Concerned people keep asking me how my business has been impacted by COVID-19 and the absence of events. Have you looked in your inbox recently? Doesn’t it feel like every other email is inviting you to join a free webinar, a virtual conference or an exclusive online conversation with an expert? It’s not your imagination. According to ON24, a digital experience platform provider, April 2020 saw a 167% increase in webinars run just on their platform compared to the 2019 average.
So, is it time for you to jump on the webinar/ digital experience bandwagon, but you don’t know where to start? First, you must remember: the need for high ROM results is more important than ever to build your business, strengthen your brand and connect with your high-value stakeholders, so when venturing into this unknown territory there is a lot to consider. A critical item to evaluate is the actual delivery platform. You can have great ideas, great content and creative delivery plans, but if you don’t start with a platform that meets your goals, these other factors are guaranteed to fall flat. Let me put it in 2019 terms: would you host a 10 person intimate, high value client dinner in a cavernous convention center exhibit hall or sponsor a 500 person day-long educational conference in a windowless, basement level classroom? Your high ROM moment needs to happen in the right location and digital platforms are the virtual venue.
Like in-person events, the first step is to know the “why” of your digital experience. Not only will this help you set ROM goals and drive a more thorough post-event analysis, it will help you narrow down the countless delivery platforms currently available. Wondering where to begin? Here’s a #FreshTip… there are six primary reasons to produce an online event, as outlined by Steve Dotto in a July, 2018 blog:
I’m focusing on the first three – presentations, marketing and sales. They are all about sharing information, but what differentiates marketing & sales is the idea that you are driving attendees toward your sales funnel, which in my opinion, should be a key ROM measurable for this kind of event.
Here are 7 factors to consider when selecting a marketing & sales digital experience delivery platform, compiled and shared by Khrys Steven, a digital sales expert.
Want to learn more about finding the right online venue for your digital experience, how to set goals and measure the effectiveness of these digital moments? Click here to set up a time for us to connect.