B2B Virtual Events: 12 Ways to Ensure Impact and Drive Topline Growth

B2B event marketing was traditionally successful in engaging customers and generating leads. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have had to recreate their in-person events virtually. To replicate the impact of in-person events, businesses need to consider different tactics and strategies. This article provides 12 approaches, divided into three categories, to help drive successful virtual event experiences.

The first category is 'capturing attention in the virtual setting'. This includes offering live and on-demand media, keeping presentations to the point and providing clear paths to next steps, and offering recap videos and on-demand replays. Additionally, businesses should avoid changing the event dates.

The second category is 'driving demand and registration for virtual events'. This includes encouraging attendees to share content to their social networks, measuring content effectiveness and using paid media to drive replays, cross-marketing with other product or business groups, and offering one-click registration with pre-populated forms. Businesses should also encourage early registration.

The third category is 'creating differentiated experiences to scale audience reach'. This includes creating modular event tracks that can be reused and repurposed, creating video keynotes and combining them with live Q&As, and grounding virtual events with tactile experiences. To determine an effective revenue model, businesses can consider sponsorships like media advertising or allowing attendees to earn badges.