Engagement

Virtual events have surged in popularity, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. And with the global events industry projected to be worth a staggering $1,552.9 billion by 2028, they are set to become a crucial component of organizations’ marketing and event strategies.

But despite offering a wider reach and lead generation opportunities, virtual events come with their own set of challenges. Marketers must find effective ways to captivate their audiences, handle large numbers of attendees, and produce top-notch broadcasts.

Building Audience Engagement

One of the biggest challenges of hosting a virtual event is keeping the audience engaged. With a click of a button, attendees can leave if they’re not interested, making it essential to ensure their attention throughout the event.

As Zachary Bosin from BlueJeans by Verizon points out, a virtual event is a special way to communicate, and hosting one without engaging attendees will defeat its purpose.

“You’re trying to share relevant, new, exciting information, and you want people to retain that information. You also want them to be able to share it with others and amplify it,” adds Bosin, who is Vice President for Product and Growth Marketing at BlueJeans by Verizon.

Interactive features such as polling, hand-raising, live chats, and Q&As can encourage participation and offer valuable data to marketers. By taking advantage of these features, marketers can not only enhance event quality but also gather valuable data that can be used to identify and follow up potential leads.

To combat virtual event fatigue, it’s vital to have the right hosts who can actively involve participants. As Bosin says, today’s attendees are tired of being spoken to through a bunch of tiles on a screen. “People start to tune out if the experience feels like a meeting and especially like a boring meeting that they have to attend on behalf of their company.”

Multiple hosts are preferred over a single host for virtual events, as they can bring more energy and perspectives to the event. Live panel discussions are also typically more popular than live solo presentations because they provide more opportunities for interaction.

Scaling Performance

Managing large crowds of attendees while maintaining event quality is another challenge. One solution is to use a platform that can handle high volumes of participants. For instance, BlueJeans Events can scale up to 150,000 registered attendees, ensuring a seamless experience for large-scale events.

Adequate staffing should include multiple moderators who can troubleshoot tech issues and answer audience questions in the chat. This can help marketers manage their large number of attendees while encouraging conversations among them.

Improving Broadcast Quality

According to a survey by IDG, the top motivator for attending a virtual event is the quality of the video and audio. As a result, marketers are under pressure to improve event technology capabilities, with 85 percent of survey respondents indicating plans to evaluate a new virtual event platform.

Producing high-quality broadcasts is important to build a positive brand image, and with tools like BlueJeans Studio, it’s now more accessible than ever. The production platform of BlueJeans Events enables marketers to stream in 1080p resolution with Dolby Voice audio, creating an immersive viewing experience. And by optimizing bandwidth, video quality can be further enhanced to provide an even better experience.

An Industry-Leading Solution

As virtual events become an increasingly important part of modern marketing, it’s crucial for businesses to find innovative ways to overcome the unique challenges these events present. BlueJeans Events provides a powerful solution that enables organizations to deliver interactive and engaging livestream experiences. With industry-leading scalability, robust security measures, and professional-grade production tools, it empowers businesses of all sizes to create compelling virtual events that inspire and connect.