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When you’re organizing an event, regardless of whether it’s an online or offline (face-to-face) function, one of the primary concerns you might have is how to ensure your target audience actually know about and register to attend your event.

Currently, one of the most effective ways to sell-out your conference is by using an online promotional campaign. Many individuals concentrate on what to do prior to the event, nevertheless you will find there are really three essential phases to promoting your event online.

First, You should strategize how you are going to build awareness of your event and drive registrations prior to it happening. Second, you will want to maintain the buzz and excitement of the event via various online social networks, blogs and channels throughout the conference. Third and finally, as soon as the event has finished, you should have a strategy in place to follow-up with attendees to collect feed-back and get them enthusiastic about attending your next event.

Following are 8 strategic social media ideas to help build awareness and drive registrations prior to the event:

• Announce your event on Facebook

  Develop a Facebook Event, listing all of your event’s details. This provides convenient hub / location for attendees to start to network as well as share their excitement and expectations about the event.

• Develop a Facebook Page

  For larger events, creating a dedicated Facebook page could be appropriate to server as a central location to interact with attendees and people considering attending your event or conference.

• Create a Twitter #hashtag

  Using Twitter, create a #hashtag for your event, and promote it. An excellent way to create buzz around an event, is by encouraging dialog with Twitter #hashtags. Publicize your event’s #hashtag, prior to the event across all marketing channels–include it on the registration page, the event website, and then use it in each and every one of your tweets.

• Run a #hashtag Sweepstakes

  To incentivize people to tweet out the #hashtag and also spread the word about your event, sweeten deal by offering a door prize, free pass or other giveaway for one of the lucky hashtag-ers.

• Post the event on LinkedIn

  At the least, you should create an update which includes a couple of words about why you are excited to be attending the event plus a link to the registration page. Be sure to send the post (invite) to all of your LinkedIn connections.

• LinkedIn Group Event Posts

  Search for LinkedIn groups which are relevant to the conference and let them know about it by posting to the group. In addition share the event info with specific connections which LinkedIn easily enables you to accomplish.

• Develop your own community

  Creating an online community for your event might make sense, but only for the biggest and most complex events (generally mega-conferences or conventions). One exception may be, if your target audience is very tech savvy and highly sociable and visible online already.

• Existing Online Communities

  Search out existing online communities. Prior to the event, it’s essential to identify active communities such as those found on LinkedIn, Myspace, Facebook, trade blogs or other forums and find out topics they’re conversing about. It’s also possible to make use of Twitter’s real-time search to learn what the future attendees are talking about and looking to gain from your event or conference. And then you can use this information to fine-tune content for the event and ensure that it’s relevant for the target audience.

e3 Webcasting, LLC., has the experience to provide event marketing services for your next conference. We will collaborate with you to strategically target your audience and make your event a success. It all begins with a friendly conversation with one of our expert, live event streaming producers, who will become your principal point of contact, and will streamline the process of webcasting your event.

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Webcasting is definitely being leveraged by organizations and companies of all sizes as a way to expand their reach as well as the impact of key events, conferences and messages. Based on the nature of your business, you could use live streaming as well as on-demand videos in several ways:

• Provide live-motion training courses and product or service information for your customers, trade partners and staff
• Make use of the technology to demonstrate and promote your products and services
• Create live announcements, host online conferences, or distributed awareness about events to promote your services or products

For staff and customers in many geographical locations, streaming events lets you cost-effectively reach a broader audience with your message. There are many advantages that can be obtained by utilizing this remarkable technology. Employing additional engagement and interaction resources will further engage the viewers prior, during, and after the event. Following is a list of a few of those benefits:

• Broader audiences

  Via webcasting, there is potential to reach anyone anywhere; all a viewer needs is internet access. The largest benefit is that you could significantly expand access to information and events. With regard to training staff as well as sub-contractors, everyone is able to receive the exact same training and information simultaneously – this ensures consistency. For the product launch, press along with other constituents will all view the release at the same time.

• Reduce expenses

  Consider all of the expenses associated with travelling, hotels, venues, meals, plus much more that add up when producing a traditional event. Many of these expenses can now be eliminated with the power of webcasting / streaming. The expense of webcasting / streaming is also much less than those related to satellite subscriptions.

• Increased revenue

  Utilizing webcasting technology can increase the productivity of your personnel in addition to reaching more customers while demonstrating a leading edge advantage and image. Additionally, it may help your business drive activity and achieve results quicker, minimizing the time and effort necessary to market your services and products.

• Connect to your target audience

  Your online viewers can remain as engaged just as if being present for your message’s presentation. The website and server that is hosting the live webcast / video stream can be configured so that people viewing online can write in questions and receive answers real-time. You can also monitor student / viewer engagement and performance, therefore improving transparency as well as accountability.

• Smaller environmentally friendly footprint

  Being a good steward of the environment can not only be a competitive enterprise advantage, but more importantly, we believe, per the Bible, it is the right thing to do. Because of the digital nature of webcasting, you are able to reduce the environmental footprint of the event as well as the organization.

• High quality product

  Webcasting provides for high quality video and audio broadcast messages.

• Scheduling Convenience

  Video-on-demand programming can be viewed in the comfort of your own home or workplace. Additionally, instructors and presenters can easily broadcast from almost anywhere.

• Rich-Media Content

  A wide variety of content exists to choose from. Along with webcasting, you have the overall flexibility of incorporating various presentation methods and multimedia. You even have the option of recording excellent video tutorials for use indefinitely, as video-on-demand.

• Broadcasting Signal Range

  Webcasting creates an unlimited range for broadcasting while radio and television, for instance, has limited signal strength. Webcasts can be secured with Geo-Locking, if you need this feature.

e3 Webcasting, LLC., will manage all aspects of production for your live event webcast so that you can focus on what’s important, “your event’s message”. Our professional webcasting crew will provide you with a single point of contact for live webcasting and streaming production. We will work with you, as well as for you, to execute an effectively successful live webcast event.

For more information regarding the streaming services provided by e3 Webcasting or to speak with a representative, please contact us.

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Webcasting utilizes the world wide web to be able to broadcast live or previously recorded video (sometimes just audio) transmissions, similar to how traditional television networks and radio stations broadcast programming. For instance, institution of higher learning may offer on-line training where in the instructor webcasts pre-recorded or perhaps live training sessions or an corporation might webcast a press conference in lieu of or in addition to a conference call. Viewers can typically participate in the online event by using a web browser like: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome or Safari.

A webcast multi-media presentation transmitted/distributed on the internet utilizing streaming media technologies in order to distribute content from one source of origin to many simultaneous viewers/listeners, making the content accessible| by computer, smartphone, tablet, or web enabled TV. Even-though it refers to linear non-interactive streams, a conference may be broadcast either live (for viewing immediately) or as video-on-demand (for viewing at a later time). The actual applications employed for webcasting are designed so the audience has an uninterrupted viewing experience.

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Webcasts are an exceptionally powerful instrument for building customer relations, launching products strengthening your brand, and understanding how to properly host one makes these even more beneficial. Below are great tips to ensure your own event will go smoothly and successfully.

1. Developing Webcast Event Awareness

Attracting the target audience to view your webcast and participate your live event is a fundamental step in optimizing the success of the webcast. Creating awareness will help ensure the target audience is reached. This might include developing a pre-event website, delivering pre-registration as well as reminder email messages to participants, creating as well as executing the precisely targeted communications campaign, plus much more. Continuous awareness building, during as well as following the event is also vital to extend the reach and impact of your communication.

2. Develop A Pre-Event Checklist

To produce an excellent live webcast, completing a detailed pre-event checklist and assessment is essential. Satisfying this prerequisite involves testing and ensuring suitable internet bandwidth is available at the event’s venue, as well as identifying appropriate A/V equipment required, determined by both the physical space in the venue, as well as your organizational objectives (e.g. lights, the number of video cameras, A/V mixers, etc.).

3. System & Equipment

The caliber of the entire webcast network has a significant impact on the quality of its streaming online videos. It begins with the A/V equipment, and continues along with the quality of the encoder, the particular codec and it’s proprietary software & development, the content delivery network, as well as the streaming support infrastructure.

4. Target Audience Interaction & Engagement

The best use of innovative technologies is making it possible to facilitate and further the impact associated with webcasting, providing avenues for your online viewers to interact and engage along with the event’s host and content. Engage the viewers by incorporating interactive and collaborative elements into the webcast to make it possible for real-time involvement and feedback including: online polling, live Q&A, touch-screen interfaces, and more… By throughly understanding your business and organizational objectives, as well as your target audience, you are able to leverage the best possible interaction & engagement methods to ensure that your audience stays focused and involved, and eventually, internalizes your webcast message.

5. The Best Team to Reach the Summit

Obtaining the right team not only guarantees the webcast event is really a success, but additionally makes a world of difference in its production, turning the complex process in to a straightforward, smooth and effective way to enhance your company’s communication strategies.

e3 Webcasting, LLC., has all the capabilities to provide a great unparalleled positive webcast experience for you and your target audience making your live event a success. It all begins with a friendly conversation with one of our expert, live event streaming producers, who will become your principal point of contact, and will streamline the process of webcasting your event.

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As a webcast producer and marketing professional, it’s practically impossible for me to be at an event or conference, without studying and analyzing the production. I check out the screen placement, stage design and lighting. All the while thinking, “Wow, how did they achieve that special effect, it’s really working well. I’m going to try that at our next event.”

Recently I was brainstorming an event with a client and made a note of the following steps to create an engaging event even if you don’t have a huge budget. It cannot be emphasized enough, that your event, conference, gala, or awards show is really a presentation as well as a marketing event. In everything you do, you will be delivering a message(s) to your audience. An event that is well produced, will make all the difference in whether or not you accomplishing your desired results or not.

1. Work with an Event Producer, not simply an AV provider. A great Event Producer collaborates with you on the branding and communications strategy for the event. They will know how to counsel you on your agenda, the best pacing and flow to keep your audience engaged.

2. When you have a long list of awards to present, break it down into smaller, more compact lists. If the list is too prolonged, you are going to lose your audience. They are going to start to talk with others nearby as well as check their email Smartphones.

3. Sponsorship loops — if your conference has sponsors, be sure to give them as much exposure and screen time as possible. A straightforward logo loop is oftentimes all that’s necessary. Play it throughout the event during walk-in as well as during the break for lunch. Your sponsors will love it and may sponsor your next event.

4. Music selection can make or break an event. The ambiance fills the dead air space in the room or hall. When effectively selected, the right music track will help maintain the pace as well as increase the energy in the room.

5. Announcer VO — The announcer is usually live, but sometimes can prerecorded. Combine a powerful announcer with a great music track along with supporting visuals and you will have elevated the production value of the event.

6. Sound systems and the right audio set-up can be pricey, however it can make a whole world of difference particularly with a very social audience. When the audio is muffled or perhaps the loudspeakers are not positioned in the optimal position, the audience might loose interest simply because they won’t be able to hear well.

7. Visuals and PowerPoint — Be careful not to crowd the slides and to provide people their moment in the spotlight. If you are honoring individuals, give them their very own slide and maybe try to include their company’s logo. They’ll love you for the branding as well as the marketing opportunity. Remember to keep the slides simple and straightforward! Less is always more.

8. IMAG & Video — IMAG is an abbreviation for Image Magnification. To put it simply, it is what is referred to as projecting the speaker onto the big screens on either side of the stage. Done correctly IMAG is not inexpensive. Every detail matters, such as camera type, camera operators, the director to live switch the cameras along with the lighting effects. If the stage is not lit properly the presenters may appear like they are lost in a sea of ink.

I think you’ll discover these quick tips to be very beneficial. Not all of them inexpensive to put into action, bear in mind your event, conference or meeting will have a direct impact on your brand and organization’s image. In the end, it is after all, a presentation.

Having a great support team to back you up with the event production and messaging will make a huge difference between accomplishing your desired results and outcomes. There are plates spinning during a live event and having someone who is at helm directing and producing the program will make an enormous difference.

Please share your own event production checklist remarks below.

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Video can be a good way to keep the energy of an event going. Following are some fun ways to use video. If implemented in a strategic way to support your event, these can be great.

1. Event Marketing — Utilize a short promo video to increase event attendance. Understanding that the best time to generate an advertising and marketing video clip for your next event is during your current event, will the production off to a good start. A good option for acquiring footage for your promo video is the local CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau) and the venue where you are holding the event.

2. Walk-In Loop — To run on the big screen while people are walking-in and finding their seat. For instance, let’s say you’ve secured several sponsors for your event, in which case you can create a short video loop of all the sponsor’s logos (this is a great way to encourage sponsors). You also run short comments, like quotes to reinforce the event branding.

3. Lead-in or Intro Video — You can kick-off the annual sales convention or even internal company events by creating videos that have a narrative story line or even “skit” including important members of the management team. Or you could produce a video for the event to introduce or invigorate the company’s mission, vision and goals. Yet again, keep in mind that your target audience should be entertained as well as educated, edu-tainment is vital to keeping them engaged.

4. Transitional Elements — Launching the event with a video can provide a seamless segue into the program without the need for long speeches from uncharismatic business leaders. If you happen to be special event like an awards show or banquet, consider utilizing videos to introduce the honorees. This can again, side-step the need for prolonged introductions or speeches, increasing the energy of your program and providing an opportunity to highlight the particular honoree more effectively.

5. Virtual Presenters — Quite often, you will find there are key individuals you need to have at the conference or meeting, but for whatever reason they can’t make it. For instance, if you’re conducting a number of meetings around the country on the same day, you could create a video of your CEO and play the video at each location. Another option would be to use Skype to avoid scheduling conflicts and enable a speaker to deliver their presentation virtually.

6. Re-Engage Your Audience — Based on the length of your event, you can use video to re-energize and refocus the audience. By way of example, if your program is an all-day workshop or even a multi-day event, creating a fun video to roll into a break tends to perform effectively. For shorter format events like an awards program, you could use a “man on the street” or “impromptu focus group” videos to interject fresh ideas and opinions.

7. Art or Décor — The proliferation of smaller projectors used in tandem with DVD’s have made it possible to use video like you would wall treatments or art — although slightly more expensive, nevertheless the visual impact can be huge. As an alternative to investing in standard foam-core signs which in turn doesn’t usually generate much attention from the audience, video enables you to convey a consistent, engaging and effective message.

As you can see there are many ways to include video in your next event. Please comment below to share how you have used video in one of you recent events.