Should You Host an Online Promotional Event?

When you are early in your career as a digital marketer, you might constantly weigh up the pros of hosting digital events and in-person alternatives. To ensure that you are choosing the right option for the event that you want to pull off and the goals you have in mind, it can be handy to know a little bit more about the perks of each and if there are any other considerations for each type of event.

What Are The Benefits Of Online Events?

• Save Money

One of the largest pros of online events is that they are far less costly than in-person options. All you need to set up an online event is an account on platforms such as Zoom. These online event platforms will allow you to host discussions, lectures, and interviews and allow as many people as possible to join, all for just the cost of a single software subscription. You will not have to think about the cost of catering or the venue, for instance.

• Invite Numbers Are No Objection

With an online event, you can invite as many people as you want. This means that, for large crowds, online events are best as places will not be limited, and neither will your space feel crowded and unsatisfying. In some large event venues, so many people may be attending the event that they cannot see or hear properly what is happening.

• You Are Not Limited By Travel

Well-marketed online events can also mean that people from all over the globe will be able to attend your event and that they are not held back by travel issues or from a distance. This can help you to get broader perspectives and a greater diversity of people at your event and can ensure that your event is not stuck being purely local.

• Technology Can Be A Helping Hand

Online events can also use the latest technology. For instance, you can share your screen or show videos at these types of events, and it is also easier to get individuals to register their interest and book their tickets online. This means that you do not have to have the hassle of sorting this out yourself.

What Are The Benefits Of In-Person Events?

• Networking Is Easier

It is much easier for individuals to network in person, and they may feel more excited by an in-person event. By encouraging networking, you may find that people are able to make useful connections and may attend your event simply to be in the same room as some of the top influencers within their industries.

• Entertaining

In-person events can feel like parties and can be extremely fun if planned correctly. For example, to make sure that the crowd can unwind and chill out and that the event goes on all night long, you can hire an event bartender. The services that are offered by companies such as Event Bartenders will ensure that you do not have to worry about a bar but can keep this facility running. This will make your event feel more professional and thought-out than it might do without. This will also ensure that your guests can keep hydrated and that they will not leave feeling disappointed by what is on offer. Plus, they may feel more relaxed to network with other professionals.

• Lively Energy In The Room

In-person events also usually have an energy that virtual events do not. In-person events often lead to more lively discussions and contributions from people who would otherwise set back and let others speak. You may find that people engage with the product you are advertising more, and they ask questions and give you feedback that you would not have access to if the event was on a digital platform.

• More Interest

By being in the same room as others, it is likely that your guests will become more interested in the products that you are offering, especially if they are unable to see, touch, and interact with the item. You might also consider running displays and showcases that will allow them to see the product in action.

Now you know of all the benefits of both types of events, you may find yourself at a crossroads. Therefore, it can be good to know the major challenges of each. Of course, like with all challenges, there are ways to overcome these.

In-Person Challenges To Overcome

• Organizing

In-person events can often be a hassle to organize, and you might find that great portions of your working day are spent trying to collect all of the different elements together. This can leave you struggling to complete the other digital marketing tasks that you need to finish and can mean that you, and the people that work for you, are constantly stressed.

Solution: You can outsource the entire event planning project to experts to avoid stress.

• Staffing

You will also need more people to run in-person events; if you have a small workforce, this might not be possible. You may find that the quality of your event drops and your guests leave unsatisfied.

Solution: Create a strict recruitment process that will allow you to hire event staff that you can trust or outsource the responsibility to an agency.

• Finding A Venue

It can also be difficult to find the perfect venue, especially if you want it to be in a central location while staying within your budget. You need to find an event venue that offers all the facilities that you need, that is spacious, and that is also smart, professional and matches the tone and face of the business you are marketing. These are not always as easy to procure as you might expect.

Solution: Start planning as far in advance as you can to give yourself more venue options.

Online Challenges To Overcome

• Technology Issues

Technology can often go wrong, and this means that you might struggle to put the event on amid technical difficulties. This might mean that events have to be cancelled at short notice, or that you cannot carry out your event according to the exact plan that you had for it.

Solution: Have an extremely tech-savvy person on hand.

• Interest Waning

Many people are disinterested in online events and believe that they are less important than in-person options. Although some people might feel more relaxed attending online due to issues such as COVID and the impracticalities of travel, particularly in winter, others may feel as if they do not want to spend any more time staring at their computer screen. People may struggle to stay focused during online events, and you might find that the crowd is distracted.

Solution: Keep segments of the event short, sweet, and engaging.

You may decide that combining the two is the best option. Stream the event at the same time as running the in-person event. You will reach the right decision after some careful thought.