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You’ve poured hours into planning your virtual event—crafting the perfect agenda, booking expert speakers, and building interactive content. But when the day arrives, how do you know if those efforts will translate into new leads, long-term customer relationships, or even sales?
On average, companies see 20% to 40% of webinar attendees entering the sales pipeline as qualified leads, but without a strong follow-up strategy, only 2%-5% of those leads typically convert to customers.
Without an effective marketing strategy, your meticulously planned event risks falling flat. Imagine pouring your heart into creating valuable content, only for your readers to leave without taking the next step, whether it’s subscribing to your newsletter, downloading a resource, or making a purchase. It’s a missed opportunity that no marketer wants to experience.
In this blog, we answer exactly that and explore the science of creating and marketing B2B virtual events that entertain and convert. Let’s start brick by brick, the first being- exploring what B2B virtual events are and why they’re essential for your marketing strategy.
B2B virtual events encompass a range of online gatherings, including webinars, virtual conferences, workshops, and live Q&A sessions. These events have become integral to modern marketing strategies, offering businesses a dynamic way to engage with their target audience without geographical constraints. In fact, 78% of the companies that use virtual events say it contributes to a positive ROI.
Virtual events are celebrated for their cost-effectiveness and expansive reach. They have emerged as an excellent alternative to in-person events that require physical venues, ultimately reducing travel, accommodation, and logistics expenses. Additionally, virtual events can attract a global audience, significantly increasing your potential lead pool.
Virtual events come in various formats, each suited to different objectives. From intimate webinars to large-scale virtual summits like AWS re:Invent 2023 and The Metaverse Fashion Week. The flexibility allows organizers to tailor experiences that align with their specific goals, whether it's lead generation, brand awareness, or thought leadership.
Different virtual event formats serve distinct purposes. For instance, webinars are excellent for educational purposes and lead nurturing, while virtual conferences and summits are ideal for establishing industry authority and fostering extensive networking opportunities.
Without keeping you any longer, here are 6 of the best-proven strategies for marketing B2B Virtual Events for Lead Generation and Networking.
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Choosing the suitable format is crucial—align your event type with your primary objective to maximize impact.
Good things come to those who plan. Let’s explore why thorough planning is essential for the success of your virtual event.
Importance of Thorough Planning
Effective planning is the cornerstone of successful B2B virtual events. It ensures that every aspect, from content creation to technological setup, aligns with your overarching business goals.
Start planning at least six months in advance to cover all bases and avoid last-minute hassles.
Setting clear, measurable objectives is crucial. Whether you aim to establish thought leadership, gather leads, or enhance brand visibility, defining these goals early on will shape your content and promotional strategies accordingly.
Use SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—to guide your event planning process.
Your event's content and promotional efforts should directly reflect your objectives.
For instance, if lead generation is a primary goal, focus on creating compelling sessions that attract and engage potential clients and use targeted marketing campaigns to promote these sessions.
Having said that, the platform you choose can make or break your virtual event. Let’s find out what to look for.
A feature-rich platform can significantly enhance every aspect of your event, from planning and execution to post-event analysis and lead nurturing.
Key Reasons to Invest in a High-Quality Virtual Event Platform
Platforms like Hubilo offer a comprehensive solution tailored for B2B virtual events. They combine seamless integrations, interactive features, and powerful analytics. With Hubilo, you can effortlessly manage every aspect of your virtual events, ensuring they are engaging, impactful, and effective in generating high-quality leads.
Request a Demo with Hubilo today and discover how our platform can elevate your B2B virtual events to new heights.
Content is king, especially in virtual events. Here’s how to make yours stand out.
Importance of Creating a Compelling Agenda
A well-structured agenda is essential for keeping attendees engaged. Ensure that your sessions are diverse and relevant and provide tangible value to the participants. Incorporate a mix of keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive workshops.
Include breaks and networking sessions to keep the energy up and prevent attendee fatigue.
Use Multimedia Assets for a More Immersive Experience
Enhance your presentations with multimedia elements like videos, infographics, and interactive slides. These assets make your content more engaging and help convey complex information more effectively.
Use high-quality visuals and avoid cluttered slides to maintain professionalism and clarity.
Involve Industry Experts or Panelists for Diversity and Credibility
Featuring industry experts and diverse panelists adds credibility to your event. Their insights and experiences can enrich the discussions, making your event more attractive to potential attendees and enhancing lead quality.
Promote your speakers in advance to build excitement and attract their followers to your event.
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Marketing your event effectively is key to its success. Let’s explore some strategies.
Use Multi-Channel Marketing Strategies
Implement a multi-channel marketing approach to reach a broader audience. Utilize social media platforms, email marketing, content marketing, and paid advertising to promote your event across various touchpoints.
Use a consistent message across all channels to reinforce your event’s value proposition.
Create Exclusivity with Limited Spots or Early Bird Discounts
Creating a sense of exclusivity can drive early registrations. Offer limited spots or early bird discounts to incentivize prompt sign-ups and build anticipation around your event.
Highlight the limited availability and the benefits of registering early in your promotional materials.
Personalize Invitations and Follow-Ups
Personalize your invitations and follow-up communications to make attendees feel valued. Tailored messages that address your audience's specific needs and interests can significantly improve engagement and registration rates.
Use attendee data to customize your emails and make your invitations more relevant and appealing.
Keeping your attendees engaged during the event is crucial for its success.
Foster Interaction Through Q&A, Polls, and Live Chats
Encourage active participation by incorporating interactive elements like Q&A sessions, live polls, and chat features. These tools keep attendees engaged and provide valuable insights into their preferences and interests.
Assign a moderator to manage interactions and promptly address questions and comments.
Real-Time Data Collection and Feedback for Enhancement
Utilize real-time data collection tools to gather feedback during the event. This immediate input can help you make on-the-fly adjustments to improve the attendee experience and enhance future events.
Use live polls and surveys to gauge attendee satisfaction and gather suggestions for improvement.
Simplify Sign-Up While Collecting Information for Lead Qualification
Streamline the registration process to encourage sign-ups while collecting essential lead qualification information. Balance ease of access with data collection to maximize lead generation without creating barriers for potential attendees.
Implement progressive profiling to gather more information from attendees over time rather than during the initial sign-up.
Your job isn’t over once the event ends. Effective follow-up can turn attendees into loyal customers.
Send Personalized Thank-Yous and Links to Recordings
Post-event follow-up is crucial for maintaining engagement. Send personalized thank-you emails along with links to event recordings, additional resources, or exclusive content to keep the conversation going.
Include a call-to-action in your thank-you emails to guide attendees to the next step in your sales funnel.
Analyse Engagement Data for Strategy Improvement
Review the engagement data collected during the event to assess what worked and what didn’t. Analyzing metrics such as attendee participation, session popularity, and lead quality can provide actionable insights for improving future events.
Use data visualization tools to make sense of complex data and identify trends quickly.
Categorize Leads Based on Engagement for Effective Nurturing
Segment your leads based on their level of engagement during the event. This categorization allows for more targeted and effective nurturing strategies, ensuring that high-potential leads receive the attention they deserve.
Develop tailored follow-up campaigns for different lead segments to address their unique needs and interests.
Now that you have a checklist of 6 things to do to make your future webinars successful, you will need an excellent launchpad to make it all come together.
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Selecting the right virtual event platform is crucial for the success of your B2B events. A high-quality platform like Hubilo ensures that every aspect of your event runs smoothly, from registration and engagement to data management and follow-up. Here's why having a reliable platform matters:
Investing in a top-tier platform like Hubilo simplifies the management of your virtual events and maximizes their effectiveness in generating leads and fostering valuable business relationships.
Turn webinars into revenue with Hubilo
B2B virtual events are reshaping how businesses connect and generate leads. They offer significant cost savings, extensive reach, and valuable customer insights, making them an indispensable tool in modern marketing strategies.
With the right approach and a comprehensive platform like Hubilo, your virtual events can become a cornerstone of your marketing strategy, delivering impressive ROI and propelling your business to new heights.
Get Started with Hubilo Today and transform your B2B virtual events into powerful lead generation and networking tools.
Hubilo is the webinar platform built for marketers that helps you 2X your pipeline. Founded in 2015, Hubilo's powerful engagement features, dedicated client experience team, and custom branding tools have helped create over 12K virtual events & webinars, creating hundreds of millions of minutes of high-engagement experiences and counting. Headquartered in Bengaluru and San Francisco, Hubilo's 200+ employees are dedicated to enabling webinars & virtual events that convert.
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Discover how Hubilo's Webinar+ can help you 2X your pipeline
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