What’s the secret to getting people to attend your virtual event? Not just to show up, but to actually want to be there and participate.
Jason Widup, VP of Marketing, and Mark Huber, Head of Brand & Product Marketing at Metadata, break down some of the ways they promoted a Metadata virtual event successfully.
Watch or listen to the full session to learn how to successfully plan, promote, and host your virtual event so that people want to show up.
Watch the full episode
Three top takeaways:
In the meantime, here are three important takeaways from the episode:
Takeaway 1: Starting with the right intent is key
The first step in launching a successful virtual event is to get your intent right. Ask yourself, what is your primary aim for your live event?
At Metadata’s virtual event, the intent was clear. It wasn’t about driving leads or selling Metadata. It was about helping a community of B2B marketers, which is a part of Metadata’s overall strategy.
Getting clear on your intent will help you make decisions that keep that goal firmly in mind. It’s far easier to avoid going off-script that way.
Takeaway 2: Finding the right speakers can propel your virtual event to success
What’s a virtual event without some fantastic speakers on your panel? Getting those leaders in the industry to talk at your event is always a challenge. They’re busy people, after all.
But there are some tricks you can use.
Reaching out to connections you already have is one step, but for those you don’t know personally, it’s a bit more challenging. One way we did it for a Metadata virtual event was by using some big names we’d already signed up as “social proof” for other speakers.
If someone knows that [big name in the industry] is going to be there, they’re much more likely to say yes.
Takeaway 3: Sell how people want to be sold to
Like anything you want anyone to do, you’ve got to give a good reason for it. Announcing a virtual event on LinkedIn is no longer enough when dozens of other people are doing the same thing.
You need to be strategic with how you promote your event if you don’t want to see tumbleweeds in your virtual audience.
Some ways to market your virtual event include:
- Asking your employees or network to shout about it on social media
- Asking your guest speakers to promote it
- Experimenting with different paid ad formats
- Using a contest to drive engagement and interest online
Using these tactics will help you design a virtual event that people don’t want to miss.
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