Nine Ways to Keep Your Virtual Event Attendees Engaged and Loving It

You’re not alone if you’ve ever hosted a virtual event to find your audience completely distracted in the middle of it.

According to a recent survey, the single most challenging aspect of virtual events is keeping the audience engaged. Why?

Limited interaction means virtual event attendees are much more likely to be distracted than if they attend in person (for example by phone calls, Instagram, children, or anything else that calls for their attention).

That being said, you’re not doomed to a distracted audience.

There are some key things you can do before, during, and after the event to keep your attendees not only engaged but actually enjoying it.

You build anticipation and generate curiosity by creating a connection with your audience before they even arrive.

This motivates potential participants to clear their schedules and prioritize your event.

Time is money and nobody likes wasting money. If invitees think your event will be a waste of their time, there’s no way they’re showing up.

Show them why they need to come by tailoring invitations to each invitee.

What aspects of the event will they specifically appreciate? What key takeaways will benefit them personally?

People are much more likely to join if you highlight why the event is valuable to them on their invitation.

Ensure your event doesn’t go unnoticed in a sea of digital distractions by making event promotion a priority.

How To Do It:

Event Preview

An event preview allows you to showcase the unique value of your virtual event. Provide insights into the event’s agenda, highlights, and what attendees can learn or achieve by participating.

You can make it a spreadsheet format or if you’re ambitious create a teaser video.

Highlight features such as:

• Key takeaways
• A preview of topics
• Speaker credentials and expertise
• Potential impact on attendees’ personal or professional lives

Countdowns

• 2 weeks until Anniversary
• 11 days to go before Florida vacation
• 3 hours left before JT concert

 We all love a countdown. Why? Because it builds excitement for what’s about to happen. In this case, it’s your event!

Set a countdown timer on your event website or social media platforms to create that sense of urgency.

Bonus Tip: Promote your event through whatever resources you have available to you. Advertise on your social media pages, blog posts, or online webinar directories.

Ask invitees to share any questions they’d like to see answered at the event when sending out email reminders or even on the invitation.

Why It’s Beneficial:

• It makes attendees feel a part of the event right from the get-go
• It shows that you value their questions and concerns
• It helps them recognize that this event will be practical and tailored to their needs

Don’t let your event become a soothing background noise for a siesta. Get them involved!

It’s impossible to zone out if you’re actively participating.

These encourage active participation and lead to lively discussions with interactive elements.

How To Do It:

• Introduction and Icebreaker: Start the event with an icebreaker poll or question to introduce attendees to the interactive format and set the tone for engagement.
• Interactive Presentations: Intersperse polls or questions within presentations to reinforce key concepts, test understanding, and gather insights.
• Q&A Sessions: Encourage participants to submit questions during Q&A sessions, allowing speakers to address relevant topics and involve the audience in the discussion.
• Panel Discussions: Incorporate polls to gather opinions from both panelists and attendees, fostering a dynamic dialogue between experts and participants.
• Breakout Sessions: Use polls to guide breakout group discussions, prioritize topics, or gather feedback from smaller groups.

Presenters are the meat and potatoes of your event. One low-quality speaker can quickly turn a lively event into a snooze fest.

What You Can Do:

 Start by choosing professional event presenters. Take into consideration not only their expertise but their communication ability.

• Encourage speakers to use engaging visuals, storytelling, and interactive elements to maintain attendees’ attention.
• Add spice to the event with individual “walk-up” songs for each presenter.
• Know your speakers well. Will they be screen-sharing during their presentation? Will they be sharing slides? What about their use of polls and when do they want to take questions?

Bonus Tip: Make sure you’ve got the technical aspects under control so tech issues don’t disrupt the flow of presenters.

Introduce gamified elements whenever possible to encourage participation and make the event more fun.

Make use of:

• Trivia games
• Scavenger hunts
• Bingo
• Other challenges for prizes

 Encourage participation by displaying leaderboards showcasing top attendees based on their participation, engagement, or game performance.

You don’t want your event to be something people enjoy but never think about again. You want them to do something about whatever message you’re sharing.

How can you ensure people think about your event after it’s over?

Keep the content fresh in their minds by sharing an event recap on the event page, via email, or through social media. (Or all three!)

Things to include:

• Key highlights
• Memorable moments
• Insights from the event’s sessions
• Answers to popular questions asked
• Links to session recordings or any other relevant resources

People love to share their opinions. Use this to your advantage by soliciting feedback from attendees.

This way you can understand the event experience from the perspective of the attendee, not the host. Use these insights to improve future virtual events.

Bonus Tip: Reach out to attendees individually, addressing any questions, concerns, or follow-up requests they may have.

Generate a buzz about your event. When attendees discuss your event after it’s over, they’re much more likely to:

• Remember key takeaways
• Take action on what was discussed
• Feel motivated to attend another event when the opportunity arrives

How To Do It:

• Social Media Engagement

Don’t underestimate the power of social media. It’s one of the most successful ways of promotion.

Create event-specific hashtags and encourage attendees to share their experiences, insights, and takeaways on social media platforms.

• Dedicated Event App

Utilize event apps that facilitate networking, content sharing, and interactive features where attendees can continue discussions and connect with fellow participants.

Keeping your virtual event audience engaged is a challenge, but it’s not impossible. With a little advanced planning, you can:

• Generate excitement before the event
• Get people involved during the event
• Keep them talking about it even after it’s finished

The tips outlined today will go a long way in contributing to a successful event. But how confident do you feel in pulling it off?

Are you a small team (or even a team of one) and feel overwhelmed by the idea of hosting a virtual event? Here at Virtual Velocity, we love helping people put on amazing virtual events, it’s kind of our thing.

Why not see how our team of experts can help your event go off without a hitch? Sit down with us today and we’ll help you make it happen.