not all online events are created equal
Online events (sometimes referred to as summits) are marketed as a brilliant way to network and build your brand. And if they’re done with the right planning and execution, they can be.
But not all online events are created equal well.
Like most things in business, how you do it matters. Throwing together a disorganized event with inexperienced experts, sub-par technology and no master plan can result in, well, disaster.
If you are considering putting together an online event or are in the midst of one now, here are a few things to consider.
Be visible. Before you even think of hosting an online event you should have a website and social media platform in place so that when you approach potential speakers, you have already created credibility around yourself and your event. If you don’t already have a holistic online business system in place, a simple placeholder website will do fine - just be sure it includes your face, your professional title, your message, and your contact details. Extra kudos if it introduces your event and builds hype before you even sign on a single speaker.
And on that note..
if you thought herding cats was maddening, try organizing inexperienced summit speakers
Who you choose as an expert matters much more than you think. A powerful, organized expert with a smaller engaged list and experience doing summits can be even more beneficial to you and your audience than an expert with a large list.
Moreover, ensure they have an engaged audience who is aligned with your topic. There is nothing worse than onboarding a speaker you think will be a great fit only to find out that their audience is only interested in another aspect of their business unrelated to your event.
For instance, I recently had a client who had just built a beautiful summit around the topic of Entrepreneurship. She chose a Yoga instructor who had built her business from the bottom up - an amazing entrepreneur who had a robust list, sparkled on camera, and was 1000% supportive of my client and her topic.
But when it came time for the Yoga maven to promote to her audience, my client quickly found out that her audience was there for yoga workshops. Not for entrepreneurial advice.
For all her thousands of followers, only a handful opted in to the event.
When it came time to re-do her next event we were able to put these simple alignment conditions in place and it resulted in deeply-aligned speakers with passionate and engaged audiences of thousands that happily opted into her event.
Being savvy about who you onboard as an expert can make the difference between a mediocre event and a smashing success.
These are just a few of the insights I’ve gathered after putting together hundreds of online events over the past decade.
Follow the blog for more proven summit insights and tips. Or contact me if you’d like to work together on leveling up your first (or next) Online Event.
