Webinars and virtual events have become powerful tools to engage prospects and nurture customer relationships. However, many traditional event platforms fall short of meeting the evolving needs of marketers and demonstrate a return on investment (ROI). In this blog post, we'll explore key findings from a recent custom study commissioned by Hubilo in September 2023, conducted by Forrester Consulting, that sheds light on the importance of personalized content, challenges faced by marketers, and the opportunities presented by next-generation webinar platforms.

Personalized Content Improves Sales Conversion Rates

The landscape of webinars and virtual events has evolved, especially in the post-pandemic era. Attendees now have higher expectations for seamless event experiences that extend beyond registration and continue long after the event. B2B marketers recognize the need for event platforms that connect attendee data and profiles to create personalized experiences and content before, during, and after events. This personalized approach enhances attendee engagement, helping sales teams convert prospects into customers more efficiently and build a larger sales pipeline.

The study, commissioned by Hubilo, surveyed 318 demand-generation marketers at US-based B2B technology, healthcare, and finance companies. It revealed that B2B marketers actively seek demand generation platforms that seamlessly integrate valuable event content and attendee data throughout the event journey.

Solutions for Understanding and Supporting Attendees Are Critical

One of the top priorities for B2B marketers is to convert prospects into customers. However, many current event platforms need help to facilitate this conversion due to their inability to connect event attendee data with retention, loyalty, and other crucial insights. The study highlighted the importance of solutions that help better understand attendees and complement the customer journey. These solutions are essential for delivering more personalized experiences before, during, and after events, ultimately leading to improved sales performance.

Event Platforms Must Go Beyond the Basics

Event platforms have come a long way, offering various capabilities to enhance the attendee experience. While features like high-quality live streaming, support for different event formats, and mobile accessibility are vital, the lesser-used capabilities hold the potential for the most significant impact. For instance, the ability to personalize content and communications plays a crucial role in attendee satisfaction and ROI. However, only a fraction of respondents believed their current event platforms could effectively support content personalization and attendee communication.

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Event Goals and Challenges

The study also highlighted the primary goals and challenges faced by organizations when it comes to events:

Event Goals:

• Collecting data for a deeper understanding of customers (79%)
• Increasing brand awareness/reputation (74%)
• Generating leads and building the pipeline (66%)
• Retaining/renewing existing customers (62%)
• Increasing customer engagement with the brand (60%)
• Expanding business with existing customers (58%)
• Converting prospects into customers (54%)
• Accelerating current opportunities and deals (47%)

Challenges in Achieving Goals:

• Converting prospects into customers (76%)
• Increasing brand awareness/reputation (73%)
• Retaining/renewing existing customers (71%)
• Increasing pipeline/number of leads (68%)
• Collecting data for a deeper understanding of customers (66%)
• Increasing customer engagement with the brand (64%)
• Expanding business with existing customers (59%)
• Supporting partners and sponsors in meeting their goals (55%)

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The Struggle to Demonstrate Event ROI

Demonstrating the ROI of events remains a significant challenge for many marketing teams. To optimize ROI, capturing attendee engagement data, such as session attendance, questions, and poll responses, is crucial. However, many current event platforms need to improve, connecting this data with factors that drive retention and loyalty. This gap hinders organizations from accurately measuring the impact of their events.

Investing in Next-Generation Event Platforms

Organizations are turning to next-generation event platforms to address these challenges and unlock the full potential of webinars and virtual events. These platforms offer a wide range of capabilities that can significantly impact attendee experiences and ROI:

• Using audience data and profiles to personalize sales and marketing post-event interactions (75%)
• Hosting high-quality, branded, live streaming (74%)
• Managing event budgets and tracking costs/receipts (70%)
• Integrating/connecting event data into the organization's marketing technology stack (65%)
• Repurposing event content for marketing and sales activities (62%)
• Allowing attendees to participate via a mobile device (58%) easily
• Personalizing communication with attendees (58%)
• Increasing attendee engagement during the event (56%)

These capabilities enable organizations to deliver highly personalized experiences, improve engagement, and ultimately drive better results from their webinars and virtual events.

Optimizing Webinars and Virtual Events for Success

In today's digital landscape, webinars, and virtual events have become essential tools for engaging prospects and nurturing customer relationships. To optimize the impact of these events and build a robust sales pipeline, organizations must:

• Use attendee data to personalize sales and marketing interactions before and after events.
• Invest in next-generation event platforms that enhance engagement throughout the event journey.
• Focus on capabilities that directly impact attendee experiences and ROI.

By adopting these strategies, organizations can harness the full potential of webinars and virtual events, driving growth and success in a rapidly evolving digital world.

Get the latest research from Forrester Consulting and Hubilo on the Top 5 Challenges Marketers Face with Webinars