5 Expert Tips for Marketers Transforming from Physical to Virtual Events

While many events are canceled in light of the pandemic, others have moved online and though this could seem particularly challenging at first, experts say with the right tips and tools, you can make a smooth transition.

It began in March 2020 – events started being canceled due to the global Coronavirus crisis and some forward-thinking leaders decided to shift their conferences online. Just like that, companies followed suit, and now, more than two months in, we see many adapting to the new norm and turning things around while working from home.

Dmexco 2020 made headlines lately for organizing a hybrid (physical and digital) annual event this September. It might be worth your while to make the transition to digital and then consider following in their footsteps later in the year once lockdowns ease.

Learn More: 10 Best Practices to Make Virtual Events Stand Out During COVID-19Opens a new window

While many are making it look effortless, you will need to first spend time planning, ideating, and strategizing. We’re here to help you with the basics to get started. What do you need to know to transition from a planned physical event to digital? Experts share their firsthand best practices and tips for you.

1. Focus on your audience first

When planning your online event, it is critical to understand your audience and craft the right experiences that they will enjoy and benefit from. Using these events as learning opportunities to better help and support your customers is also equally important.

Dan FrohnenOpens a new window , CMO at SendosoOpens a new window , also shared his insight on making the shift, “There are three aspects of moving from physical events to digital events that I recommend marketing and sales leaders focus on:

• Content. Now, more than ever, the content is critical to these events. Regardless of format or platform you choose, you don’t have a swanky venue or travel destination to attach to anymore. It has really evened out the playing field and made the best content rise to the top. Really understand and know your intended audience and curate content that will have them leaving satisfied.

• Engagement. Find unique ways to engage during the event, whether that is live polling, crowdsourcing ideas for charity donations, etc.

• Post Show Engagement. If you’ve done a great job with your content, the best marketers will not be thinking of their virtual event as a one and done. This content can and should live on to help your intended audiences beyond the day of.”

“Moving to a virtual format also allows companies to re-allocate the funds that would have been spent on a venue, to other areas such as creating enhanced designs for the content or continuing to get higher-caliber speakers to present. By spending time on the content and how it is presented to attendees just as you would for an in-person event, marketers can guarantee that their virtual events will still be informative and beneficial for customers and partners alike,” said Jay MuelhoeferOpens a new window , CMO, KinaxisOpens a new window .

2. Experience is the name of the game

Getting a solid understanding and hands on experience of online events before making the shift can help you get comfortable with the platforms and tools and establish your brand persona and strategy.Understanding the possible challenges and resolutions will help you plan accordingly and also improve your engagement.

Matt ConlinOpens a new window , president & cofounder of FluentOpens a new window , breaks down the process into four steps,

1. Embrace virtual events. Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, many companies have been rapidly adapting their events approach and looking at virtual opportunities like webinars, podcasts, and leveraging Zoom extensively to stay connected with partners. Companies are beginning to participate in virtual conferences and events – many of which were planned as in-person events – and are actively trialing new ways to connect with partners.
2. Share your culture. Companies should embrace this time to find new ways to share their culture with partners and clients, while also creating memorable experiences that help to make this new reality feel more “normal.”
3. Set an agenda. Make sure to plan a clear agenda for your event with opportunities for audience interaction and engagement dispersed throughout.
4. Measure success metrics. As we shift to more virtual events and speaking opportunities, be mindful to tie these initiatives to specific success metrics. When hosting a virtual event, it is important to merge standard live-event metrics (attendance rate) and digital KPIs (dwell time, page views, and downloads) that align with your goals. Feedback from attendees is also a great way to gauge overall interest and engagement – demands for a rematch after our virtual trivia night served as an indicator of success and prompted us to start planning another round.

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3. Take the opportunity to grow together

While looking to transform from physical to digital events, it’s imperative to build on your strengths and find a way to incorporate them into your new mode of operations. Leverage resources you might have used in the past to help you reach bigger audiences and make an impact. Train marketing and sales teams so they are ready to take on the challenge of transitioning head-on.

Shane PhairOpens a new window , CMO at DecibelOpens a new window , explains, “Virtual events, including webinars, serve as the perfect platform for marketers to collaborate with influencers, analysts, and partners cost-effectively, further authenticating their brand message and enabling them to reach new audiences for potential leads. To pull off such events effectively might take some structural changes internally. For example, someone who held the title of event lead may now be the head of “digital events” and be learning new ways of doing events online. At Decibel, we’ve really prioritized our webinar series with influencers to further ensure brand awareness and validation stays on the forefront. Switching to digital is a must for marketers right now, and once established, can even benefit lead generation as we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.”

4. Leverage the right tools

Right from planning to execution, documentation, and measurement, you are going to need a stack of tools to complete the transformation from physical to digital events. Since a lot of these might already be in place, you might have to only invest in a few essential technologies.

Jay MuelhoeferOpens a new window , CMO, KinaxisOpens a new window , stressed, “Shifting our planning and investments to virtual formats, including larger events and smaller networking, has been a significant transformation. Our customers and partners count on us to bring unique supply chain, planning and technology innovation knowledge and expertise to them, and we didn’t want to lose that. We always strive to be a resource and a guide, and wanted to invest in our digital engagements to keep our virtual experiences as close to typical as possible, especially during this time of disruption.

To that end, we’ve invested in new technology to modernize the content consumption experience on our website, produced more digital assets, and built a new virtual event calendar. Virtual offers new ways to network and build trust between customers, partners, and vendors and longer-term content reuse.”

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While tools like Bizzabo, LinkedIn Virtual Events, YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Zoom, among other become widely used, we suggest you take the time to analyze the right tools for your business based on your audience size, requirements, and goals.

Here’s leaving you with the words of Shane Phair, CMO at Decibel, “COVID-19 has created a sudden shift in demand generation plans for marketing teams around the world. Companies that mainly focus on physical events to generate new leads must now rethink their entire strategy. But this doesn’t have to be a burden – instead it could be seen as an opportunity to truly embrace digital transformation.”

Tell us in the comments about which tools you’ve tried for your virtual events. For the latest news and trends update in the world of marketing, follow us on TwitterOpens a new window , FacebookOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .