Why Virtual Events?Event marketing is one of the most popular methods for generating sales, leads, and excitement. Whether the event is as large as the San Diego Comic-Con, or as small as a Tupperware Party, the goal is always the same – to showcase a product or service before the audience that’s most likely to buy it.
But physical events can be expensive to host, difficult to organize, and aren’t always easy for the target audiences to attend.
That’s why event marketing has gone virtual. In the past three years, Affirma has hosted more than 300 virtual events for clients ranging from small businesses to large enterprises that have drawn more than 130,000 attendees and led to 430,000 new business leads through event registrations. Whatever the size of your company, you can take advantage of this growing opportunity, too.
What Are Virtual Events?
Virtual events are like traditional marketing events, but they are viewed online rather than in-person.
Virtual events can feature one or more hosts on camera, voices over PowerPoint or demo, or leverage speaker round tables. They can broadcast live, as pre-recorded segments, on-demand, or as live streams of traditional physical events.
The point is, they are flexible. Almost any form of event can be turned into a virtual event. How Much Can I Expect to Pay For Virtual Events?Depending on the format and assistance requested, the cost for virtual events can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, but the return on investment potential is strong. According to research gathered by GoToWebinars, 73% of marketers and sales leaders said webinars are the best way to generate high-quality leads.How Many People Can I Expect to Attend?The two biggest factors that determine attendance are:
A.) The size of your customer list
B.) How well known your brand is and how wide your social media reach is
By applying best practices, such as picking the right days, times, and cadence for invitation emails, as well as the best days and times for the events themselves, registrations can be increased 114%.
Virtual events can host massive audiences numbering in the thousands, or intimate audiences of a few high-value participants. The choice is up to you.
In our experience, attendance rates for digital events typically range from 30-44% of those who register, but it’s worth noting that 100% of registrants are potential leads because emails are captured during the registration process. How Well Do Virtual Events Drive Customer Actions?When it comes to driving post-event customer actions, content and customer experience are king.
As a full-service agency, Affirma can help create compelling content and even host or moderate your virtual event. We offer end-to-end services for any form of virtual event.
In one client’s experience, 25% of technical decision-makers reported being influenced by webinars when making business decisions. According to research compiled by ON24, 80% of businesses report webinars lowering their cost per lead.
Next steps
To speak with one of our experienced professionals about how Affirma can help create the virtual event that’s just right for you, please contact our sales team.
