Since we have experienced life going from person-to-person to online and back, digital solutions are still in play—not as the only alternative but as a way to augment the meeting experience. There will always be people who cannot attend a meeting or a congress, yet they don’t want to miss out. Whether 100% digital, live, or hybrid solutions, we need to go back to the basics of event strategy to remind ourselves of the role of events in our marketing mix. Launching an event program without a strategy is an exercise in futility. And futility is something we can’t afford.
A digital event strategy is essentially the same as a face-to-face event strategy. Yes, there are some variables. A successful event strategy needs to be platform-agnostic, and the questions we ask are consistent no matter what type of event we are planning. How do we get the target market to engage with our brand?
A Strategy is Critical for Both Live and Digital Events
What drives your event strategy? Strategy evolves from goals, so ask what you hope to build or reinforce with this event. How do we build loyalty, brand engagement, an experience? Do you want to educate? To launch a product? To reinforce a marketing message or position? What audience do you wish to reach? Once you understand and agree on your goal (or goals), you can build a strategy to achieve them.
Where do events fit in the total marketing mix? Face-to-face events need support from other channels: social media, content marketing, and advertising, for instance. If your event is digital, these factors must also be part of the program.
What Does Your Audience Expect?
How do you create content? Whether live or digital, content is critical for success and attracting your target market. Do you issue a call for papers? Do you recruit speakers? How do you present relevant, anticipated content to your audience? For that matter, we have already seen a combination of live and streaming content at many conferences, something to remember when we are planning live meetings.
What does your target audience expect? If we look at the research from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) and other entities, the top expectations of attendees at events are networking and education. Secondary reasons, such as fun and enhancing their personal reputations, also play a role. We certainly have precedent for all of these in the face-to-face world, but how do we meet attendees’ expectations at a digital event?
Connecting on an Emotional Level: An Example
When one event, an award ceremony, was held recently, it was held online. The ceremony was skillfully executed and well-attended. The event organizer used Facebook Live to stream the ceremony. Why? Because most of the audience was familiar with this platform. This digital event provided a deeply satisfying brand experience, and this example gives rise to two more considerations: With which platform is most of your audience familiar? And how can you create an emotional connection with the audience?
Monetizing the Event
What role will sponsorships play? Can you develop promotional content if you operate in a digital space? Or are there other avenues open to you? What digital options do exhibitors have?
The question of sponsorships prompts us to ask another question: Is there a charge for the event—or is it free? If you charge for your event, how do you determine the value of the content and the entire event experience? Will your audience pay for it? Two examples: TED talks are available free online; Master Class charges in the neighborhood of $100 for premium content. If that is a continuum, where does your content fall? If you are presenting must-have professional education, your audience should be willing to pay, particularly if that education is available nowhere else.
Networking: Challenging but Possible
Finally, let’s get back to the subject of networking since options for education appear to be less problematic. Networking gets trickier, and the size of the attendee base influences the possibilities. Many platforms offer chat features; occasionally, someone will post an email address and ask other attendees to contact them. If event attendance is large, attracting different subgroups, a digital event organizer can offer options for chat rooms away from the main event platform. Can these be sponsored? What options are available to exhibitors? Virtual exhibit halls with specially designed virtual exhibits? Links to websites, probably a less desirable alternative? No matter the format, what drives attendees to events remains unchanged.
Whether your event is online or live, market fiercely. If you are planning a digital event or even a hybrid event, build a timeline that takes into account the fact that your attendees have a much shorter time to make up their minds about the event. There is no travel or overnight stays involved. Whole teams or departments can attend at a fraction of the cost of a live event.
As we’re learning, sometimes live events are impossible, and having an alternative is always good. But if nothing else, we have learned that nothing replaces human contact; if the current situation prompts us to augment our live event strategy with a digital component, we’ll have advanced our industry and our opportunities to connect with our target markets.
Note: This blog was originally published on April 23, 2020. It has been updated for accuracy and relevance.