How to increase digital engagement
Most digital events are finding fostering engagement among event attendees challenging. But it does not have to be. Here are a few tips that I have come across to assist in improved engagement levels.
Think TV production
It does not have to come with the costs of producing for TV but having a plan and being a little more creative makes all of the difference.
The following can really help enhance the experience – scripts, using appealing aesthetics like backgrounds, green screens, adding titles or using translation. You may want to consider using an MC or experienced presenter to help start conversations. If your budget allows using a production house can take the pressure off your in-house team as well as raise the bar at your digital event.
Involve your community
To make the most of your live engagement, make sure you invite and bring along those community members that are really engaged and have been adding good value to your existing community.
Try new things when it comes to engagement
Your community are human beings, that just like us are also tired of the same old Zoom sessions. So ensure you are looking for common threads amongst your members and using these to better engage and bring some fun to your event.
Things like quiz sessions, yoga, virtual drinks are just a few that I have seen run successfully to have a bit of a laugh, break the ice and have some fun. This is often a really simple, inexpensive tool that’s definitely not used enough.
Create a sense of presence
Ensure you are enticing people to benefit from attending live instead of consuming the content on-demand after the digital event. Live interaction and Q&A’s are often the most valuable parts of these sessions. You can always run an on-demand campaign after the digital event but you do want to try and drive as much attendance live to help improve engagement.
Keep improving
The final point is we’re all having to step up, adjust and work harder at everything we do in the context of events.
- Organisers need to be switched on, ensure you are correctly onboarding all stakeholders as well as investing in top notch online experiences.
- Community members need to be open to try and test these new technologies and ensure you are updating your profile with your full info so you’re easily discoverable.
- Sponsors need to understand the tools, technology and platforms that organisers use. They need to be more digitally proactive in engaging the audiences/prospects with the use of those tools.
By Chanelle Hingston – Group Director, Clarion Events Africa