Organizing a successful large-scale online event like a conference, summit, or symposium is no small task. At We & Goliath, we’ve helped organize hundreds of events for amazing causes.
Below, we share the key steps to generate attendees, speakers, and partners for your virtual event.
FREE 1HR TRAINING
In this free training video, originally delivered at the Organizing 2.0 Online Conference in April 2020 (which we were honored to bring online), our team of grassroots event marketing strategists go through some of our key tactics and strategies across planning, promotion, partnership, post-event and more.
You’ll discover:
– how to use this strategy to increase the impact of your mission and powerfully land your message
– how to choose which type of online event to run
– how to build your list
– how to create meaningful relationships with influencers and experts in your field.
THE MASTER TO-DO LIST FOR PLANNING & HOSTING A LARGE ONLINE EVENT
THE CHECKLIST:
Use It & Come Back - It Saves! (until you delete your cookies)
Obviously, you’re not going to check off each box unless you have a long lead time, large team and/or significant budget. Still, see how many you can check off and watch your event grow.
CHECKLIST MENU
Planning
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance 😉
Tip: requests a free consultation with our event marketing experts to help you start planning early on, and avoid mistakes that could cost you significant time, energy, engagement, and revenue.
Positioning
Why should people invest their time and money at your event?
Tip: Talk more about your audience than yourself. Don’t just describe WHAT your event is/WHO you are, but also the WHY, for WHO, and HOW it will improve their lives, and help solve their problems.
Technology
Choose and setup the right tools for your needs
Tip: some event consultants (like us!) not only know this software inside and out, but have already invested in licences that offer better rates than going directly to the software providers.
Design & Marketing Materials
Good design attracts a crowd
Tip: consistency is the basis of professional branding. Create these marketing assets before promotion
Speakers
How to reach out, signup and support your speakers
Tip: speakers are often your best promoters – aim to bring on speakers with large email lists and give them all the tools they need to spread the word.
Sponsors
Sign up sponsors and follow through
Tip: start small and build up – big sponsors don’t want to be first to the party.
Promotion
Tip: your speakers are often also your best promoters – give them all the tools they need to spread the word
Leverage Your Email List and Other Owned Media (social media, blog, sms)
Write and schedule campaigns in advance. Spend time here based on the size of your list
Paid advertising
This can be tough and expensive – need your targeting, messaging, and landing page dialed in to make it worthwhile.
Activate Speakers, Influencers, Sponsors & Partners
This is generally the primary driving force for event registrations
Create an Affiliate Program
These are built into some summit/conference software
Misc Promotion Tactics
Some creative ideas to get more eyeballs on your event
Reminders
Maximize attendance with a multi-channel reminder campaign. Tip: Leverage marketing automation software to schedule personalized email, text, phone, and/or ringless voicemail reminders.
Training & Support
Depending on the complexity of your software and the technical experience level of your speakers, staff and attendees.
Tip: create a knowledgebase for your event that provides a single place where staff, volunteers, speakers and even attendees can get automated answers and submit questions.
Post-Event
Tip: based on your goals from the Planning phase, pre-schedule a follow up campaign including messages, events, and actions that build on your momentum and drive towards your desired results.
Engagement
Stay in touch with follow-up emails, event(s), community, and/or offers
Learning
Collect data and make notes on how to improve next time
Repurpose Content
Convert your event videos into other formats
GET A FREE VIRTUAL EVENT STRATEGY SESSION
Tell us about your ideas and goals for an online summit or conference … we’ll answer any burning questions about your event planning and strategy and see if we’re a good fit to work together.
ABOUT WE & GOLIATH
You do good work in the world. We help it reach more people. With 20+ years of battle-tested digital strategies, let us be your secret weapon.
Our lead strategists, Daniel, Michelle, and Jay, each have decades of experience producing and marketing hundreds of online and in-person events for grassroots organizations.