Over the last few years, virtual events have taken off, becoming an integral part of the digital community for countless organizations across the globe. As we all know, virtual events were necessary during the height of the pandemic. But as in-person events become the norm again, virtual events are still going strong!
Companies have realized how impactful virtual events truly are, even more so than in-person in many instances. With 79% of event organizers agreeing virtual provided opportunities they wouldn’t have had before, that’s a massive majority! And 66% said virtual events provided a more significant ROI than physical. These stats are something to consider when planning your organization’s next virtual event.
Once you’ve decided to organize your online event, the next crucial step is virtual event marketing! We’ll cover how to use content engagement, omni channel social media tactics, and other key ways to promote your event. Let’s start creating that buzz virtually!
How To Promote a Virtual Event
Your company or organization is ready to promote your upcoming virtual event! But what if this is your first virtual event? Or maybe you’ve had one before, but not as many people attended as you’d hoped. This is where virtual event marketing takes center stage to put your event in the spotlight. It’s important to effectively promote your event to encourage people to get excited about attending.
Add these top strategies to your virtual event marketing plan:
Create an Event Landing Page
This should be the first thing on your virtual event marketing checklist! Your event landing page is the hub for people to learn all about your event! This is your time to shine and show potential attendees why they should RSVP to your virtual event. Include all the essential details and direct anyone wanting more information to your event landing page. This will help keep all the information in one spot and you can regularly update as the event gets closer!
Include information and resources on your event landing page, such as:
- The event date and time
- A schedule or agenda of the event
- List of guest speakers and their bios
- Sponsor information
- Links to RSVP, join the mailing list, etc.
- Visuals showing examples of past events
Get people to your page by using SEO keywords related to your event incorporated throughout your event landing page. This way, anyone searching for your event or similar events on a search engine (like Google or Bing) will find your event landing page. You should also link this page on your social media profiles, promotional emails, and company website. You can ask sponsors, speakers, and partners to share your event landing page link to spread the word!
Implement an Omni Channel Social Media Strategy
Turn to your social media channels across all platforms to generate excitement around the event. An omni channel social media strategy promotes your event information on each of your social media pages. This way, you can encourage content engagement around your upcoming virtual event! Post about event updates and news, asking people to like, comment, and share to spread the word.
Here are some ways to promote your events on social media:
- Organize a Facebook Event page for RSVPs
- Create a unique hashtag to promote your event
- Use photos and videos on Instagram stories and posts
- Posting on the LinkedIn company page
Social media is a key part of promoting your next virtual event. Encourage content engagement to get people talking about your event on socials!
Organize an Email Marketing Campaign
Email marketing is still as relevant as ever in the digital community! Tap into your email lists and send an email newsletter sharing information about your event. You can also make posts on social media encouraging people to sign up for your email list. Add a spot on your website and event landing page so people can sign up for your newsletter to learn about your upcoming virtual event.
Once you have a solid list of people for your email marketing campaign, plan what you’ll send out and how often. You don’t want to overdo it and send out too many emails (this is a quick way to have people unsubscribe and not show up to your event!). Instead, be very intentional about your emails, with new announcements, updates, and other information no more than weekly leading up to the event.
Publish an Event Teaser Trailer Video
Give attendees a taste of what to expect at your virtual event with an event trailer video! This takes footage from previous virtual events (screen recordings, speaker keynote speeches, interviews, etc.) to generate hype for the upcoming event. If this is your first virtual event, share videos from sponsors, partners, company employees, and speakers discussing the upcoming event. This is where you can get creative with promoting your virtual event to let attendees know what’s to come!
The video doesn’t have to be long (anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes is perfect.) You can post the 30-second to 1-minute range videos on social media to encourage content engagement. Videos that are 1 to 2 minutes are perfect to post on your event landing page, website, and email marketing list. Working with a professional virtual video production company can help create a promo video for your upcoming event.
Enhance Your Digital Community With Virtual Events
As you gear up for your next virtual event, keep your virtual event marketing a top priority. If people don’t know about your event, how do you expect them to attend? It’s vital to generate that excitement around your event and get the word out. Set your event up for success by using an event landing page, omni channel social media strategy, email marketing campaign, and video teaser!
If you need help planning, producing, and marketing your next virtual, hybrid, or in-person event, Reimagined Experiences is ready to take the lead! With our event expertise and virtual production studio, we can make any event you’re planning a reality. Book a discovery call with us to learn more about how we can make your next event one to remember.
