Virtually over?
Three years ago none of us could get enough of virtual events. Experts in a certain field could pretty much guarantee a great turn-out if they had a bit of a following and the topic was semi-relevant. We could schedule a zoom call and sit back and enjoy seeing the screen rapidly filling with a bright mosaic of hundreds of faces - eager attendees arriving to listen and interact.
So what’s going on now? If you’re anything like the many clients we’ve been talking to recently, virtual events are becoming a bit of a struggle. Getting people to sign up to them is hard enough, but having them turn up on the day? And, even if they do show, most don’t turn their camera on, so the mosaic looks more like a few sad scattered fragments painstaking pieced together by amateur archaeologists than a newly installed Pompeii bathroom.
Zzzzoom fatigue
While we were locked up at home, joining lots of virtual events felt like the only way to keep in touch with what was going on. Sure, many people still work from home today, but the novelty has well and truly worn off. While we tolerate virtual meetings that we must attend, and we all still get the convenience aspect, not so many of us will necessarily choose to spend yet another hour in front of that screen for something that isn’t essential and sounds only marginally interesting.
Letting life get in the way
Most of us don’t schedule our general viewing outside of work, so why should it be different for work-related digital content? We might be super-keen to hear a speaker at a virtual event, but if life gets in the way - and somehow it seems to “get in the way” more easily than it used to - we know we can skip the live event and watch the catch-up. Of course, that means we can’t ask questions, but was there any guarantee that ours would have been chosen anyway? Not only that - we’re all bombarded with content in other formats which may fit better with our lifestyles, like podcasts (great while walking the dog) and long-form articles (great for the commute.) Video isn’t always our media platform of choice.
The Allure of Face-to-Face
You can’t beat those moments of connection with someone standing in the same space as you. Yes, walking into a room full of strangers can be daunting, but it also carries the excitement of the unknown, and when it goes well, offers a far more stimulating and effective networking experience. The nearest digital events get to this is a break-out room at the end of a talk - if anyone actually sticks around for it - but that’s thin gruel in comparison.
The death knell for virtual?
We need to recognise that this is probably not a blip and the fall-off in interest is here to stay. So, does this means we should just throw in the towel on virtual events? Well, not so fast. Don’t forget people who don’t live anywhere near the venues you might choose for physical or people who would love to have some interaction, but for whatever reason can’t go in person. But to make digital events work, we may need to put in a bit more effort. It’s no longer enough to just invite a speaker and send out a couple of emails to your “base”. More care and energy needs to go into not only planning the event, but how to spread the word. If we want people to commit and turn up, we need them to feel special and understand how worthwhile it could be for them. So no more generic messaging: personalisation is the name of the game. For example, are you able to send personal messages to attendees prior to the event, rather than just the automated one sent from the event platform? Would a pre-event group make sense to let people meet each other first? If so, set one up and be there yourself to drive engagement.
Less can be more
There’s no law of the land that says a virtual event has to be 30 or 60 minutes. Might something shorter work better? Play to the strengths that the virtual environment brings. Something just 10 minutes long can have a massive impact if it’s organised well and answers a need for your audience. People may be more attracted, because they know there will be no time for waffly introductions and speakers will have to get straight to the meat.
Mix it up
The vast majority of virtual events lead with one topic as the central hook, and the formats are usually geared to experts sharing their expertise, so you can learn or get better at something like investing, leading or being more entrepreneurial. But might an event which is less topic-driven and instead focuses mainly on building connections or networking work better? Can you get people involved more? Is there an activity that your followers want to actively participate in, such as giving a speech, writing parts of their CV, painting, writing a pitch? It can be anything, as long as it means something for your audience. There might not even need to be a particular theme or activity. We’re seeing the proliferation of virtual co-working offerings, with no set agenda - just a space to come together and get your work done.
FOMO
Make sure you share how great your virtual events have been by getting testimonials and soundbites to share. You want to build a buzz around what you are doing so people figure out they simply cannot miss any in future.
Off the record
A spicy take and definitely not for all occasions, but you could consider not recording the session. You’ll often get much more honesty and willingness to display vulnerability if a group knows they are not being recorded, which in turn usually leads to an all round better experience for those involved. Think of it like a party - if the guests all knew the whole evening was being taped, would they still make that surprising confession, tell that risqué anecdote, or share that tantalising bit of gossip? Or would they clam up and stick to discussing the weather?
Check the tech
Let’s be clear - we’re not saying that the fall-off in interest in digital events is intrinsically linked to shortcomings in Teams or Zoom, but there are other technologies that you might want to explore which offer a more immersive experience. We’re big fans of the likes of Butter, for example.
So those are just some suggestions from us. Have you found anything else works? Please do share them below if so.
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