Creating customer experience success by shifting to virtual events! | Part Two.

Customer Experience Series, Topic Two

When you first get your paycheque, the add-to-cart button is your best friend. Even more so, now that we’re trying to stay indoors during these uncertain times for our safety. Businesses have made digital their best friend, and it’s here to stay. You tend to input your card number into payment details and, you’ve forgotten how to scroll through your social feeds looking through posts; you’re fully immersed in the shopping experience. It gives you satisfaction; it’s almost therapeutic, and, most importantly, you’re excited to purchase from a brand that you can trust. Is it the tangible objects that make you the happiest, or is it the experience? Users are changing the way they shop and turning to online shopping for therapy, but how can you turn your brand into a community?

I see a recurring pattern during the pandemic on what people are nostalgic about and what they are posting on their hashtag throwback Thursday posts, and that’s the experiences they’ve had with their friends and loved ones pre-pandemic. Whether it’s traveling, grabbing drinks with your friends, going to concerts, or attending exciting events—it’s the experiences that are worth missing.

As a business owner, how can you make your products and services coexist with lasting experiences? What do experiences mean for your business, why are they so important, and how can you appreciate experiences during times cooped indoors? I’m not going to bore you through some informative posts about public relations, but PR is what tears down the wall between your brand and your clients. It also stops users from experiencing online shopping fatigue and moving on to the “next best thing.”  That’s what businesses are lacking these days, and it’s been challenging to not sound like a walking billboard when it comes to marketing your services and products online. Sure, you can come out with 101 promotions and attractive discounts, but that’s not what gets your customers “adding to cart” anytime soon.  When you’re adding items to your cart or purchasing services, you’re attracted to the brands you can connect with. That not only give you the wow factor from their quality products or services, but it’s the seamless customer experience. It’s the way that the brand speaks to you. 

Events during the time of COVID.

It’s a well-known fact that events are the best way to establish an immersive customer experience and personal connections. As business owners or consumers, we turn to events exclusively for the experience, the fun networking, and most importantly, the trust!  In some countries, in-person gatherings have resumed, but COVID-19 is still very much present globally. 

The lack of events has affected the lives of both consumers and businesses during this time, and companies have to get creative and turn to digital alternatives to build stories for their brand and form emotional connections. 

Right now, more than ever, it’s a great time to take advantage of the presence of FOMO (fear of missing out) with your social audience by transitioning to virtual events.  Now you’re probably thinking, “It’s not the same.” It’s may be true that only in-person events can offer “the real experience.” But it doesn’t mean that virtual events can’t deliver worthwhile, memorable, meaningful experiences.

Why are virtual events powerful?

There’s a common misconception that virtual events won’t have the same output as a physical event simply because of the setting and the interaction. However, virtual events can give you the same experience as a physical event by:

Allowing you to focus on essential areas and knowledge.

Your audience is there to listen to what you have to say; they are attending for your business and your business only. Even though the extra components of a virtual event are lovely, such as DJs and food and drinks, your audience is attending the virtual event to gain more knowledge about your business. 

Forming connections with valuable partners and potential clients 

Attendees and sponsors can connect with your business virtually at any time through any platform (virtual social communities). You no longer have to worry about people not physically approaching you or empty booths, fewer travels, more valuable and effective interaction with people who are genuinely interested in what you have to say. 

Allows you to save costs

Planning a physical event requires expensive costs, and there’s no getting away from them, even if you have a budget in mind. Now that you don’t need many critical components to spice up a physical event, such as; travel expenses, catering, and other related expenses, you can increase your budget to create a seamless, immersive experience audience. 

According to Eventify.com, virtual events deliver higher ROIs than physical events because attendees come with a purpose. 

Analytics at your fingertips 

When it comes to physical events, you can’t keep track of every customer’s experience from start to finish. The great part of digital is the ability to monitor and track the activity of each attendee! Utilizing surveys and incorporating a question and answer session during your event is exceptionally crucial for feedback and testimonials. 

How can you successfully integrate virtual events into your customer experience strategy? 

There is more to your digital customer experience strategy than customer support and how seamless their browsing experience is when purchasing your product. At the end of the day, your consumers seek brands that provide them with emotional connections, brands that they can rave about and recommend to their friends, and brands that they can keep returning to, so they won’t have to look for the “next best thing.” Now that the online marketplace is ever-growing, it’s harder to stand out from the competition and more challenging to make your brand a household name, but it’s not impossible! Conference video platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams aren’t made exclusively for work conference calls, but they can be utilized for virtual events. Amp up your PR and marketing strategies by creating memorable and lasting experiences through virtual events. 

At RAVEN + CO., we’ve adapted to the “new normal.” While we’ve enjoyed hosting and planning physical events with our lovely clients, we’re helping brands of all sizes host virtual events to leverage their content, digital, and customer experience strategy! Are you a newly launched business, or do you simply want to create a community to connect with your valuable potential and loyal customers? Talk to us and book a personalized complimentary discovery session. We’ll help guide you through your big ideas and create a result-driven virtual event blueprint that’s carefully tailored to your brand. We’re excited to work with you!