How to Generate Registrations and Attendees to Your Virtual Event

How to Generate Registrations & Attendees to Your Virtual Event

Dennis [email protected]

08.11.2011

Twitter hash tag: #AMAAdobe

BRIEF INTRODUCTION


OUTLINE

Generating Registrations– Value proposition– Target audience– Finding– Communicating– Use of social media

Converting Registrations to Attendees– Content marketing– Networking– Game mechanics– Email reminders

“When you convert registrations to attendees, you get to ring the register”


(GENERATING) First Step: Develop a Plan

Value Proposition– One sentence– Find answer to “WIIFM”– Print, hang on wall– Ties into promotion

Target Audience– Precise– Quantifiable– Ties into sponsorships,

success metrics“Think before you act. For your online event, prepare before you promote.”


(GENERATING) Find Your Target Audience

Your own properties– Web site– Email lists– Customer / subscriber

lists– Social media channels

Partner properties– Content sites– Community sites

Paid media– Email blasts, SEM, etc.

“For events, finding your target audience should not be as challenging as Columbus discovering The New World.”

Image source: Wikipedia page for Christopher Columbus


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus

(GENERATING) Time for 10 Tips

Image source: sam_churcill on flickr


http://www.flickr.com/photos/samchurchill/4182826573/sizes/m/in/photostream/

(GENERATING) Tip #1: Leverage Speakers

“If you select your speakers well, then your target audience already follows them. Ask speakers to promote your event.”


(GENERATING) Tip #2: Leverage Exhibitors

“Give your exhibitors unique URLs (for tracking) & ask them to promote the event. Reward those who bring in the most…”

Note: clicktotweet is a neat tool for distributing tweet-able messages to your exhibitors (http://clicktotweet.com)


http://clicktotweet.com/

(GENERATING) Tip #3: On Registration, Less is More

First NameLast NameCompanyTitleEmail Address

First NameLast NameCompanyTitleEmail AddressAddress 1Address 2State/ProvinceCountryIndustryJob FunctionCompany RevenueAnnual BudgetPurchase AuthorityPurchase TimeframeFavorite FoodNumber of KidsZodiac Sign

“Every new field you add decreases the likelihood of registration. Ask yourself, is each additional field worth it?”

Key Point: You can ask for additional information during the event (e.g. require attendees to complete mandatory profile fields upon first login)

LESS fields means…MORE registrations


(GENERATING) Tip #4: Social Sharing on Registration Page

“Social sharing buttons on your registration page allow your target audience to promote the event on your behalf.”

Study which social networks your audience engages in to determine which sharing buttons to include


(GENERATING) Tip #5: Promotion via Syndication

“Provide HTML ‘embed code’, inviting others to promote your event on their web sites!”

Example: YouTube (above). YouTube did not reach billions of video views from YouTube.com alone.


(GENERATING) Tip #6: Start Early

Benefits– More inbound links– More search traffic– More opportunities

for sharing– More time to

measure, adjust and adapt


(GENERATING) Tip #7: Create a LinkedIn Event

Benefits– Takes 2 minutes.– Generate

awareness via LinkedIn’s “social business graph.”

– LinkedIn Events have a “This is a virtual event” checkbox.


(GENERATING) Tip #8: Promote on Twitter

Steps1. Create a Twitter hash tag for your event.2. Promote the hash tag on your event registration page.3. Include the event hash tag in ALL tweets.4. Tweet about your event’s value proposition, driving traffic to the

registration page.5. Tweet about your keynote speaker.6. Tweet about sponsors who will be exhibiting.7. Retweet other users’ comments.

“If you want to interest people in your ‘party’, be a friendly and welcoming host on Twitter.”


(GENERATING) Tip #9: Promote on Your Facebook Page

Tips1. Post videos (related to your event).2. Run a survey (via Facebook Questions) on what topics attendees

would like to see at the event.3. Got breaking news about your event (e.g. a confirmed keynote

speaker)? Post it to Facebook.4. Take pictures of your online event team and post them. Facebook

fans love pictures.5. Promote speakers and exhibitors in your posts and be sure to tag

them in your post.

“Fans of your brand should become fans of your event. The key is to convert your Facebook fans into registrants.”


(GENERATING) Tip #10: Promote via Content Marketing

Tips1. Write blog postings related to the event’s topics.2. Ask speakers to write blog postings (or author guest postings) on

their presentation topics.3. Share interesting articles and postings that relate to your event.4. Publish an edition of your e-Newsletter that highlights the event.5. Publish a Press Release announcing your event.6. Record short videos related to your event’s topics. Post them on

multiple video sites.7. Ask exhibitors to incorporate event promotion in their own

content marketing.

“Remember that the end goal of content marketing is to drive traffic to your event’s registration page.”


CONVERTING

“Like shoppers in a store, registrants are less useful if they do not convert.”


(CONVERTING) Tip #1: Spruce Up the Confirmation Page

“The journey of converting a registrant to an attendee begins with the confirmation page.”

Tips1. Embed a video with a “thank you “ from you.2. Provide links to useful resources related to the event platform.3. Allow registrants to see which of their LinkedIn Connections

has also registered.4. Embed links to add the event to registrants’ calendars (e.g.

Outlook, Google Calendar, etc.)5. Provide social sharing buttons [OK, this is to help with

registration and not conversion]


(CONVERTING) Tip #2: More Content Marketing

“Guess what? You’re a media company. Your registrants are your readers. Make an impression to get them to attend”

Note: The period from registration to “live event date” is an OPPORTUNITY that should not be wasted.

Note: I didn’t say this would be easy.


(CONVERTING) Tip #3: Game Mechanics

Tips1. Deploy single player games.2. Deploy team-based games.3. Deploy leaderboards.4. Incent players and teams with prizes and recognition5. If you engage registrants in this gaming activity

before the event, your attendance (at the live event) will increase.


(CONVERTING) Tip #4: Automated Email Messaging

Tips1. Week-before reminder email.2. Day-before reminder email.3. “Event is now open” email at the start of the live

date(s).4. Mid-day “Don’t miss out: second half schedule”

email to registrants who have not yet logged in.5. Next-day “Thanks for attending” or “Sorry we missed

you” emails.


(CONVERTING) Tip #5: Facilitate Pre-Event Networking

“Allow registrants to network beforehand and any event, whether physical or online, will see increased attendance.”

Corollary: If I’ve had meaningful dialog with you prior to an event, I’ll go out of my away to attend live, so that the dialog can continue.


SUMMARY

GENERATE.CONVERT.ENGAGE.Thank you.


How to Generate Registrations and Attendees to Your Virtual Event

Technology

twitter hash

reminder email

events topics

registration

content marketing

target audience

registration

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