5 Ways To Keep Your Virtual Audience Engaged
Virtual events are great.
But they come with their own set of challenges.
And the most important of these challenges is this:
How can you keep your audience engaged?
It’s not easy, but it’s doable.
Here’s how…
#1 Provide High-Quality Content
Want people to pay attention? Then you must provide genuine value.
Here are two questions that you need to ask yourself:
• What problems are the people in your target audience struggling with?
• How can you help them solve these problems?
You also need to make sure that the problem you decide to offer a solution to is a painful one.
Be generous with your knowledge. Your event shouldn’t be an extended sales pitch. It must provide value in and of itself.
Maybe people will buy your product, maybe they won’t.
But they need to come away having learned something of value.
#2 Keep the Production Value High
You can have the best content in the world, but if your production value is terrible, no one will be bothered to listen to what you have to say.
You should make an effort to create a professional video setup:
● An aesthetically pleasing space. You don’t need an actual studio, but you shouldn’t be live-streaming from your kitchen with dirty dishes in the sink either.
● Lighting. This is easy to get wrong if you don’t have any previous experience shooting videos. You may want to look into lighting tutorials on YouTube.
That being said, video is actually of secondary importance, what matters the most is sound quality.
Invest in a professional microphone and test it before going live to make sure that it’s working well.
Also, get a second professional microphone as a backup.
Keep in mind that if people can’t make out what you’re saying, they will leave immediately.
#3 Interact With the Audience Throughout the Event
What is the main advantage of live-streaming?
It allows you to interact with your audience.
So make the most out of it. Ask questions, run quick polls, give people shout-outs. The more interactive you make the event, the more engaged your audience will be.
Just a quick note on shout-outs:
Keep in mind that some people may not be comfortable with this. Avoid mentioning identifying details (for example, last name). Exercise common sense and be respectful of people’s privacy.
#4 Host a Q&A Session at the End of the Event
Offer a full-fledged Q&A session at the end of the event where people get to ask serious questions.
It’s best if you get attendees to submit their questions throughout the event and then go through them during the Q&A.
Also, consider hiring someone to sort questions and pass them on to you, especially if you are dealing with a large audience.
This will help you avoid trolls.
#5 Make Sure To Provide Enough Breaks
Let’s keep it real.
It’s hard to sit in front of your computer and watch a video for an extended period of time even if you are interested in the topic.
That is why it’s important to provide regular breaks if your event is longer than 45 minutes.
Okay, Your Event Was a Success, Now What?
Your work is not done just because your event is over.
Here’s what you should do next to capitalize on its success:
● Create event notes and send them to the attendees together with a link to the event video should they want to rewatch it.
● Create an event highlight reel and send it to people on your email list who didn’t attend the event. Add a link to the full video as well.
You can also display the event highlight reel on your website and then use the event video as a lead magnet (ask people to subscribe to your email list to get access to the video).
We can help you create an event highlights reel. Learn more about our video editing services.
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