Oct
09
Michaela Sawicki, MSc, Program Coordinator, McKenna Management, Inc.
For the coming months, it seems that event planners will continue to be saddled with the task of transitioning in-person events to virtual or hybrid options. Although virtual events are not entirely new, the busy Fall Season might be the first time many associations experiment with online alternatives. Some events can be held using robust virtual meeting platforms. Others can utilize more creative approaches to holding a virtual “event”. For the New England Society for Healthcare Communications (NESHCo) this year was the first time their awards ceremony was “hosted” via their social media platforms instead of in-person.
Celebrating 30 years, NESHCO’s 2020 Lamplighter Awards gave away 163 awards. Their social media outlets became a hub buzzing with reactions, comments, and shares: traffic increased 78% over the previous month and the posts reached approximately 11,791 users on Facebook alone.
Preparing your social media platforms for the surge in user traffic during and after a virtual event can not only help make the virtual event more personable and interactive, but it has the potential to reach far more people than an in-person event would expect. The following tips outline what can be done during the virtual event to maximize the user experience.Be consistent – don’t leave users in the dark!
With so many awards to announce, it was easy to feel overwhelmed. Keeping these posts on a schedule was of great importance. Users knew what to expect and when.
Even with this agenda, recap posts became important markers during the month of announcements. Breaking up the scheduled flow of posts with check-ins and teaser messaging for the following week kept people coming back and up to speed.
Break the ice with a ‘Like’
NESHCo encouraged their community and followers to congratulate the winners, and took their own advice. Breaking the ice when it came to the first like or comment encouraged new users to join in the celebration. Every single post received Likes and comments!
Keep the spirit of the event alive – the show must go on!
Creating a mechanism of intrigue across your social outlets will keep viewers coming back to your page for more updates. For the NESHCo Lamplighters, posts teasing top award announcements received the most excitement and had users checking back in for the big reveal.
During their live event in previous years, the mystery of the “best-in-show” winner was a big piece of the celebration. For the virtual event, we wanted to keep the thrill of the awards alive and revealed the top three contenders for this award, something that had never been done before at the in-person events. Having these special mentions got these members and their supporters more engaged and created more of a show-feeling.
By the end of the awards campaign, the huge surge in social media engagement was evident by gains in new followers and unique visitors – a relatively quiet page, the visitors to NESHCo’s LinkedIn group spiked 1027%! It’s important to not let the post-event momentum go to waste. New eyes could mean new members or new participants in next year’s competition. Use this time to capture new members, promote the next upcoming event, or share an important message with your audience.
Turning an event into a virtual alternative can take on a positive spin if you are able to maintain a strong online presence and capitalize on the new reach the virtual world can offer. It’s not always easy to know what to do with a surge of attention online, but it is important to have a plan.
For the coming months, it seems that event planners will continue to be saddled with the task of transitioning in-person events to virtual or hybrid options. Although virtual events are not entirely new, the busy Fall Season might be the first time many associations experiment with online alternatives. Some events can be held using robust virtual meeting platforms. Others can utilize more creative approaches to holding a virtual “event”. For the New England Society for Healthcare Communications (NESHCo) this year was the first time their awards ceremony was “hosted” via their social media platforms instead of in-person.
Celebrating 30 years, NESHCO’s 2020 Lamplighter Awards gave away 163 awards. Their social media outlets became a hub buzzing with reactions, comments, and shares: traffic increased 78% over the previous month and the posts reached approximately 11,791 users on Facebook alone.
Preparing your social media platforms for the surge in user traffic during and after a virtual event can not only help make the virtual event more personable and interactive, but it has the potential to reach far more people than an in-person event would expect. The following tips outline what can be done during the virtual event to maximize the user experience.
Be consistent – don’t leave users in the dark!
With so many awards to announce, it was easy to feel overwhelmed. Keeping these posts on a schedule was of great importance. Users knew what to expect and when.
Even with this agenda, recap posts became important markers during the month of announcements. Breaking up the scheduled flow of posts with check-ins and teaser messaging for the following week kept people coming back and up to speed.
Break the ice with a ‘Like’
NESHCo encouraged their community and followers to congratulate the winners, and took their own advice. Breaking the ice when it came to the first like or comment encouraged new users to join in the celebration. Every single post received Likes and comments!
Keep the spirit of the event alive – the show must go on!
Creating a mechanism of intrigue across your social outlets will keep viewers coming back to your page for more updates. For the NESHCo Lamplighters, posts teasing top award announcements received the most excitement and had users checking back in for the big reveal.
During their live event in previous years, the mystery of the “best-in-show” winner was a big piece of the celebration. For the virtual event, we wanted to keep the thrill of the awards alive and revealed the top three contenders for this award, something that had never been done before at the in-person events. Having these special mentions got these members and their supporters more engaged and created more of a show-feeling.
By the end of the awards campaign, the huge surge in social media engagement was evident by gains in new followers and unique visitors – a relatively quiet page, the visitors to NESHCo’s LinkedIn group spiked 1027%! It’s important to not let the post-event momentum go to waste. New eyes could mean new members or new participants in next year’s competition. Use this time to capture new members, promote the next upcoming event, or share an important message with your audience.
Turning an event into a virtual alternative can take on a positive spin if you are able to maintain a strong online presence and capitalize on the new reach the virtual world can offer. It’s not always easy to know what to do with a surge of attention online, but it is important to have a plan.
Michaela Sawicki, MSc is a Program Coordinator at McKenna Management. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in History at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, she moved to Ireland to complete a Master's of Science in International Politics from Trinity College Dublin. As part of the McKenna Management team, Michaela helps to organize association events such as webinars, meetings, and conferences. She also manages marketing for social media and web content and provides member-support. With nearly ten years of customer service, Michaela brings a bright, positive attitude to new ventures in her professional career.
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