Tips to make your next online event a success

Whether you're hosting an online event as part of a broader strategy or as a main event in its own right, creating an engaging and interactive experience requires careful planning from start to finish. A great virtual event should have all the hallmarks of a live event—that is, it should be engaging, interactive, and fun for all attendees.

But before you dive into the world of virtual events, there are a few things you should know first. Read on for five essential tips for anyone looking to host their own online event:

Know your audience

The first step in organizing your online event is understanding your audience: who they are, what they want, and how they like to be communicated with. This also means understanding the theme of your event. If you don't have a clear understanding of your target audience, you risk organizing an event that's of no use to anyone.

This will make your event less valuable for everyone involved. Once you know your audience, you can create an online event designed specifically for them. And you can plan your event in a way that best serves their needs. Keep in mind that the internet is a constantly changing place.

Every day, new people join the conversation. New topics emerge while others fade away. So stay tuned for trends and make sure you offer a solution for today's online audience.

Create an agenda

A well-designed agenda can set the tone for your event and help you achieve your session objectives. A great online event is well-organized and structured, with each segment contributing to the whole.

It should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. The program should reflect your goals and objectives, as well as your audience's interests. It should also consider time.

In other words, the agenda should be short and concise. If you have a lot to say, you need to prioritize. Get to the point and find the best way to convey your message. An online event is not the place to ramble on about things that don't serve the audience.

Decide the format

The format of your event will depend on several factors, such as your objectives, theme, and audience. For example, if you want to create a fun and engaging experience, a Q&A session is best.

If you're hosting a webinar, you can use slides, live polls, and a live chat feature. If you want to create a productive discussion, start the event with a clear call to action. If you want to spark creativity, set the mood with music, images, and sound effects.

If you're looking to build a community, then set up a live video stream with a moderation feature. If you're unsure which direction to take, try hosting several online events with different formats and see what works best for you and your audience. You can also draw inspiration from others and learn from their mistakes.

Finding the right talent

An online event requires people with the right experience and skills. If you want to host a webinar, you need someone who's good at public speaking and can hold the audience's attention.

A virtual workshop requires subject matter experts. A virtual event requires moderators who can ask questions and keep the conversation on topic. If you're unsure who to invite to your online event, look for influencers or those with a large following.

You can also invite subject matter experts, colleagues, partners, or clients. You can also ask people to submit a topic, suggestion, or talk. You can do this via email, Twitter, or any other platform where people can submit their ideas.

Audiovisual production

Once you've arranged everything else, it's time for audiovisual production.

If you're going to present yourself to a large audience and the image presented is crucial, it's essential to have the technical equipment and camera, production, and live-action personnel to make your event a success.

Without proper recording and production, all the work previously done will be marred by an unprofessional image, difficult-to-see content, cuts, etc.

Therefore, proper audiovisual production is a fundamental aspect and a guarantee in this type of event.

Make sure you have the right tools and platform

A virtual event is only as good as the tools you use to organize it. To ensure your online event runs smoothly and achieves its objectives, you need the right tools.

The platform you use to host your online event can have a huge impact on its success. The platform you choose will determine who can participate, how much it will cost, and how many people you can reach and with what quality.

The platform must offer an intuitive, enjoyable, and fast experience while ensuring optimal and stable audio and video quality.

Tools like a scheduling app, a live chat platform, or a video conferencing system can make the difference between an average experience and a great one. If you're planning a virtual event, make sure you start with a clear goal in mind.

The solution: SQOne Media Hub

Together with our colleagues at Square One, we developed the SQOne Media Hub platform, which integrates all the features you need to make your event a success.

In addition to having a wide range of features, the platform is highly adaptable to whatever conference format you may need.

The SQOne Media Hub platform, combined with Square One Media's production and realization capabilities and experience, guarantees the success of your project.

Clients such as Netflix, Panasonic, Red Bull, Audi, Universal Music, and Primavera Sound have already trusted SQOne Media Hub for their most important projects. Are you in?