Hosting an online event is an ideal way of bringing together like minded individuals for discussion, debate and conjecture. As human beings, we thrive off of contact with others and it is only by bouncing ideas off of one another that we are able to truly progress with our own plans, endeavours and dreams.
Whether your event is a serious meeting of business minds, or simply a light hearted gathering of souls, it’s important to do your best to ensure that it is as effective as it can be. I’ve compiled a few hints, tips and ideas to try to help out with the planning and organisation process.
Get the Registration Form Right
The registration form is often the first port of call for your attendees, so ensure that their first impressions are good. The first thing to do is to make sure your form is clear and concise, with easy to follow instructions as to what information is required and where. If a form is messy or jumbled this is going to put potential attendees off and could be the difference between them signing up or backing out.
As well as the information you want to collect from your attendees, ensure that the form has all the vital information that you want to convey to them. Things like time and date of the online event, any preparations attendees need to make and any other information you deem important.
Finally, ensure that your form has a clear opt-out or refund policy attached. Forms that do not include refund policies are likely to dissuade attendees from signing up straight away. If you want people to sign up as soon as possible, ensure that this option is available.
Use the Online Promotion Tool Box
You’re probably already well aware of the myriad of modern marketing tools availed to us by the internet, but just in case you aren’t, here are a few of the ways you can use those tools to promote your event and make it a success.
Create a page on Facebook that attendees can like, or create an event for them to attend. This gives you a nucleated area in which you can send updates directly to those who are attending. It will also give you an idea of the sort of numbers you can expect at your event.
A similar effect can be achieved using Twitter hashtags or even a dedicated Twitter account. Using bitesized pieces of information to promote your event might not seem like enough, but don’t forget that you can employ linked content in your Tweets which will help you expand on points while also improving your online traffic.
Twitter probably has the edge over Facebook in terms of spreading the word, as the retweet and favourite actions on Twitter allow people not currently subscribed to your feed to gain access to information regarding your event.
Be Clear on Your Purpose
Probably the most important thing is to always remain clear on your purpose. This clarity should permeate through all levels of your promotion work for the event. There’s no point in having an event where the attendees are all labouring under their own interpretations of what is going on; ensure that the promotional literature sets this out explicitly.
If your event is more of a light hearted get together, ensure that your attendees are aware of this tone before they sign up. If you have a specific agenda you want to explore with your event, ensure that this is made clear. This will enable your attendees to prepare more thoroughly for the event and therefore make it a success.
All in all, make sure you enjoy your event. Such gatherings are vital to the development of our own business ideas and endeavours.
This guide was brought to you by Simplifydigital, the UK digital services experts. Simplifydigital are Ofcom accredited and provide independent advice to consumers looking for the right broadband, TV and home phone packages.
