Picture this: you are attending an online event. But you still want to do some quick laundry. Order the groceries. Or answer that WhatsApp call. Your camera is off anyway, so what's the point? You are not the only one who does this. Much to the annoyance of the event organiser. Because the fewer people keep their attention, the less impact the event will have.
But how do you really ensure that the online attendee does pay attention to your event? Tip: try adding interaction.
Transmit, transmit, do not receive: these are the ingredients for dropping out.
Before the corona era, we were already advising that interaction keeps participants on their toes. Now, in times of online events, even more so. Because secretly that screen is pretty much out of our reach. After all, we sit behind it all day and then watch a series in the evening. Screens just aren't special anymore and distraction is in a small corner. Earlier, we wrote about how to keep participants interested during an online event. Now it is time to interact. Try some of the tips below:
- Spur discussion on social media
- Gauge visitor opinion via poll(s)
- Open a live chat for questions or comments
- Become a storyteller
- Let peers seek each other out
- Catch frequently used words in a Wordcloud
- Split the group by using break-outs
- Out with a bang!
Spur discussion on social media
Your company or brand's social media accounts can become a great platform for discussion and leads during an online session or product presentation. Here, online participants discuss with non-participants, increasing the reach even further. So spark the discussion on the social media channels by using social posts or a hashtag. Then monitor the activities and make sure you are there to answer questions.
Gauge visitor opinion via poll(s)
There is nothing more interesting than knowing what is on other people's minds, for both the participants, and the organisation. This is why a poll is a great way to create more interaction. You can use it at any point in your online event: the beginning, middle or end. Let the presenter talk about the midpoint, or ask a question and see immediately what was answered. It's a fun way to hear your target audience's opinion live. In addition, participants experience that they are being listened to.
Catch frequently used words in a Wordcloud
Remember those presentations where the lecturer asked you something, and he wrote your answer on the board? Then he did the same to the person next to you. And the person next to you. A cloud of different (answer) words emerged that may or may not be linked together. He created a wordcloud. You can also do this online. There are several tools you can integrate that automatically generate wordclouds. Ask a question to online participants and the tool puts the words that are given most often into the wordcloud. Nice to collect data directly or to use interactively in your presentation.
Split the group by using break-outs
This is a fun, interactive tip for working in groups. You probably know it from a live event: break-outs that alternate a plenary session. These often focus on a particular theme or feature different workshops. The trick is to keep break-outs short and let a moderator run things. Tip: let participants express their interest in a particular section in advance. This also reinforces their sense of ownership and will make them actively participate in the event.
"Group too big for an interactive session? Use break-outs."
Out with a bang!
Actually, this is not a tip to make your event more interactive. Still, nobody is averse to a nice end show. Moreover, it contributes to how participants look back on your event. After all, a television show is not suddenly "done" either. It usually ends with music or an act. And at a live event, you get a goodie bag or hostesses are there to say hello. How boring is it to then hear at an online event only: 'Thank you for your participation. The event is now over.' How you do it doesn't matter...as long as you end the online event with a bang.
