Just like any in-person event, online activities cannot be improvised by shouting “webinar!”. Preparing properly and optimizing your event to ensure an unforgettable experience for all your participants is important. Here are 5 tips to help you plan yours with the utmost peace of mind!
Online event formats
First, we need to differentiate between the two main types of virtual events: online and hybrid. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but here are the basics: Online events are 100% online, while hybrid events combine an in-person activity (for example, golf tournaments, gala events, maple syrup tastings, bingo, etc.) with an online event (such as a web auction, live stream, webinar, and so on).
1. Choose your dates carefully
It’s well known that winners don’t leave anything to chance, especially not the dates (at least, we don’t). It’s important to choose the date and time of your event carefully.
For online auctions, we recommend a two-week period, starting on a Friday and ending on a Friday night—two moments when people are generally available. However, you will have much more success if you adjust your dates to your target audience. And the beauty of it is that Followmybid allows you to plan an auction for the duration of your choice: it’s really up to you.
Here are several questions to ask yourself about the timing:
- What time zone is your audience in?
- Will it be spread over several time zones?
- In that case, what is the best time for most of the participants you invite?
- Is a party or other event likely to compete with yours?
- Is your audience available on the chosen day?
- Will you be fresh and available at that time? (Remember that just because you are available doesn’t mean you don’t want to go to bed at 8:35 p.m. to recover from a busy week).
In short, identify your target, study it, and act on it. And because we’ve all forgotten a child’s painting lessons or Mr. Mustache’s appointment for his lion haircut, make sure you send out multiple reminders before the big day.
2. Choose your tools wisely... and master them!
Nothing will dampen the spirits of a crowd faster than a presenter who talks for 10 minutes without knowing that they’re on mute. Or even worse, a connection that crashes repeatedly during the presentation.
While you can’t always control the Wi-Fi, choosing the right tools is essential to ensuring a successful strategy. Know how many attendees you could have, if you have a time limit, if you need specific devices, extra chargers, etc.
Some potentially useful tools:
- Mailchimp: To create and grow your contact list.
- Eventbrite: To promote your event and keep track of interested people.
- Followmybid: A platform to create your online auctions.
- Prodon: A donation management software.
- Zoom: A classic of video conferencing.
- Google Meet: For video conferences with photo sharing, emojis, and animated GIFs.
- Google Forms: To poll your audience and do even better next time!
Regardless of the combination of tools you choose, it is advisable to do a lot of testing and technical research to anticipate any glitches.
In short, prepare yourself thoroughly to put an end to the famous “I’m sharing my screen... do you see it? How about now?” Much to the delight of all.
3. Plan your promotional campaigns thoughtfully
Of course, you’ll need to get the audience excited by drawing attention to your upcoming event.
How to promote your event
Here are some surefire ways to promote an event online, but the more original you are, the better it is!
- Posts on social media
- A newsletter sent to your contact list
- A press release sent to the media
- Direct calls from you and your partners
4. Promote real-time interaction
When the time comes, be prepared to promote interaction. For example, you could schedule discussion groups, rooms, or Q&A sessions throughout the event for people to weigh in. If possible, plan specific times to invite your audience to participate. Also, make sure to provide clear instructions on how to participate. Otherwise, your efforts will be in vain!
Because we are human and our concentration has limits, vary the content so your audience doesn’t lose interest. Also, plan frequent breaks so that everyone can take a breather. These breaks will give you time to address any technical glitches that may arise and will allow the audience to come back refreshed.
Finally, schedule the highlight of the show, such as the awards ceremony, at the end of the evening to encourage people to stay until the event closes. To provide extra motivation, you can also give out attendance prizes to people who participate actively.
5. Stand out from other events
With so many online events available to the public, you must find a way to stand out.
How, you might ask? Easy: Make it fun. Yes, a webinar can be effective, but what makes it even more effective? Humour. Sometimes, you only need a great presenter to ensure everyone has a good time.
However, if you want to take it a step further, you can also make your event an experience. Gamification is a great way to do this.
For example, you can use the Followmybid platform to wow the crowd with a different experience. We’ll take care of all the gamification stuff: Double your event with a participatory auction that will encourage participants to bid and keep them engaged with instant SMS notifications.
Some benefits of gamification for virtual events:
- Improve audience engagement
- Promote networking among your participants
- Ensure a greater return on investment
- Boost your brand’s exposure on social media
- Increase attendee satisfaction levels tenfold
For even more fun, you can also choose a theme. We have another blog post explaining in detail why this is a great idea.
Bonus: Don’t leap into the unknown. Contact us!
As your virtual event partner, we have all the tools to help you set up an online auction that reflects your image. Our last tip is integrating proven tools like Followmybid into your online event to ensure it runs smoothly!
