Keeping Virtual Event Attendees Engaged

From Sessions To Incentives & Networking

The popularity of virtual events continues to grow for companies of all sizes, and there are new ways to measure and grow the success and the size of your audience for your next virtual event.

Below are our top five tips to virtual event success. If you’re planning or considering a virtual event our professional team is ready to help. Give us a call or request information online today!

1. Design Event for a Shorter Attention Span

When planning your virtual event, it should be noted that online attention spans are a lot shorter. To accommodate this, session times should be limited to around 25-30 minutes or at least add interactive elements to longer sessions.

For longer sessions, mix things up with a combination of polls, trivia or mini breaks. Hiring a professional emcee is also a good way of keeping your audience engaged with a high energy persona.

2. Give Attendees New Ways to Connect

Networking still remains the biggest draw for attending any event. Create value for your virtual attendees by offering a variety of networking opportunities and making it as easy for participants to connect with one another.

Pro-Tip: Add a QR code from your preferred social media programs on your virtual background so anyone can scan via their smartphones and get automatically connected. By extending your event conversation across multiple platforms, your reach grows even further.

3. Offer Incentives

Get your attendees motivated with incentives! Everyone loves a prize giveaway such as gift cards and experiences.

Asking attendees to stay for the entire length of a virtual event in exchange for a reward, will ensure that your audience sticks around.

Pro-Tip: Ask sponsors to donate the prizes. They’ll be able to advertise their own services.

4. Be Strategic with the Event Agenda

Shake up the typical in-person event agenda by adding music to session transitions and speaker walk-ins to liven up the event. Scheduling your must-see speakers and topics towards the end of the event is also a great way to make sure attendees don’t drop off as the event goes on.

5. Interact Directly with Them

Calling attendees out is a typical strategy done during in-person events and can be replicated just as well in the virtual setting. Engaging with the audience right away by asking them questions such as “Where are you watching from?” Respond to what attendees share and continue that tactic throughout the session to build rapport and make the attendees feel noticed.