How to Create and Measure Live-Virtual Events
The thundering bass, the excitement of a catwalk, and the joy that comes from live events has been taken away from us. Once events that connected brands with their audiences, are no longer possible in the COVID-19 reality that we are living in. Although the excitement of live music, social gatherings and client gatherings may seem gone forever, marketers have begun asking themselves how they can achieve these interactive events without being face-to-face.
Live events foster community engagement and deepen the connection between brands and their audience like nothing else. People love to be seen and heard, and virtual live-events can give the personal connection that has been lost since these in-person events were cancelled.
Nikki Garvey, head of ads and YouTube events, evaluated this situation sets a three-step guideline on what marketers can consider when they are planning a virtual event.
Should this marketing event become virtual?
“Just because you can do a digital event, doesn’t always mean that you should” (Garvey).
Not all events can be translated into an online platform. Organizers also have to consider which platform is the best choice for their event. The marketing team should evaluate the goal of the event. If the goal of the event is to deliver new content or make announcements, a one-sided event would make sense. However, if this is going to be a relationship-building event, events should be interactive and serve this purpose. Finding the right platform and length for a digital event is crucial to creating a successful event that aligns with your team’s goals.
2. Will this event create live-stream overload?
With more people beginning to work remotely, many people may be overwhelmed with their own distractions including children, pets, and loved ones. Live events are yet another thing for these people to add to their calendar. As advertisers, we should consider our audience’s personal life and create digital events that will announce critical information or bond us to our audience. Other information can be brought to life on on-demand platforms such as YouTube where it can be digested later.
3. Could A Different Platform Be Used?
Large live events that involve lighting, sound, and staging (such as concerts) can be difficult, to recreate on a digital platform. Therefore, you can look to other platforms to bring these events to life. Don’t let these platforms be forgotten. Instead of a concert seen through a camera, advertising team may create a animated or text-based video on other marketing channels.
Once considering these questions, we can begin building an outline of where the event will be held.
Social Media Sites
Instagram Live
Facebook Live
TikTok Live
Twitter Live
YouTube Livestreams
Conferences and Networking Sites
HeySummit
Hop In
Run The World
Vfair
Webinars
Zoom
6Connex
Livestorm
Webinar Ninja
iHeart Living Room Concert
According to Orion Moses, more brands are hoping onto the virtual events train. For example, on March 29, iHeart Radio and Fox hosted a livestreamed living room concert. This was hosted by Elton John and had performers including Alicia Keys, The Backstreet Boys, Billie Eilish, and Camila Cabello. This concert raised money for The World Health Organization.
MozCon Virtual
For the second year in a row, Moz will be conducting a three-day virtual marketing conference. This conference is a place for marketers to connect and learn from CEOs, agencies, content marketers and much more. Speakers will share advice from their experience in the marketing world. Their last virtual marketing event was met with great success. Lily Ray, the Director of SEO at Path Interactive writes, “I leave every year feeling invigorated with new ideas, new skills, and refreshed approach to my own client strategies” (Moz). This goes to show that even virtual events can create the connection that we believed only face-to-face events could provide.
How to Promote a Live-Event
YouTube has made live events more accessible. All you need you to create a YouTube live-event is a camera, internet and a YouTube channel.
Update Channel Art
YouTube Channel Art
Instagram Countdown
Before the live-event, you can update the profile picture or banner image, that will be displayed on the top of your channel displaying the time of the event. This will grab your viewers’ attention when they are browsing your channel.
Promote Events on Social Media
You can also post details about the event on other social media platforms to raise awareness for a new live event. A countdown on Instagram can keep your viewers in the know about when the next live event will occur.
What to Do after the Live Virtual Event
Create Highlights
Creating shortened videos of your lives is a great way to highlight some of the best moment in your live virtual events. These more digestible reels with expose more audiences to your lives and encourage them to join in the future.
Yes, You Can Utilize FOMO
Reward those that attended the live! By posting inside jokes or shoutouts on other social media platforms, you’ll be promoting more engagement due to a little thing called FOMO.
Archive the Lives
After the live has ended, you can save these lives to your YouTube channel by creating playlists. Now, more people can review what they missed. You can even divide these lives based on subject: such as fashion, live music, or informational streams.
The Future of Virtual Events
James Leo created an article titled “Virtual Events Best Practices: Spontaneous or Calculated.” In his blog post, he talks about what the future has in store for virtual events. According to Leo, virtual events may still be around even after the pandemic has ended. With digital events, advertisers are able to eliminate factors such as poor-weather and travel issues. Virtual events are also a quick and effective way to get your audience talking about your brand. The accessibility to our audience, creates a persuasive argument towards virtual events being around to stay.
Sources
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/future-of-marketing/digital-transformation/event-marketing-plan/
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/pandemic-learnings/
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/video/hosting-virtual-events/
https://pursue-persuade.squarespace.com/home-1/virtual-events-best-practices-leo?rq=events&p
https://pursue-persuade.squarespace.com/home-1/2020/5/4/our-future-with-virtual-events?rq=events&p
To keep the bond between audience and creators during the age of COVID alive, marketers have turned towards live digital events. Learn how to successfully promote, run, and monitor these impactful live event!