Monetizing Virtual Events

I recently attended a webinar on the title of this blog post by a senior staff member of the Tulsa Regional Chamber.

It was a timely session on how to pivot and monetize your virtual events.

She led a discussion on how to pivot your program of work and redirect your resources (strategic plan) to show value for your members.
 
Redirect your priorities and define your core competencies. Focus on the short-term and that may mean creating a new strategic plan.
 
Identify the opportunity - convene, create free resources to help your members gain an advantage.
 
She went on to talk about how they created a Business Support Series - twice a week programming, two experts, hosted by the Chamber CEO and Sponsor (think revenue).
 
They sold four-week sponsorships (eight episodes) with logo placement and introduction of speakers.
 
Sponsors were allowed to ask speakers a question at the end.  These webinars are fully scripted programs.  The key to make these programs successful is to lead with quality content.
 
Identify sponsors and align a sponsor with the content you plan to highlight.  All sponsors get the same deal.
 
When identifying sponsors, think companies who are doing well and have something to sell.
 
Create a special landing page on your website for this series and you can archive the meeting and any collaterals you might want to share with members and non-members for future reference and selling opportunities.
 
Things to think about when creating this series:
 
  • Consistency
  • Cost
  • Frequency
  • Benefits
  • Urgency
 
Get out there and monetize something.  For a resource on monetizing your virtual events go HERE.

Good luck!

Creating Member Experiences and Engagement

Shari Pash is an Institute for Organization Management faculty member and I always like to attend her webinars.

Here are my notes from a presentation sponsored by Institute.

 

Emphasis on the overall experience of your programs.  You need to be creative and innovate moving forward.  Digital is the new normal.

 

She posed the question.  What’s the holistic member experience?

 

Transactional vs Relational?

 

  • Transactional - looking for that dollar for dollar value.
  • Relational - investment as a way of doing business, having their back and industry while keeping it personal.

 

She went on to talk about sponsor experiences - matching up a company with a specific event or program of work (think thought leadership).  What about a happy hour on a topic of the sponsor?

 

You could send a bottle of wine, have it reviewed by a Sommelier and then have the sponsor present on a specific topic that your members would be interested in.  Your event is digital but the wine tasting makes it an experience too!

 

How are experiences created?  Your experiences for your members need to show emotion, make interactions personal, and interesting.

 

She talked about micro-moments, different experiences along the way that creates loyalty to your chamber.  They can be different things for different businesses.

 

It’s all about how you make your members feel!  You remember the famous quote from Maya Angelo, “people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”

 

I’ve said it here before, it’s about the member not about you.  How are you helping them solve problems in good times and in bad?  If you have specific examples, repurpose and communicate that through your social media channels.

 

She talked about your A, B, and C members and how to create experiences for all three (they will be different).

 

Your A members should be your key focus upfront.  They may be your high dollar members or your altruistic members, those that contribute because they believe in what you do on behalf of business and the community at large.

 

She talked about reviewing your digital experience for members and do you need to update it?  Think about creating a digital plan, especially for your nonmembers.

 

Good advice!

 

How are you engaging with your members or your potential members?

 

Don’t get short-sighted by not looking long-term.  You’ve heard the phrase, “this too shall pass.”  As we know, in a K economic recovery, not all businesses are hurting, but some are hurting more than others.  Create a foundation for the future and how you will engage with your members moving forward.

 

“Support the Business Community” - that could be your “relationship” message.  Remember, we talked about transactional vs relationships earlier in this blog post.  This could be powerful and it’s the message that resonates with that altruistic member.

 

Shari went on to talk about experience marketing, connecting with existing members through your brand and messaging.

 

Your messaging should be authentic, organic, conversational while making connections with your members.

 

Continue on building a strong community!

 

For more resources from Shari go HERE.