How to Promote Your Virtual or Hybrid Event with Content Marketing

Virtual and hybrid events (those located in a physical venue with in-person attendees while also available to an online audience) are here to stay. According to Bizzabo's Evolution of Events Report, 97% of respondents expect to see more hybrid experiences moving forward. Fewer travel expenses, less time away from the office, and pandemic-safe meeting conditions have made these events an essential aspect of business growth. 

While these factors can save companies time and money, virtual and hybrid events are not without challenges. As attendees are not always in-person and often juggling other responsibilities, some circumstances can result in lackluster participation and limited connectivity. While they are less costly to organize and participate in than all-live experiences, they are increasingly becoming more competitive and saturated. Lastly, as content is often distributed before, during, and after the event, these encounters aren't just a fleeting moment of engagement but a permanent message from your brand. What you say matters more than ever.

Whether you are hosting a virtual or hybrid event or participating as a vendor, a different level of communication is required to be engaging, relevant, and insightful. Keeping your audience informed through multi-channel content campaigns such as blogs, email, social media, newsletters, digital marketing, and more is the most powerful way to promote event turnout, increase audience involvement, and improve the attendee's experience. 

First, you must understand the audience.

In all things marketing, there is a target audience. However, with a virtual or hybrid event, their needs may not be so cut and dry. Businesses should look beyond what a typical potential customer may want and define why a hybrid or purely online experience appeals to that particular individual. Their specific needs may determine what information you need to provide and when. For example, according to Markletic, 80% of people join virtual events for educational purposes (followed by networking), while those attending in-person are perhaps looking to take a deep dive into new products. Identifying why they choose to participate in-person vs. not will define the remainder of your content marketing strategy. 

Next, determine your value proposition.

Let your target audience know why you decided to host or participate in this particular event. What makes it unique? How will it benefit them to attend? Is this experience created to inform, unveil new products, or network? Your audience needs to know why there is enough value for them to give you time out of their day. However, while a traditional value proposition may highlight what makes the event unique or what makes you different from your competitors, it also needs to identify the pain points of a potential customer. Today, these pain points may go beyond product features and be the target audience's specific concerns, fears, and safety interests. Tailoring your value proposition to meet those requirements will reach more targets. 

It would help if you thought about video.

Video is the next best thing to being in person. It brings the human element into the event and lets your audience know what kind of experience they will be having. A video can be anything from a pre-event Q&A with company leaders to a quirky and fun "meet the team" production to a welcome video before the next presentation.

Find a way to start generating buzz.

Is there a big reveal coming? Hinting at a new product launch, hosting a countdown, or creating a sweepstakes campaign can combat the FOMO that virtual attendees may be experiencing. Share something your target audience can only see if they tune in. A downloadable presentation or email marketing campaign are easy ways to get the word out and generate some much-needed buzz. 

Just don't forget about social media.

A considerable part of your event marketing campaign should be social media. Social media builds a community, from posts promoting giveaways to speaker announcements to hashtags used throughout the event. Social media is not only a valuable tool for sharing information, but it can be a way to help virtual attendees feel more involved. Offering online participants a channel to network and interact, for example, through Facebook Events or Instagram Stories, further promotes engagement. 

 

Now is the time to get creative.

Challenges force marketers to think of new approaches, and while in-person events were the norm pre-pandemic, shifting our mindset has generated some impressive ideas. Surprise home deliveries such as cocktail kits for an onscreen cocktail-making lesson, game-like virtual world platforms, and online concerts are just some of the ways businesses have brought real-world experiences into the home office. 

Events are created to be a personal experience. Whether online or in-person or both, these are unique encounters that can be incredibly relevant and rewarding if managed correctly. You can make all attendees feel connected, valued, and well-informed by delivering the right marketing content.