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How can organizers market their hybrid events to stand out and attract attendees both face-to-face and virtual?
Hybrid events require organizers to attract in-person attendees without alienating virtual attendees, and to compete for the attention of virtual audiences in a saturated marketplace.
As a result, a new challenge opens up for organizers: their virtual offerings must be compelling enough to appeal to a remote audience overrun with a surplus of choice, but not compelling enough to discourage in-person participation.
Resolution is about framing marketing activities in terms of the benefits each option offers, not in terms of why one is better than the other.
Ideally, the event's marketing efforts should seamlessly integrate with its hybrid format. Therefore, in view of the event, the marketing campaign should emphasize:
- the flexibility and accessibility offered by virtual participation;
- the engaging experience that derives from the presence in person;
- the possibility for two-way interaction between live participants and remote participants.
Let's see through which strategies it is possible to achieve the objectives mentioned.
1 Host an event preview to familiarize attendees with the virtual event platform
One benefit of an online format is that it offers plenty of opportunities for pre-event engagement.
For example, a teaser live stream broadcast can allow potential attendees to preview event content while, at the same time, showcasing the engagement and interactivity your platform offers. This gives potential virtual attendees the ability to explore the online format in advance, and those who plan to attend in person will also have an incentive to familiarize themselves with the platform in advance.
2 Offer audio-only content to avoid zoom fatigue
Limited to the virtual aspect of hybrid events, potential attendees may experience "zoom fatigue" - as well as fatigue not only of being watched but also of watching others on a screen - and some may prefer engagement through audio only. .
While it's still a good idea to offer video content and more interactive features, like questions and answers, it's a good idea to design some sessions that work in a similar way to podcasts. On the other hand, online engagement is all based on choice: you can go from the minimum concentration, required by the background audio, to the maximum involvement, facilitated by strings of comments and live polls.
3 Position smaller events as exclusive rather than limited
When marketing the live experience, organizers need to think of unique experiences that are physically worth being there for.
Potential attendees may find a small event disadvantageous and wonder what the networking potential of an event with 10, 20, or 45 people is compared to the hundreds they might be used to.
Indeed, the smaller crowds facilitate the creation of unique experiences that will drive ticket sales and also attract the attention of remote attendees: therefore, one must fight the feeling that the live event is limited by focusing on its design and emphasizing the aspect of experience in communications. There must be a sense of luxury, novelty or unique opportunity.
4 Use the venue to make the in-person experience worthwhile
Since attendees can tune in to events anywhere in the world through virtual attendance, organizers need to think about how to highlight their event venue.
To promote in-person participation and optimize cross-promotion opportunities, consider hosting an influencer on-site for a pre-event interventionist.
Another idea was exposed by Meschida Philip, director of the 1261 Film Festival, during an interview with Hybrid Event Revolution: Philip explained how she was able to stage one of the concerts of her festival. hybrid next to a waterfall, a setting that would not have been possible with a large audience. An immersive and memorable experience like this will be an attraction for both live attendees and those tuning in from home.
5 Leverage hybrid interaction to reassure potential participants
Event marketing should also take into account the interaction between in-person and virtual audiences.
To this end, MeetingPlay founder Joe Schwinger, speaking at the Hybrid Event Revolution, recommended setting up an “ambassador” system through which live attendees would be matched to a group of remote attendees. By assuming the role of influencer, the ambassador present in person would volunteer to share event highlights and answer questions.
6 Use social media to build an online community for ongoing engagement
The planning of activities related to social media events should be long-term oriented: dedicated events, Facebook groups, hashtags that are kept alive and in circulation, Instagram accounts that show the behind the scenes of the production of events and highlight both the speakers that the influencers, as well as the particularly active members of the community with interesting things to say.
Building a social media community around the event and its branding will provide future iterations, spin-offs and more with an audience ready and waiting.
As a final strategy, professionally designed social media posts can help generate online buzz while strengthening the branding of the event. Ideally, in-person attendees and remote attendees should actively interact with each other online even before the event begins.
In conclusion, hybrid events not only represent a marketing challenge, but also provide an opportunity for innovation that results in unique strengths.
The trick is not just to get the best out of each format individually, but to optimize the way they work together and LetzFair can help you achieve this thanks to proprietary technologies developed to integrate and maximize physical events with dedicated online tools.
