IDEAS TO INCREASE AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT IN ONLINE EVENTS

During the current COVID 19 situation due to which lockdowns are being imposed everywhere, there is an absence of any physical events.However, do events need to be stopped totally? Not at all! Online events are the new trend!

But do online events necessarily mean long hours of staring at a screen? Are you worried about attendees losing interest? Are you unable to come up with interesting ideas to retain attention?

Follow these steps to make sure your online entertainment event does not lack the entertainment!

1. PERSONALIZATION

Usually, online events are considered one sided, where the organizers or speakers merely deliver an address and everyone else is mum. Gone are those days! Start by asking for a round of introductions from your audience, why they are joining the event, and what they expect out of it! This is most applicable for workshops, webinars, and conferences. By initiating this, attendees will get to know about each other too, and may spark conversations between people with similar backgrounds.

2. INNOVATIVE PRESENTATION

Gone are the days of having a simple slideshow with pictures and bullet points. Try out new modes of bringing about conversation, and interaction. Quizzes during virtual events, break out rooms for smaller group discussions on Zoom, all allow for discussions in smaller groups. After dividing the attendees into smaller groups for discussions, a larger conversation can happen where every group shares their insights. This will help in networking, and creating new bonds!

3. BREAK THE MONOTONY

Don’t force your attendees to be in dreary colors, in front of their white walls. Add themes such as garden greens, ask everyone to sit on their balconies or near their plant pots. Help create a casual and lively environment. Let people sip their coffees, dress in colorful clothing to add excitement and fun. Being creative in this way will boost people’s morale and inspire them. A lot of times, events may seem repetitive, monotonous, and that may also lower the interest of people attending the seminar, or even concert. Regardless of the nature of the event, the execution needs to be innovative!

4. ACTIVITIES

If you’re organizing an online concert or entertainment event online, play games! Having games like lucky draw, bingo, quiz questions to answer in between performances will keep audiences hooked. A gratification in the form of coupons, or memberships can also be provided to incentivise participation. This is where sponsors also come into play; the more the sponsors, the better your activities and engagements can be. Furthermore, sponsors also help provide a means of reaching a larger audience for the event.

5. MAKE IT LIVELY

Don’t hesitate to add background music, stories, and personal experiences that are short and crisp. Ask the audience to share their own tales, and create an informal atmosphere. Don’t make all this forced, the fun is in spontaneity and light interactions. The audience can also be allowed to send messages to each other, to interact with each other. Mavent Tech, an event management software, provides the option of one on one chat, and even group chats.

6. GET FEEDBACK

It is important to keep track of the experience of the attendees. This can be done in the form of sending Feedback forms with short questions about the nature of the event, other suggestions to improve the event, and what attendees would like to see in the future. This will help in judging the success of the event, and help prepare better for the events in the future.