We are seeing innovation in technologies and the return of existing ones in this period. And the principal cause behind this is the pandemic. It disrupted the world like the one never seen before. Not even in the times of great wars. So, the takeaway is to adapt and move forward. And the virtual/Hybrid event is one such move.
This pandemic literally destroyed many industries, including event management. When everyone was locked in their houses, the event professionals were struggling to keep the events going. Since the physical events were not on the card, they had to switch to the virtual ones.
Now that we are getting back the control, the massive reduction in active cases and the vaccine rollout programs. Hosting a physical event is possible but not on a large scale. And also, people prefer the convenience of attending the event virtually. So, whats is the middle ground? The answer is Hybrid events.
A hybrid event is a physical event that is also live-streamed for the virtual audience. It offers the best of both worlds – The engagement level of a physical event and the convenience of a virtual one.
But the question is how you can make your hybrid event successful? There are many effective tactics to do the same. And some of them we are going to discuss here.
- Familiarise your attendees with a hybrid platform
The primary step to making your event work is to make sure that everyone can access your event. Now those who are going to attend your event physically reach the venue and time given by you. But what about your virtual audience? For this, you will have to provide a demo of your platform. So that interested people can join your event virtually.
This will help you in refining your virtual audience’ experience. And on the day of the event, people won’t have to panic or be frustrated with the new platform.
2. Provide an immersive experience
A hybrid event is a combination of two events, physical and virtual. In other words, it is a two-in-one event. What it implies, in a Hybrid event there are two types of audience – physical and virtual. So you have to make sure all of your audience is having a good time.
For this, you have to eliminate all the problems that might cause your event. Since you would be present at the venue, you can handle any obstacle there. But for the virtual audience, you have to prepare for technical issues. You need to be armed with a backup to provide technical support.
3. Engage with attendees
The success of your event depends upon the experience of your audience. If the attendees feel bored, they will simply leave the event. Or won’t attend your next event. To avoid this, you need to engage with your audience.
For a physical audience, you can host a lot of activities, and can bring an entertainer also. But how will you engage with your virtual audience? To engage with a virtual audience, you need to equip them with features in the platform itself. These features can be Gamification, Photobooths, leaderboard, social wall and AI match-making and so on. These features will enhance your virtual audience’ experience.
4. Promote your event on Social Media
In today’s world, social media plays a vital role in our life. We connect with our friends on social media, get updates and news on social media and get influenced by social media. So, you cannot afford to ignore social media.
You need to promote your event on social media. Engage with people on social media to create hype for your event. Without any of this, you won’t get a lot of audiences. For this, share the basic information about your event like what it is about, date and timings. Also, you need to promote speakers/guests that will be available at your event. This will grab people’ attention and will compel them to take action (registering for your event).
5. Use the power of content
Content is an integral part of digital marketing. The response on social media depends upon the content you are uploading on the platform. Content can include articles, blogs, photos, videos and gif that you upload in the form of a post.
To get the best result, you need to understand which content will work best on which platform. Let’s take an example of Instagram. It is a visual-based platform, so post more photos and videos rather than large chunks of texts. Similarly, in the case of Twitter, the word limit of tweets is 280 characters so your content has to be short and uncomplicated.
Also, while making a calendar for posting on social media, you should keep tabs on things that are trending. Use multiple hashtags that are relevant to your post so that it reaches more users.
6. Hire an energetic host or MC
Your event might feel flat to the audience, regardless of their medium, if the host (not talking about the organiser) cannot excite people. So, hire someone who is a great host or an MC (Master of Ceremony).
What will they bring on-board? They can instantly seize people’ focus and won’t make them feel monotonous. They can either conduct activities with the audience directly, like a quiz. Or can direct them towards an exercise that will keep them busy.
Also, they will help you to stick with the schedule of the event. Since people will be listening to them, you will communicate with your audience directly through them.
7. Same Time, different Zones
If you are targeting or expecting a global audience through a virtual medium, mention time according to different time zones. Local time will work only for the local or physical audience. But for the global, virtual audience, specify time according to their time zone. This mere step will avoid confusion and facilitate a foreign audience. Hence, easing their experience.
For example, If a hybrid event is happening in India and its organisers expect an international audience, they would be required to specify time according to different time zones.
We hope these strategies will help you in hosting a successful hybrid event. Tell us more about which tactic mentioned here you like the most?