey that you often have to incentivize, registration surveys perform exceptionally well. Virtual events are especially useful for gathering the demographic information of your audiences as they typically attract larger audiences from various positions all around the world.”
Make sure your topic is actually interesting
We have all signed up for entirely too many webinars and online meetings lately, so make absolutely sure that whatever you’re presenting about is genuinely interesting and valuable to your audience before you waste time putting a presentation together. What information will your audience get from you in this event that they won’t find anywhere else?
Test out some potential topics on members of your target audience that you can connect with directly and gauge their interest, or consider sending out a short poll to your social media followers or your email list. Gather some data in any way you can that will help you find out if the topic you’re set on presenting will actually compel anyone to show up to your event, or if it’s something that’s only interesting to you. If the person you’re talking to immediately starts asking where they can buy their ticket, you know you’ve got a good idea.
If you need a tool for putting together a quick poll or survey, we love using Typeform to design something simple and extremely user-friendly.
Decide what you want your audience to do after the event is over
It’s not enough to just have your audience attend your event; once you’ve gotten them in the digital door, how are you going to follow up and engage with them for the long-term?
Pick a call-to-action based on your goal for the event. If you wanted lots of people to attend to help boost your brand awareness, for example, ask them to sign up for your emails and follow you on social media after the presentation is over. Send out a follow-up message to your registrants with direct links, and maybe include a freebie or a discount code as a thanks for attending. That extra step can mean an extra customer!
Pick your presentation tool thoughtfully
Zoom seems to be the standard for digital presentations these days, but there are a lot of options out there. Use a website like Capterra to browse reviews and pick a platform that actually works for you and your audience!
But we’re not just here to consider only webinar platforms, either. Before you commit to doing a live event of any kind, ask yourself: Are your customers and supporters even the kind of people who want to participate in something live? Or are they suffering from a severe case of Zoom fatigue? It might be better to sit down and record a video presentation that they can download and watch anytime, or to choose a platform like Instagram or Facebook for a live event that’s a little more casual and fun. Be open to possibilities, instead of locking yourself into a format your audience might not even like.
Consider your connection, lighting, and sound
Have you figured out a spot in your house or office that has a great data connection, that is perfectly and brightly lit, and that is completely free of background noise? We haven’t, either, and that’s why testing your set-up out and making sure you have the right equipment is so crucial.
Make sure you have these things on your list if the highest-quality presentation is important to you:
A hard data connection; don’t rely just on your wi-fi, even if it’s good
Lighting equipment; here’s a good list of recommendations
A solid mic and/or a pop filter; here are mic recommendations and more about filters and why they’re useful
Now, not every audience cares about quality to this level, and certainly we’ve all been part of online events where speakers did not have this kind of equipment on hand. But this post is about taking event planning seriously, and for under $200 you can seriously up your presentation game and stand out. Your audience will notice!
Quality and good audio will also continue to be important if, like many organizations, you’re going to be doing hybrid events in the future; here are 8 Tips for Facilitating Nonprofit Hybrid Meetings courtesy of Beth Kanter.
And you can use this equipment for all sorts of other things, like that podcast you’ve been meaning to start.
Hire a professional!
If this is all too much for you to take on by yourself, hire a pro! We recommend reaching out to our friend Sarah Cissna over at The Side Lobby or the team at Really Useful Media for your next major online event. Having that expertise and support can be exactly what you need to make this new normal work for you and your organization.