Event marketing is an important business driver for leads, and a virtual event is the game changer in this space. Events have evolved from high-budget, large-audience formats to more flexible and economical options with the advent of virtual events. The pandemic has been a catalyst, forcing event companies, trade bodies, and marketers to think outside the box.

Virtual Events are known to generate a better ROI compared to traditional physical events. Technological advancements, namely the internet, and marketing technologies within the event domain, render an experience to a virtual event similar to a physical event. For those new to the concept, let’s start with the basics.

What Is A Virtual Event?

Virtual events are those where organizers host online events for audiences; participants interact with each other through a virtual platform rather than interacting in a physical location. Virtual events are diverse and can be adapted to any format according to your requirements. They can be anything from simple video conferences on virtual conferencing platforms such as Google Meet and Zoom to exuberant online events hosted on the websites of trade bodies and companies. The effectiveness of virtual events is also heavily influenced by the event management agency and the virtual event platform that runs the event.

Advantages Of Hosting A Virtual Event

Accessibility and inclusiveness

These are by far the biggest advantages of hosting a virtual event. Virtual events allow organizers to invite participants from around the world. A large turn-up can be expected by participants by merely using a device and the internet.

Faster ‘Go-Live’

If it were a physical event, it would be an expensive proposition if one considers the logistics – travel and accommodation, venue, and staffing costs borne by the organizer. The participant also saves on traveling and accommodation expenses in the case of a virtual event.

Virtual event hosting can save you up to 70% on cost and time compared to hosting physical events. This is mainly because the cost of hosting an online event is the cost of building a website, setting up a registration portal, investing in technology, and streaming expenses. But for physical events, the cost of renting space to host the event itself is half the cost of hosting a virtual event.

Flexibility and adaptability

Virtual events also offer flexibility and adaptability. If you need to reschedule a virtual event due to unavoidable reasons, the cost of rescheduling and re-hosting the event may be lower than the cost associated with the physical event.

Some Of The Common Methods Of Hosting A Virtual Event

Zoom/Google Meet/ Webex

These virtual meeting platforms can host a variety of events from simple online meetings to full-fledged conferences.

Reddit

You host virtual events on the popular social networking platform called Reddit famous for news and entertainment content. You can conduct AMAs (Ask Me Anything). Companies can use this to engage to promote conversations and engagement as well building communities.

Twitter

Live tweeting is fairly popular and involves offering commentary on a live event that you’ve been promoting. Here’s how to get the most out of live tweets.

Instagram

Broadcast your video in real-time with Instagram Live. Instagram Live Rooms host a stream with up to 3 other speakers for the same broadcast event.  Read and reply to the comments of viewers.

To start a live broadcast on Instagram, follow these instructions on Instagram. 

Virtual Event Hosting Platforms

Virtual event hosting software are platforms developed specifically to provide a virtual experience to events. Their features include –

Event Management

All operations about an event are automated on the platform.

Virtual Spaces

The platform allocates various virtual spaces for the event the registration desk, lobby, meeting rooms, and exhibition pavilions.

Audience Engagement

Virtual event hosting platforms build an engaging experience through Chats, Lead generation, Q&As, and Polls.

Monetization

Companies can generate income through sponsorships and display ad sales on their event website hosted on the platform.

Here Are Some Popular Virtual Events Hosting Platforms

Hopin

(hopin.com)

Zuddl

(zuddl.com)

Hubli

(hublio.com)

Accelevents

(accelevents.com)

Hoppier

(hoppier.com)

How Can Companies Host A Virtual Event In The Metaverse?

While current virtual events somewhat replicate real-world events, they are not as immersive or as engaging. Virtual events in the Metaverse are considered the next step in the evolution of events where there will be an immersive experience, transactions, and engagement with a semblance of real life.

Read our article on the Metaverse to know more.

Companies can host events, training sessions, workshops, town hall meetings, congregations, etc. in the Metaverse. Employees can attend meetings from the comfort of their homes while feeling as if they are in their office.

The advancements in technology are at such a rapid rate that soon physical meetings will be a thing of the past. However, some futurists anticipate that the transition will happen from the physical to a hybrid experience, and eventually the Metaverse.

The Metaverse has attracted billions in investments, and companies have specialized in this space. Metaphysic is a company developing hyper-real facial expressions in the Metaverse. These expressions when combined with a person’s online persona give a more realistic feel to the person’s virtual avatar. In the corporate context – it will help to understand the emotions, and expressions of employees in a particular meeting or a virtual environment.

Meta, Facebook’s parent company,  is so confident about the Metaverse and virtual events that it has already started mass-producing VR headsets which will be sold from 2024 onwards along with Meta’s complete version of the Metaverse. Meta is building a Metaverse where you can have your own house, and host events, parties, meetings, etc. Office spaces for meeting purposes will also be recreated with a lively feel. By just putting on a VR headset, a person will be teleported to his/her office and home.

Metaverse events that you can look forward to –

• Metaverse Global Congress
• Augmented Enterprises Sumit
• AWE USA
• Immerse Global Summit

Other tech giants are exploring the world of the Metaverse. Meta, for example, has already created Meta Horizon Workrooms, a digital assembly area in which colleagues be part of an avatar with a VR headset. Microsoft has a comparable experience called the Microsoft Mesh.

Wrap Up

Epic Games, the makers of Fortnite are considered pioneers in the field of virtual events. Fortnite teamed up with various artists such as Marshmello, Travis Scott, and Ariana Grande to host music shows in the game itself.

These events were so big and popular that they started a whole flurry of collaborations and virtual events in other Metaverse-like games as well.

Virtual events are considered as a step in the evolution of events with events in the Metaverse the next logical step in the evolution. It is very encouraging to see the evolution in such a short period, from Zoom meetings to meeting in virtual environments, all this has been achieved in only a few short years.

Hence, it will be interesting to see what the future hold for events.

The post This Is How To Host A Virtual Event. appeared first on Fixbracket.

Today’s business environment is influenced majorly by social media presence. Small businesses that thrive, especially startups, depend on social media marketing to build a name for themselves.

With more people using social media, especially Facebook and Instagram, it is only reasonable for business owners to take advantage of such platforms to advertise their brands and products. 

However, such moves only work with the proper utilization of such sites. Therefore, small business owners must understand how to leverage Facebook and Instagram to benefit their businesses and boost growth.

This article attempts to explain how businesses can achieve this with so much ease. Keep reading for more insights.

Why It’s Important To Use Social Media In Today’s Context

You cannot underestimate the significance of social media in business today.

It is crucial since it allows business owners and marketers to reach, engage, and interact with potential customers directly. Moreover, it is a meaningful way to gather relevant information that influences many business decisions that guarantee profitability and business sustainability.

Therefore, anyone who ignores social media marketing in this era is almost giving themselves up for failure.

This may sound dramatic.

If your customers are on it, so should you.

Research shows that at least more than 70 percent of small- to medium-sized enterprises rely on social media advertisement. Of these groups, 52 percent post daily. To even convince you further, you may want to know that 55 percent of consumers tend to learn about new brands on social media (source, The Harris Poll). 

What’s more, a staggering 68 percent of social media users reported that social media allows them to interact with their favorite brands, something that was not there before. These stats cannot be ignored by any business person intending to thrive considering the different meanings they potentially represent.

What’s more, when used appropriately, such information can help a business expand.

Now that we agree that social media is not something a small business owner can ignore, it is crucial to figure out which social media platform to use to achieve their goal. Several social media platforms yield positive results. These include Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Facebook and Instagram are more popular for small business Ads, which is why we will explore them further.

What It Takes To Promote Your Small Businesses On Facebook And Instagram

Advertising on Facebook and Instagram is not rocket science. However, it would help if you avoided the basic mistakes that most rookies make when they get on these platforms. Focus on what works and run with it.

So what would be ideal?

For Facebook

                                           Facebook For Small Businesses, unsplash.com

Facebook is one of the most frequented sites in the world.

Therefore, it is not surprising that many small businesses use ads on Facebook to attract new customers. The secret to thriving on Facebook is creating posts that appeal to the target audience, posting regularly, engaging followers, using Facebook ads, and using all features, including FacebookLivee, Facebook videos, and Facebook stories.

These are useful advertising features that should not be ignored.

Getting Started

1. Signup and create a business page that is different from your account. You will have to follow simple prompts for this.
2. Once you have a business page, add photos that are a representation of your business. Use high-quality photos for a great first impression and save them.
3. Come up with an enticing and unique username to help users find you easily.
4. Enter your business information to customize the page and make it stand out. Define categories and use keywords to improve your chances of being found.
5. Tell your business story by expounding more on the description. List products, and services, and explain why your business is unique.
6. Create the first post before inviting people to like and participate. It can be simple or as detailed as you want.
7. Publish and invite followers. Once everything is complete, publish the content and invite people to come and support you.

For Instagram

                                              Instagram for small businesses, unsplash.com

Business owners must understand the type of Ads that work for Instagram. These include:

1. Photo Ads: Use photos to tell a story. Ensure to use a simple, clear, and beautiful creative canvas with photos either in landscape, square, or portrait.
2. Video Ads: Use visually immersive videos created with the same great-quality of photos. Make your videos 60 seconds long.
3. Stories Ads: This is a unique, full-screen format of advertising that uses an engaging and creative strategy to sell people-based solutions. The idea is to sell trust believably.
4. Carousel Ads: This strategy allows additional depth since business owners can add several photos or videos in one for people to swipe and view more details within a single Ad.
5. Ads in Explore: This is a strategy that targets reaching people who want more than the accounts they follow.

Starting Your Journey on Instagram

If you wonder how to create and publish a post on Instagram, the following steps will come in very handy.

1. Create a free business account
2. Select the ideal photo or video for the ad (It could be something already shared or one you create from scratch)
3. Set up a promotion. Think of the audience, the destination of the ad, the budget, and the ad’s duration. You can choose to customize using Instagram’s suggested options
4. Publish thread. Once you are convinced about the promotion, tap to publish. If successful, you will receive a notification.

Combining Facebook and Instagram Works For Small Businesses

While both platforms are still great when working independently, they are better when used together. Considering that most people spend most of their time either on Instagram or Facebook, it is only reasonable that small businesses take advantage of this. Stats show that for every five minutes,s people spend online, one minute is spent on these two platforms.

In addition, advertisers reported an improvement in their ad campaigns when they used Facebook and Instagram ads together. 

You can add your Ads on both platforms using either the Power Editor or the Ads Manager in the Instagram box located under the ad set’s placement. This allows businesses to reach out to more people without necessarily having to use a lot of effort.

Further results have shown that campaigns across both platforms have resulted in more and better website conversions, web clicks, mobile app installations, and video views compared to those that ran only on one platform. 

See how brands are using both Facebook and Instagram in this article.

Final Thoughts On Small Businesses Leveraging Social Media

We live in a time and era where social media ads are the inthing. Startups or small businesses should consider investing in social media advertisement. Facebook and Instagram are great places to start if you want to grow fast and reach out to more potential customers.

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The post Small Businesses Can Leverage Social Media For Growth appeared first on Fixbracket.