The Last Step: Marketing

All the work (and budget) put into selecting a virtual event platform will be for nothing if no one attends. Developing marketing strategies for a virtual event includes many of the same components as an in-person event, including well-defined audiences, targeted personas and messaging maps, a results-driven media mix, impactful creative and digital assets and an approach to partnership promotion. But there are key differences that can have a big impact on results. Some include:

  • Engaging registered audiences. Virtual events typically see more attrition than in-person events—sometimes more than 50 percent—so it’s important to engage this audience all the way until the event so they understand the true value and will show up.

  • Adjusting for new registration peaks. The customer journey timeline for a virtual event is greatly condensed compared to one for a live event, so don’t try and copy the same kind of marketing schedule. Registrations tend to spike one to three weeks before an online event.

  • Marketing to specific audiences. Whereas audiences at live events can self-select their own education sessions, exhibitors and networking sessions, it’s important for event marketers to showcase these valuable resources to the right audience at the right time to entice them to join the virtual event.

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