Most online events fail because its the people, stupid. Companies spend all of their budgets on event promotion, marketing, design, and the killer app and fail to spend money where it counts — on people.
Hosts, moderators, and facilitators are as essential to online events as the concierge, the desk staff, the wait staff, the cleaning staff, and the caterers are to even the most well-appointed luxury hotel.
Without the people and their sometimes invisible service and attention to client and visitor (guest) needs, there are only four walls, some Italian marble, a software license, and an Enterprise server (one or more of these might not apply to the online event).
ClickZ has an interesting article about how to plan and measure online event marketing.
How do I know? Well, I was one of the first folks at Caucus and our company was both hosting and facilitating online events and conferences.
We had an easy time selling them the killer application, Caucus, but it was almost impossible to convince companies that they needed to hire an entire hotel of gracious experts in online community facilitation. It is surely an art and a science.
And they would have no part of it. The killer app, to them, was dear enough: build it and they will come. They didn’t. Or if they did, it would be initially and drop off after a very short while.
Never to return.
As the article highlights, with an online events, “you can create online events around a product, leverage an existing program to enhance a brand, and build an ongoing online community with a natural brand affinity. As a result, you can cost-effectively engage consumers in a brand experience that extends over time and yields measurable results.”
Like I have been saying all along, it is of course about the people, but even more, it is all about the relationship with, between, and amongst the people:
“Online event marketing enables marketers to extend relationships with customers and raise brand awareness by creating engagements that can be very personal. It aids branding and other marketing measures by taking users out of their usual environment, if only for the duration of the online event. This enhanced experience reflects on your brand and your company and helps nurture long-term relationships.”
Be careful what you ask for, because relationships are delicate and precious. They require care and feeding. Relationships require mutual trust, continuity, stability, and honesty. Relationships need to be consistent over time.
If you offer half measures or are half-assed, then you are going to alienate your virtual friends and family, also known as your customers.
If you don’t have the time to facilitate your own online events, drop me a line and I can hook you up with some amazing people.
The best company out there and the first place to contact is GroupJazz. Lisa Kimball and her crew is the best.
If you are going to host an online event, it is important to promote, to market, and to make sure you have a fine structural software application in which to gather.
When it comes to staffing your online events, you can’t afford not hiring the best. If you will, remind me what it is about your finest dining and hotel experience is. Was it facilities? Food? Or was it service?
Comment (1)
Yes, I agree to the most part of your post. Hosts of the online events are no less than the concierge. In on sense of the word they are, in my opinion, online concierge and it is important that online event holders realize this very *fact* failing which, chances are that, you may loose virtual friends.