As marketers, its important we make a plan before we charge into any tactic, virtual or not. Without a thoughtful strategy, we increase our risk of exposure and the chances of missing ROI objectives.
This is normally a mortal sin for marketers, and especially risky in this economy. Adopting reactive postures for short term gains at the risk of long term success is a recipe for disaster.
Before taking the first step into this “Whole New World” its critical now more than ever marketers understand what they are getting into.
Today I’ll discuss a few things to think about as you consider adding Virtual Events into your marketing mix. But first, lets make sure we’re operating from a common definition.
What is a Virtual Event?
A Virtual Event is a gathering of individuals who meet through a computer-generated environment at a prearranged time in order to acquire knowledge, share information, interact with each other and engage in activities of common interest. Whew! That’s a mouthful.
Here are the key elements of the definition that should always be top of mind.
Computer-generated environment
Audiences experience Virtual Events using their desktop or notebook computer, and like anything else done on a computer – the surrounding environment (complete with distractions) competes with the experience.
Pre-arranged time
This drives the critical mass of an audience, which in turn fosters interaction.
Interact
Interaction among audiences and between sponsors drive engagement and to some degree, immersion in a Virtual Event. It also promotes a higher level of value for attendees and sponsors alike.
Types of Virtual Events
Webcast
Live audio, video or multimedia distributed via the Internet or on digital networks. Webcasts can only be considered events when the content is live.
Webinar
A seminar conducted over the Internet. In contrast to a Webcast, a Webinar is designed to be interactive between the presenter and the audience.
Web Conference
A group meeting or live presentation over the Internet. Web Conferences use screen sharing accompanied by voice communication via telephone or VOIP. Text chat is sometimes used to complement, or in place of voice communication.
Virtual Trade Show
Similar to a face-to-face trade show, a virtual trade show includes: an exhibition hall, a conference center for keynotes, panel discussions, and breakout sessions, a lounge for attendee networking and a resource center for distribution of content.
Virtual World Events
Meetings that take place in virtual worlds like Second Life. These can be as simple as a speaking opportunity, or as complex as a full-blown virtual conference, with robust multimedia, multiple speakers and sessions, networking opportunities, product demonstrations, virtual tours, etc.
Why now?
We are experiencing a perfect storm where Virtual Events are becoming a viable tactic for marketers to consider adding to their marketing mix.
- Economic factors: Brands are looking for lower-cost alternatives to engage their audiences.
- Technologies and platforms: Several platforms using different technologies are widely available to host Virtual Events. These are simple to use and robust enough to warrant participation.
- Bandwidth: Broadband technologies make it easier and more effective than ever for audiences to engage and participate in Virtual Events.
- The speed of business: Virtual Events allow employees to be accessible or present and allow knowledge and content sharing, education and interaction without disruption.
- Green: The impact of a virtual activity on the environment is far less than that of a face-to-face tactic.
Here are six things to consider:
Virtual Events are not the same as Face-to-Face Events
Virtual Events are another (different) tool you can use to qualify and acquire leads, reinforce thought leadership, or distribute information. They are not, and will not behave the same as Face-to-Face events.
Virtual Events do not immerse attendees in a multi-dimensional interactive brand experience
- They are at the end of the day, a two-dimensional attendee experience.
- Outside of software, attendees cannot experience your product(s).
- Audiences participating in Virtual Events are subject to the same distractions, as they would have during any other computer-based activity.
Virtual Events cannot facilitate relationships as well as Face-To-Face activities
No one ever got married as a result of participating in an online dating site based solely on that experience (at least I hope not). There was a live in-person courtship that took place. The same goes for valuable, long-term business relationships. You cannot fax a handshake, and a virtual beer lacks flavor. The human experience requires humans.
Virtual Events are best used as part of an overall marketing mix
- Identify marketing objectives first, and employ the most effective tools to meet those objectives, virtual or otherwise.
- Avoid one-off activities – understand how Virtual Events strategically fit within your overall program alongside all marketing tactics.
Virtual Events can take the place of *some* live face-to-face events
- Understand marketing objectives, number of attendees, how technically savvy your audiences are, the degree of interactivity required, etc.
- Again, your audiences will behave differently at a Virtual Event than they do in a Face-to-Face event.
- Brands experience a different level and kind of performance from Virtual Events vs. Face-to-Face Events. Plan for this.
Virtual Events can be used to complement live Face-to-Face events (a hybrid model)
Hybrid models bolster attendance, increase access to content, extend the life of a physical event, leverage and reuse assets, increase reach, drive buzz, enhance attendee value and improve ROI.
With live events, there are few barriers between you and the attendee. You have the personal touch, the well-honed people skills, the skillfully prepared presentations all working for you. With a virtual event, none of these things are guaranteed.
Perhaps the most important areas lacking control are access and experience. You can’t be sure what hardware your attendee is going to be using to enjoy your virtual presentation, nor can you be sure how the experience is going to translate for the customer in his or her remote environment.
This is important because of the risk involved. Anything that clouds or interrupts the view of your virtual event can reflect poorly on your client or product. So imagine, for example, the attendee’s office network is having trouble that day. This is certainly no fault of the marketer, but if it stops someone from having a positive experience with the marketer’s virtual event it will nonetheless have an effect on the presentation’s success. By extending the distance between marketer and customer, virtual events create a chain of possible issues and failures in the pursuit of convenience and accessibility.
This is definitely not to say virtual-event marketing is not an extremely important tool. It is important and will only continue to become better due to our strengthening infrastructure. The “perfect storm” you describe is real, and the iron is definitely striking-temperature right now. But virtual event marketing, even more than most things, is only worth doing if it can be done well.
Conclusion
Face-to-face events are often lauded for the personal touch and the human elements that make them so effective. However there are situations where it becomes more difficult in person to connect with the right people and the right ideas. Not enough time, too many people in attendance, people unable to adequately articulate their needs on the spot, etc. All these problems can be elegantly solved by a well-planned virtual event.
