Virtual events are not just a temporary solution for the pandemic, but a powerful tool to enhance internal communications in any organization. They can help you reach a wider audience, engage your employees, and foster a sense of community and culture. Here are some tips on how to use virtual events to improve internal communications.
Depending on your goals, audience, and budget, you can choose from different types of virtual events, such as webinars, live streams, podcasts, or interactive workshops. Each format has its own advantages and challenges, so you need to consider factors such as interactivity, accessibility, and technical requirements. For example, webinars are great for sharing information and best practices, but they may not allow much feedback or participation from the attendees. Live streams are more dynamic and spontaneous, but they require more preparation and equipment. Podcasts are easy to consume and distribute, but they lack visual elements and engagement. Interactive workshops are ideal for collaboration and learning, but they need a smaller and more focused group.
Regardless of the format, any virtual or hybrid event must prioritize inclusivity and accessibility to ensure that all team members, regardless of their abilities or circumstances, can fully participate and benefit from the event's content and interactions. This commitment to inclusivity enhances team engagement and promotes a more equitable and supportive work environment.
Understanding the unique strengths and limitations of each format will guide you in making an informed decision that resonates with your audience and meets your event's goals. When selecting the appropriate format for a virtual event, it's essential to align the format with the primary objectives of the event. Webinars, for instance, are structured and tailored for presentations and training sessions, making them suitable for disseminating detailed information in a controlled environment. On the other hand, live streams offer a more dynamic environment, fostering real-time engagement and spontaneity, but they demand thorough preparation and the right equipment.
Virtual events are a great way of team building and interactions from a neutral perspective. They add the right amount of warmth and comfort that help each team member understand their colleagues better. Human psychology is the torch bearer here. Needless to say, internal communications become more effective - as the employees get a sense of belonging to a community with common goals.
Virtual events are a great way to engage your global audience, especially when travel is too challenging for them. Given that the level of engagement is limited, it is even more important to focus on activities to increase interaction between the organiser and participants, and also within the participants themselves. What would be a great value add? What is the overall purpose of event? These would be important questions to ask during the planning stage.
Virtual events require careful planning and communication to ensure a smooth and successful experience for everyone involved. You need to define your objectives, agenda, speakers, and platform well in advance, and communicate them clearly to your potential attendees. You also need to create and share a registration link, a reminder email, and a feedback survey. Additionally, you need to test your technology, prepare your materials, and rehearse your presentation before the event. During the event, you need to have a moderator or a host who can introduce the speakers, facilitate the Q&A, and manage any technical issues.
Design activities that online partipants can join and contribute their parts to ensure high engagements in the virtual events.
It's like throwing a party. You've got to plan ahead and let everyone know what's happening. Decide what you want to achieve, who's going to talk, and where it's going to happen online. Then, tell everyone about it. Send out invites, remind folks it's happening, and ask what they thought afterward. Make sure everything works. Check your internet, the online platform you're using, and your microphone and camera. Practice your talk so you know it goes smoothly on the day. And, just like at a good party, have someone there to keep things moving. This person can introduce the speakers, help with questions, and fix any tech problems. In short, for a great online event, plan well, talk clearly, and make sure everything's set up right.
One of the main challenges of virtual events is to keep your audience interested and involved throughout the session. You can use various strategies to make your event more engaging and interactive, such as polls, quizzes, chats, breakout rooms, gamification, or live reactions. These features can help you collect feedback, measure satisfaction, stimulate discussion, and create a sense of community among your attendees. You can also use storytelling, humor, visuals, and anecdotes to make your content more memorable and relatable.
There are many ways and levels of engagement - from direct questions, polls, quizzes and wordclouds to ‘just’ asking rethorical questions. In my opinion, most engagement through out a virtual meeting happens, if you succeed in engaging your audience in the first minutes of the meeting e.g. a poll about your audiences expectations to meeting.
Engagement throughout a virtual event can be further bolstered by encouraging audience submissions, incorporating different camera angles to provide diverse perspectives, and featuring various speakers who bring different insights and expertise. These strategies maintain interest and create a vibrant, immersive experience that keeps participants involved and invested in the event.
For online events, the trick is to keep folks from zoning out. To make things lively, throw in some fun quizzes, chats, or even games. Let people chat in smaller groups or give a thumbs up if they like something. Sharing funny stories, cool pictures, or relatable examples can also make things stick in their minds. In short, mix it up and keep it interactive to make sure everyone's tuned in and having a good time.
Engaging the audience is key! I’ve recently attended a virtual workshop and one speaker droned on and on without engaging the audience. I felt like I was back in college. Your topic is interesting enough already to draw an audience, so be sure to play to the audience and engage them. Please don’t just read a script and expect people to be enthralled.
My favorite virtual sessions are the ones that include breakout rooms, which allows participants and speakers to engage in a more intimidate setting. This allows people who normally would not speak up in a large group setting to contribute. Plus, I've always walked away with one or two new connections! Especially in today's environment, it is more critical than ever to create, nurture and advocate for more opportunities for connections and community building. The next time you're hosting a speaker series and/or fireside chat, I'd encourage y'all to add in 10-15 minutes at the very end for a breakout session with a prompt! Trust me, it will pay dividends for engagement.
After the event, you need to follow up with your attendees and measure the impact of your virtual event on your internal communications. You can send a thank you email, a recording or a summary of the event, and any additional resources or action items. You can also analyze the data from the registration, attendance, feedback, and engagement metrics to evaluate the effectiveness and reach of your event. You can use this information to identify areas of improvement, celebrate successes, and plan future events.
Virtual events are a valuable opportunity to improve your internal communications, especially in times of remote work and social distancing. By choosing the right format, planning ahead, communicating clearly, making it engaging, and following up, you can create meaningful and impactful virtual events that connect and inspire your employees.
Once your online event wraps up, don't just call it a day. Reach out to those who joined in. Send them a quick thanks, maybe a recap or video of what went down, and any extra stuff they might need. Look at who signed up, who actually showed up, and what they thought about it. This helps you see what rocked and what needs a tweak for next time. Remember, these online get-togethers are a great way to keep everyone connected, especially when we're all spread out. So, plan it, run it, and then see how it did to make the next one even better!
Event Tip: Use Pre-Event Surveys to Boost Your Virtual Event! Take a minute before the virtual curtain rises to obtain feedback from your audience with a pre-event survey. Why? It is helpful to: Understand Expectations: Learn what attendees hope to achieve from the event and customize content accordingly. Identify Concerns: Address any pain points or issues ahead of time to ensure a more pleasant experience. Increasing Engagement: Involving your audience in the planning process creates enthusiasm and expectation. Measure Success: Use these insights to track progress toward your event goals.
Properly running online events are a crucial these days, and they're more than just a quick fix during tough times. They're a solid way to chat and engage with everyone in your company, no matter where they are.
I agree with the points made and it's also worth considering diverse learning styles and preferences as they can further enhance the impact of virtual events. Some employees might benefit from interactive elements like quizzes or group activities, while others may prefer in-depth presentations. Tailoring the format to accommodate different learning styles can lead to a more inclusive and effective communication experience.