Marketing and Pricing Online Conferences

Event marketing Online events

A selection of considerations and ideas to assist you in marketing conferences for which there is a fee charged.

Promote the one or two benefits that an online conference can provide, not the mass of benefits that a physical event provides
Much less Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), so don't promote in this way
Create a programme that is must-attend
- Ensure your programme is built with consecutive talks that relate to each other, with a sense of progression, where delegates need to attend them all
- Industry Leaders are vital to include
- Continuous Education credits/minutes are still a great draw
Create a clear picture of what delegates should expect
Pre-empt potential concerns in your marketing
Clarify what presentations, networking, digital exhibit hall etc is included before, during and after
Its a much lower commitment - like an exhibition

Online Conferences do not need to be marketed 6 months out, maybe start then with a save-the-date, and then main campaign starts closer to 8 weeks
Marketing doesn't stop
- at registration - even if they have paid, because their total cost is still much lower and absence isn't noticed by their reporting manager
- at first session -
- at the last session - get your on-demand ready
Advertise online from about 6 weeks prior

Geographically to those who couldn't travel
Senior executives who previously had less time available
Early-career delegates who are more cost sensitive
Skeptics who hadn't previously appreciated the value
Unable to travel - those without childcare, with health issues, disabled, maternity leave

Email of course, but with more dynamic content
Digital advertising
Influencer marketing - ensuring they can promote themselves specifically, give them exceptional promotion, and membership of an exclusive group, link to their own page on the event website. Keep reminding them, especially speakers
Use the digital tools to share, autosending emails when you upload contacts, etc.
Organic search/social
Content marketing
Track much more than for physical events

Drive with pre-event actions: eg. matchmaking, adding profile, adding photo
Register anyway (if free) and then they get recordings after even if don't attend
Invest more in top-funnel campaigns, as they are more likely to participate than a physical event

The most common approach is by reducing a standard event fee to take account of not needing to pay for the physical costs (venue, catering, AV, etc ) but allowing for additional cost of webcasting company & technology fees, and that you may have fewer delegates for the first online event
Consider a Viewing & Listening Only Pass for those in very reduced circumstances
An intermediate level pass could exclude access to On-demand recordings
Top level pass could include a "private meeting room" concept and access to all On-demand recordings