8 Tips to Make Your Online Meeting More Social

Events like online meetings, webinars or videoconferences are powerful marketing tools that have changed the way we do and see the business, stimulating the conversation, engagement and promotion around brand and products.

Over the years, online events have developed following the logic of socialization and the evolution of the web world.

While admitting that online events are social tools for nature, how can be made even more social?

Here are some tips you want to use for your next online event.

1. Use the Proper Tools

If your goal is to promote your product or business with a webinar, then you need to choose the right software or platform.

There are different services available online, with certain pricing plans and specific features.

If you need the right tool to help you get the best result as possible, ClickMeeting is a great solution to create effective online meetings or webinars. Among the several features, it allows you to invite up to 1000 attendees, audio and video conferencing and a nice desktop with interesting interactivity tools (like moderated chat and polling).

Also, the statistics you receive when your online event is finished are useful for tracking your participants and the following leads.

2. Create a Unique Hashtag

A hashtag is a keyword related to your event, it can be your business name or a short slogan.

It is one of the key elements for effective promotion and marketing via social networks.

It will allow you not just to identify all the posts that revolve around that topic, but also to remember your event to those not physically present.

Not only that, a unique hashtag can be reused over the years to keep the conversation turned on the long term and in subsequent editions of your events.

The hashtag, being recognizable, will be associated to your business on all the communications, almost like your logo.

3. Involve the Speakers

The speakers and invited guests will be your greatest strength to create buzz and continue the conversation online.

It goes without saying that the greater the authority of the individual speaker, the more will be the amplification online.

In any case, involve them!

Share the official hashtag and inform them via the main channels of social communication that you are going to activate.

Also, ask to spread the word via their personal social accounts!

4. Engage with Participants

You should communicate in advance to the participants about the details and topics of your online meeting, paying attention to monitor conversations via social media and interacting in the appropriate time to promote your event or asking relevant questions.

Also, do not overlook the possible engagement among the participants after the online event. For example, one idea would be to create a Linkedin group for professional events, or a Facebook page for events with different purposes.

Creating a community by involving your users via the major social media networks will facilitate the success of the subsequent performances as well as to give a tone of exclusivity to the participants.

After all, what are this kind of events if not a great occasion for networking?

5. Streaming

One of the best ways to increase social awareness is surely the use of streaming.

This can be done thanks to proper tools to create an effective vehicle of communication and can increase very significantly the scope of your online events.

For example, you can take advantage of the hangouts made via Google!

At the same time, you can stream your Google hangouts on air via Twitter and Facebook. In this way, you can enhance your audience by expanding the social reach.

6. Live Tweeting

Compatibly with your target and event, Twitter is a great communication tool to be tied to the success of an event.

It allows you to track conversations, monitor the hashtag of reference trend, intervene if and when necessary and create a sort of live chat (or else live tweeting), through which relate your experience and participation in the online event.

Often, it is used for networking. Participants can bring into play their experience through live discussion with other people not physically present, or arouse interest in new users both for your business and for the event in general.

Tip : I suggest you TwChat, a great website and free service built by Ann Smarty to create realtime chat rooms based on Twitter hashtags. I had a positive experience, as it really expanded my audience and visibility!

7. Share Content

Share personal stories, why not?

Social media have huge success in business because they allow users to be a little closer to a specific organization. So take this opportunity to expand your audience.

Post pictures, screenshots or videos of the online meeting, immediately before or after the event.

Make interviews or feature certain participants.

Also, if something unexpected happen, do not hide it. The image of a few drawbacks could make your event (and consequently your brand) more human and therefore, attract the sympathy of your audience.

8. Offer Something Exclusive

Other than the content, you may think about offering your participants something special.

As if your initiatives were a brand, give a reason for fans to follow you and your business.

Plan specific discounts of your products or services to those who follow via the social channels, or make sure to prepare special content only for those who follow you via the online meeting.

Or, better yet, why not thinking about a gadget to give during the event? Something that is connected to your brand and business.

In this way, participants will remember you even during their private life and this will serve as a permanent testimonial of your activities.

What do you think?

Do you have any other idea to make an online meeting more social?

Please share it in the comments below, thanks!