Live face-to-face interactions are what people thrive on at events; as a species we relish the opportunity to engage with others and communicate on a level that connects. In a world where evolving technology has conveniently curbed the need for regular physical conversation, having dedicated time to meet with customers and prospects, in specifically designed event environments, has become even more crucial. Events of all types and sizes are increasingly becoming heroes within marketing strategies, proving to be a channel that can reap tangible results and measurable ROI.
But, what are the alternatives when face-to-face events aren’t possible? In circumstances where getting all or some of your audience together under one roof isn’t viable, there are some impressive tools that can be utilised to support in the delivery of internal and external communication plans.
Here are just some of the digital event solutions X3 can offer to negate any barriers that seek to throw your event marketing strategy off course:
Live Streaming
No matter where your event takes place, there will always be physical and geographical limitations. Making the decision to live stream your event, helps remove these obstacles and expands the reach of your content to worldwide audiences, who otherwise might not have had the opportunity to consume it.
Delivering a live stream of your event, that won’t be available for your online audience to view later on-demand, can also create a sense of urgency to access your live content. We’ve all heard of ‘fear of missing out’ aka FOMO and positioned correctly, this is what can be achieved for your event.
Live streaming can also secure another revenue stream for your event. Not only can you charge attendees for their physical admission, but a fee for online attendees to access streamed sessions can be applied to optimise the events earning potential.
By boosting interactions with existing and potential customers on a global scale, the incorporation of live streaming can help to increase business opportunities. It’s therefore well-worth considering the value a live stream production entity could add to your overall event offering.
Webcasting
Depending on the purpose of your event, you can digitalise it with webcasting technology. Another tool that can enable communication with a remote worldwide audience, webcasts can deliver rich content to a large number of delegates.
Working on the one-to-many model, webcasting is a cost-effective way to hold an event and has the capability to host speakers and mixed-media presentations online. Key benefits to webcasting are that audiences can access them from anywhere in the world (subject to a reliable internet connection) and from any device, including mobile devices; ensuring your content can be seen and heard effortlessly and – if required – on the go.
Executing one-off live webcasts can again help create urgency to view content, but it’s also worth highlighting the advantage of recording a webcasted event. In the case that a live webcast can’t be attended, recorded webcasts can be made available via on-demand platforms. Not only is this a convenient option to provide to your target audience, but it also helps broaden the reach of your messaging.
Webinars
Run on a smaller scale than webcasts, webinars create a virtual event that is more collaborative. As well as having the ability to host speakers and present rich content, webinars can incorporate interactive features like polls, Q&A sessions, chat boxes and message boards – allowing real-time engagement and interactions between presenters and online attendees to take place.
Webinar sessions can also be recorded. Not only does a recorded webinar provide valuable video content which can be shared and referred to, but it also offers a source of information that can be used to derive further content from e.g. blogs, podcasts, FAQs etc. Add to this, that analytics surrounding your audiences’ behaviours and engagements within the webinar can be collected and used post-event, and there’s more than a few compelling reasons to consider the webinar approach.
Used to enhance a live event or used to create independent virtual events or meetings, digital event solutions are delivery mechanisms that ensure a high-quality output of your business content. Speak to the expert team at X3 Solutions today and discover how our range of digital event services can work to help set your brand apart and support in communicating crucial key messages to your audience, wherever they are in the world. Call +44(0)1252 519303 or send a message to info@x3solutions.co.uk
