How to Make your Brand a Success at Every Virtual Event

Virtual conferences and trade shows will remain a mainstay for 2021 and beyond. Initial lack of enthusiasm by marketers to take their attendance at virtual events seriously, most likely due to novelty, will dissipate. Virtual trade shows are still very much a true trade show, and sales funnels still need buyers. Achieving the outcomes and ROI that you require will still need the same discipline as any in-person event. 

4 ways to make sure your brand is a success at virtual shows

1. Make your booth stand out

Like any in-person event, your booth is a representation of your brand and company and needs to be treated as such. The benefit of virtual is that you are not limited to typical budget constraints, so build the booth that you’ve always wanted!

Use the advanced features available to make your booth stand out from the rest. You are not limited to the standard templates provided to you by the event organizer.

Think about how to engage your audience while at the booth. Include a variety of mediums such as video or polls to pique interest. Encourage return visits by creating scheduled events, such as demos or guest speaker sessions, that offer true value to your audience.   

2. Craft messaging to your audience 

Do your research beforehand. Study the agenda, presenters, and even other sponsors to understand what topics attendees will be interested in. This will help you craft your messaging and tailor your content to directly target the needs of your audience, encouraging them to read about and even engage with your brand. 

3. Set up your team for success

Capturing a lead’s attention at a virtual booth is hard. Not only must your team be personable and knowledgeable, but they must be comfortable communicating digitally on the fly as well. To help your team, consider gamifying engagement by offering prizes. Also consider sharing testimonials, statistics, or facts to help provide quick value points. 

Make sure to keep conversation starter questions open-ended, such as “What’s your biggest challenge?”, to help attendees feel at ease while you qualify the lead’s intent. You could also create persona-driven messages for your team based on attendee job titles to further engage on a personalized level.

4. No engagement? No problem.

You still have a chance to connect. Your virtual event platform will most likely have a list of those who ‘stopped by’ your booth, giving you another opportunity to engage and convert. Use the platform messaging feature to start conversations or send personalized outreach to visitors based on their interest post-event such as insights learned from the event sessions.

Following up with your audience is always best practice but because a virtual event lacks human touchpoints, your follow-up requires a little more thought and intent.

With the vast majority of companies planning to invest in virtual events moving forward, it’s imperative to continually refine your strategies to make sure your brand consistently stands out. 

We’ll be doing the same, so check back soon.