This guest blog post is from the CEO and Executive Creative Director of The Craftsman Agency, our new event partner. The Craftsman Agency helps clients create magical moments that infuse the global market with artistic experiences, immersive storytelling, and craftsmanship.

Large in-person events aren’t happening right now, and they may not happen for quite some time. But how do you engage your audiences for a virtual event? That’s a question a lot of our clients have asked. After all, you need to engage your audience to make your virtual event a hit.

At our creative shop, we haven’t had to make a huge leap in thinking to find the answers. The ability to engage people digitally is actually one of the key capabilities that we bring to our new partnership with cred. 

We have deep expertise in leveraging the power of digital to create memorable, valuable events. We love to add elements of play, art, and entertainment to get attendees excited and asking for more—often resulting in bigger payoffs without additional lift. 

Here’s some of the advice I’ve given our clients:

1. Make your virtual event as valuable as an in-person event.

   OK, you may not be able to host people in one of your favorite venues or provide delicious themed cocktails. But those are bonuses, not the real meat of an event. Although the delivery is different for a virtual event, the focus is still the same: You want to offer attendees substantial value through stellar content, strong speakers, and some magical moments.
   
   

2. Tell your story—strategically.

   You should focus on immersive storytelling. This can bring your event to life. And if you do it right, you’ll have a digital experience that extends beyond the event itself. 
   
   In addition, think about more than just a single event. Taking a campaign approach can help you simplify the narrative and takeaways for each event, letting you focus on specific value propositions and build an overall story structure that resonates with your audience and inspires them to take action. This approach can be more effective for both you and your audience.
   
   

3. Increase attendance and engagement with creative tactics that will activate your audience.

   How can you get people to come to your event—and stay? You include activations that are equivalent to what you’d do for an in-person event. Here are a few ideas to kick off your brainstorming:

   • Leverage a celebrity! Celebrity speakers can be a great draw—but do make sure they align with your brand. 

   • Add a form of entertainment, such as holding a virtual concert with a well-known band or livestreaming an artist painting a mural.

   • Give away cool swag to attendees. 

   • Add a gamification program to virtual experiences, rewarding attendees for behaviors such as attending a breakout session, or asking speakers a question. 

   • Encourage social sharing using a hashtag. Step up the community management game with shout-outs to the most engaged attendees. 

   • Run a contest or sweepstakes with a sweet prize for all the attendees who join virtually for more than half of the event.

   • Send care packages—snacks or other thoughtful little items—for your attendees to enjoy during the event. As things open up and teams are able to get together in one place, you can even send things like pizza to a group. 

   
   Basically, surprise people and connect with them in a more personal way. 

   
   

4. Provide the ability to connect.

   Speaking of connection . . .
   
   While it can be tough to replace the experience of being in person, sharing live video can make a big difference in how connected people feel during a virtual event. You want to ensure that your event’s technical capabilities are up to par so that the experience is seamless. When it’s appropriate, offer interactive features like allowing people to comment, ask questions, vote, and upload things.
   
   Another big part of in-person events is the opportunity to network, so be sure to enable 1:1s or small group video chats when suitable.
   
   

5. Gather data.

   Data helps you understand if messaging and content are resonating. Typically, you’ll want to know how many people registered, how many attended the event, how long they attended, and how engaged they were. Then you can use this data to optimize your future efforts.

   
   

Don’t let your virtual event fall flat. Use these tips to create engaging, valuable moments for your audience—moments that they’ll remember and connect with your brand. 

If you need any help, please reach out. We’ve teamed up with cred to bring you stand-out virtual event planning and execution, and we’d love to help you craft an event to be remembered . . . even if it’s not at your favorite venue.