AAXO NEWS

How to increase digital engagement

Most digital events are finding fostering engagement among event attendees challenging. But it does not have to be.

By Chanelle Hingston, group director, Clarion Events Africa.

Here are a few tips that I have come across to assist in improved engagement levels.

Think TV production

It does not have to come with the costs of producing for TV but having a plan and being a little more creative makes all the difference.

The following can really help enhance the experience — scripts, using appealing aesthetics such as backgrounds, green screens, adding titles or using translation. You may consider using an MC or experienced presenter to help begin conversations. If your budget allows using a production house it may take the pressure off your in-house team as well as raise the bar at your digital event.

Involve your community

To make the most of your live engagement, make sure you invite and bring along those community members who are really engaged and have been adding good value to your existing community.

Try new things when it comes to engagement

Your community are human beings, who, like us, are also tired of the same old Zoom sessions. So, ensure you are looking for common threads amongst your members and using these to better engage and bring some fun to your event.

Activities such as quiz sessions, yoga and virtual drinks are just a few that I have seen run successfully to have a bit of a laugh, break the ice and have some fun. This is often a simple, inexpensive tool that’s not used enough.

Create a sense of presence

Ensure you are enticing people to benefit from attending live instead of consuming the content on-demand after the digital event. Live interaction and Q&As are often the most valuable parts of these sessions. You may continually run an on-demand campaign after the digital event, but your goal is to drive as much live attendance as possible to assist with improving engagement.

Keep improving

The final point is we’re all having to step up, adjust and work harder at everything we do in the context of events. • Organisers must be switched on and ensure that they are correctly onboarding all stakeholders, as well as investing in top-notch online experiences. • Community members need to be open in an attempt to test these new technologies and ensure you are updating your profile with your full info so you’re easily discoverable. • Sponsors are required to understand the tools, technology and platforms which organisers use. They are required to be more digitally proactive in engaging audiences/prospects with the use of these tools.