How Events Should Be Used To Improve Online Engagement

Events are far more effective at getting results for organizations than most people realize.  They provide an avenue for members and visitors to interact in an energetic but productive environment.  Individuals are also given the opportunity to make connections with others that could share valuable advice.  But, how can these events be used to improve online engagement?  At the very least, they should spark additional conversations even after the event has ended.

 

Some organizations start by turning their club websites into accurate and in-depth hubs of information that people can use to get updates about the event.  Show them how they can register and participate in the conversation surrounding the event.  This helps initiate online engagement about the event even before it takes place.  You could also use this opportunity to identify areas of the event in which your members show the most interest.

 

Have you considered offering your members a mobile app for the event?  While club websites enable conversations before and after the event, a mobile app will help members stay connected during an event.  As a result, this keeps all your guests up-to-date and allows you to collect valuable feedback regarding their experience.

 

One of the easiest ways to compel guests and participants to volunteer feedback is to have them ask questions during your event.  But it isn’t enough to receive and answer these questions.  A few organizations post the questions to their club websites and this serves as a reminder for them to discuss it afterwards.

Some questions compel members to post their own questions and that can be used to customize their experience in the future.  With all of these approaches, the objective is to give your members a reason to interact with one another.  Ultimately, events provide a platform for conversations to be more frequent and that usually improves overall engagement.