Key Steps to Creating Great Virtual Event Content

In our industry, virtual events are still going high. Some of them are fantastic. Some of them are uninteresting. And almost always, the difference between the two is due to material.

Many people put up with material that didn't quite make it at the start of the pandemic. They did so because they saw businesses doing whatever they could to stay in touch with their clients. Those days, however, are long gone, and delegates are now expecting more from their virtual encounters.

Any virtual event must stand out, and one of the most important factors in doing so is the content provided. The question of material, on the other hand, is a difficult one. Here are seven main steps to follow when creating content for your virtual event to assist you.

Recognize Your Objectives

• Define your purpose for creating this content

• Clarify your objectives in advance (ex: create knowledge, increase sales, build credibility, or increase leads, reach out to new or existing clients)

• Brainstorm how you might reach those objectives

• Identify the “essence” of the virtual event. At the end of the day, what feedback do you want from your audience? Note this down. Then ask yourself: “What information do I want to present clearly that will help me achieve this outcome?” Next, ask yourself: “How can I deliver it in a way that is engaging and easy to digest?”

• Articulate the benefits of the event to your audience and how it might affect their careers, personal lives, or business.

The first move is to figure out what your event's goals are. It's crucial that you know why you're hosting the virtual event. You won't be able to offer effective content if you don't grasp your goals. It's as simple as that.

Your objectives should guide the entire production process from creation to sharing. In particular, they will help you determine which content and how much of it to create and share.

Clarify your objectives

Do you want to increase sales, reach out to a new audience, stay in touch with current clients, or deliver a virtual awards show for the first time? You may have a variety of goals in mind.

Be specific, and then decide on the analytics you'll use to evaluate your performance.

Determine Who Your Target Market Is

The next move is to figure out who you're talking to. Who are the people who are most likely to attend your virtual event? What is the makeup of the population? Is it a youngster or an adult? Is it for junior or mid-level administrators, or is it for senior executives? Is it a mix of people of various ages and occupations?

Determine their Demographics

Determine who the target audience will be. What are the most common languages they use? What part of the world are they in? This may have an effect on when material is seen. Consider if you need live translation or subtitling services if you have a global audience.

When developing your material, the answers to these questions will help you make specific, well-informed decisions. The more you understand your audience and the results you want, the better the return on investment would be.

Add Engaging Content

At your next virtual event, make sure you have these essential components; engaging content such as chat and video tools, entertainment, questions and answers session, , just to name a few.

They allow you to build trust and create a truly engaging experience for attendees.

Ask questions, provide links to helpful resources, add content that keeps them engaged in the platform, and encourage interaction between participants.

Questions and Answers Sessions

Are you planning to hold a virtual event? The days of presentations by professional speakers are gone. Today’s audiences want more interactivity than ever before.

By mixing in questions and answers sessions, polls, and up-to-the-minute social media streams with your live events, you can create the perfect balance of interaction and presentation for your attendees.

Here are tips to get the biggest bang for your buck:

Conduct surveys or focus groups prior to the event – invite participants to answer early questions and continue the conversation via social media throughout the event.

Use polling and voting apps during an event – let everyone vote on controversial topics or issues raised during talks and Q&A sessions.

Use Chat and Video Tools

Some virtual events have higher drop-off rates than physical events. Use video and chat features so you don't lose them!

A study by the Wharton School shows that live video boosts audience engagement by 55%, while the use of messaging systems has a 17% higher open rate. Using remote video and chat technologies increases social interactions at the event.

Get the Most out of Gamification

Attendees are more likely to participate in virtual events if they can gain achievements or points. With gamification, you can motivate attendees to interact with your site or try out new features.

In other words, gamification lets people become more deeply engaged in your virtual event.

Make use of a storyboard

You could use the storyboard technique to aid in the development of your software. Essentially, you use visual images to demonstrate how the event will unfold and how attendees will be affected.

Benefits of a Storyboard

Storyboards are important in film productions. They allow a director to clarify the scene to the actors and for everyone to understand what the action is supposed to achieve. This is extremely useful and overcomes any language or other obstacles to contact.

For your virtual event, you can use the same procedure. You might, for example, show a group of high-energy delegates cheering on a truly inspirational opening keynote speaker. The next picture could show delegates working together in groups to complete a mission. And so forth.

You will have a better view of the "delegate journey" and what they will learn if you do this with all of your sessions. The visual storyboard will enable you to make any required content changes. Delegates require variety; too much drama will leave them unable to cope for long periods of time; similarly, too little enthusiasm will cause delegates to drift away.

Speakers Should Be Briefed

You should thoroughly brief your speakers for every event, but this is especially important in the virtual world. This is something that cannot be overstated. You must ensure that speakers are aware of how their content will be translated, not only in terms of language but also in terms of activities.

Discuss what you want in Details

Virtual events are not the same as in-person events, and a good speaker at an in-person event does not always imply a good speaker at a virtual event. As a result, you must go over it in great detail, from how the technology will operate to what will happen if they become disconnected. You'll also need to discuss what you want to get out of their session and how they'll communicate with the attendees.

The good news is that well-briefed and trained speakers will enhance everyone's overall event experience, and let's face it, no speaker wants to appear as if they don't know what they're doing.

When it comes to intros, be ruthless

When it comes to virtual event productions, time is of the essence, and you must make the most of every minute. As a result, it's a good idea to get rid of something that isn't absolutely important.

Although speaker, host, and sponsor introductions are all necessary, the length of time they are permitted to speak should be considered. Is a 3-page CV of your speaker really essential for your delegates? It's highly unlikely.

A personal introduction is much better

They will do much better with a personalised introduction that explains why this speaker is the right choice for the session. The best introductions are always those that have been carefully selected.

Make sure you edit out any needless waffle in addition to being ruthless with introductions. A sponsor, for example, can claim that they are a fantastic global organisation. Is it then necessary for the audience to know the locations of each of their offices? It's highly unlikely.

With the opening remark, the speaker has made his or her point, and it is now time for the speaker to move on. Less waffle is always a positive thing. It gives you more time to contribute to the excellent content that your delegates expect.

Breaks and time for reflection should be included

Virtual delegates cannot and should not feel obligated to remain glued to their laptops or computers during the case.

Make sure you have time for rest stops, fresh air breaks, and food and drink breaks. Both of these factors are important, and they should be considered as part of the content selection process.

Give time for delegates to focus on what they are learning as well as breaks when creating your content. Virtual events are typically densely packed with data that must be processed. This is something that reflection time allows for.

Ask Your Audience on Social

The use of social media platforms is the final main step in creating your content. Social networking is a fantastic tool for creating community and cultivating event pre-engagement, but it can also be a great source of content for your event.

Why you should use Social Media

Social networking is still around. It doesn't matter if your event is months away and you've already chosen your speakers. You may use knowledge and opinions from social media to supplement your research. This will also guarantee that the material is as current as possible. Use social media to not only spread the word about your case, but also to add meaning to it.

You may also explicitly question your audience – whether via social media or your registration form. Find out what subjects they're interested in or what issues they'd like to see discussed.

Basically in the end you need to become a Content Detective

Too many virtual events end up becoming mediocre because the impact of their material and how it will be received by their delegates has not been considered. Content that is put together just to get something out there isn't going to cut it.

Delegates will see it for what it is, and you can bet they will not attend a subsequent edition. Make sure your event stands out by providing exceptional material.

Make sure you have Exceptional Content

Assume the role of content detective and thoroughly investigate everything. What will the delegates think, what will they learn, is this the right presenter for this session, and so on. There are many issues to be addressed, and our measures will assist you in doing so.

You'll be well on your way to success if you take the content aspect of your virtual event seriously. You'll also stand head and shoulders above your competitors.