Phase 4: Post-Event Efforts and Outcomes

Wednesday, September 15, 2010 by Peter Muir
A quick review of the 4 Planning Phases of Successful Events includes:
  1. Phase 1: Planning
  2. Phase 2: Pre-Event Efforts
  3. Phase 3: Event Delivery
  4. Phase 4: Post-Event Efforts and Outcomes

From the beginning of our webinar series on hosting more successful events I've been driving home that a successful event isn't just about "butts in seats." There can be larger, more targeted objectives you and your organization can reach with the right planning and execution.

I'm a firm believer that Planning and Pre-Event Efforts at the start of your event can make your event more successful and run more smoothly...but it's the Post-Event Efforts that not only can bring closure to the event but also can be your way of connecting in an ongoing way and measuring your ongoing success.

Your Post-Event Efforts can help you keep the ball rolling between you and your targeted audience. It gives you the chance to thank the attendees (event those who didn't' attend), share important points from the event you wanted to make sure they got out of it and provide an ongoing relationship builder that keeps you and them in contact in the future.

Whether it's audio only, video web conferencing or face to face meetings, your Post-Event Efforts are very similar. Depending on the goal of your events your post event efforts should be part of your customer acquisition process or a customer service effort to keep key customers. It could be about seeking more donations or educating donors on how to take better care of themselves. The event itself was a chance for you to connect and share valuable content.

After the event is over you can use multi channel marketing techniques to stay in touch with those who attended. Email, phone calls, direct mail, social networking applications, face to face follow ups and more are all tools you can use in your multi channel mix. Find out which channel(s) your attendees prefer and use that channel to follow up.

Thank those who attended, share resources used in the event, give them a chance to evaluate the event and provide future event ideas and stay connected with them going forward. Continue the connection you started before your event, furthered by your event and fuel the conversations with relevant follow up tools that will maintain and strengthen the conversations as you go forward.

Remember to keep in mind three audiences: those who came, those who wanted to come (registered) but couldn't make it and those who weren't interested. Each is an opportunity to follow up and each has their own set of priorities you can assign to them.

We've been using on demand presentation recordings of our webinars as a great follow up technique to our events. These condensed replays gives us something to share and talk about with our prospects and customers. We've even created more effective landing pages that display relevant and personalized content for each of the attendees!  We also have enabled "mobile replays" of the webinars that can be viewed on many smartphones.   What will be some of the more memorable post-event efforts you'll use?  We will soon give you the opportunity to contribute to this blog to "share your story".   In the meantime, feel free to post your comments to this blog.

Do you have another process you use to plan and execute more effective events? I'd really like to hear about them.

Events are just one of the many ways we can do business. Be sure to explore the multi-channel mix for more ways for you and your customers to be successful.

Peter Muir
President, Bizucate Inc.
www.bizucate.com
pmuir@bizucate.com

Satisfied Customers

Monday, December 21, 2009 by Mark Rice

During this time of year, people have a lot on their mind and buying that unique gift is always a challenge.   The elves at Webinar Resources teamed up with Santa to create a unique and personalized online offering for this holiday season for young children - MyChristmasBook.com.

MyChristmasBook.com brings to life the story of "Santa Claus and the Lost Dog".   It is unique as it provides personalized images, text and audio using the child's name.   The Christmas Story Photo Book is delivered through a personalized, North Pole web address with an embedded Brainshark presentation.

Deliveries started over the weekend and one satisfied customer has posted her son's personalized North Pole web address on her Facebook site.    It seems our mascot, Bella, is becoming a celebrity very quickly. 

This is the most unique demand generation marketing activity that Webinar Resources has ever engaged in and we are pleased to have our customers boast and post about their satisfied experiences.

Go to MyChristmasBook.com to order that unique gift today.

 

The Sky is Not Falling

Wednesday, January 28, 2009 by joanna hamilton

In today's world, we cruise through video web conferencing, webinars, and email embedded movies with the confidence of a navy captain.  But that confidence is sometimes quickly shattered when we just can't get what we want on screen.

It doesn't matter if you're on a laptop, desktop, mac, or pc, we've all been so frustrated with the technology that we ironically love so much that we yell at the screen asking, "Why won't you just DO IT?"

As in any heated situation, the key to getting back to your happy place of sailing along with your presentation, project, or planning your next trip is to keep a cool level head and know it will be OK.

First - eliminate the "unknown but temporory possibilites."  This could be a momentary blip in the network, a glitch in the program, or your own "fat finger."  How do you know if this is the simple cause of your frustrations?

Try it again.   But don't just keep hitting "send" "submit" or "download."  Log out.  Close your browser and all browser windows that may be open.  You may even need to reboot.  Then walk away and get a cup of coffee.  Fresh java in hand, now try it again.  More times than not, you're back in business and not on the road to the helpdesk. 

The key is to keep a clear head and know that many perceived program failures are actually just momentary glitches.

And for the record - ironically - as I was writing this blog, my screen went gray and I had to re-boot, losing everything.  There is no explanation - I just moved on and tried  not to mourn the eloquence lost from the first version.  :-)

Marketing for Mobile Messaging

Friday, November 21, 2008 by joanna hamilton

While I refused to fight the crowds to be on of the first through the door to pick up a brand new Blackberry Storm, I will be going this afternoon to make my purchase.

My boss, Mark, and I have a very un-official, un-scientific experiment (aka competition) we're conducting.  He has the new G1 (Google) phone from T-Mobile.  I'm getting the Blackberry Storm from Verizon Wireless.  We're putting the networks aside, and comparing the phones for how well they enhance our ability to conduct business.

Mark got his G1 about a month ago, and has been bragging ever since.  He L-O-V-E-S it.  Just for fun on the weekend, he creates a brainshark presentation from his phone, records the voice, and then sends a vontoo message over to us just to gloat.

I'm hoping that I will be able to return the favor with the Blackberry storm.  I know I won't have Windows mobile, but what will I be able to do?  At a minimum, I should be able to enjoy the latest and greatest in screen resolution and display options to view what our custoemrs view.  At most, will I be able to operate the Blackberry Storm as a miniature laptop, of sorts, the way that Mark has been able to do with his G1? 

Our whole business centers around effective lead generation and customer acquisition through managed services and internet marketing.  We drive personalized marketing campaigns through interactive technologies that may include any or all of the following:
  --Video Web Conferencing
  --Email Movie Clips
  --Variable Data embedded in html emails
  --Web Conferencing
  --On Demand Presentations

We are also heavy users of many interactive programs including but not limited to online calendars.

Over the next few weeks, we will be testing out these technologies with the G1 and Blackberry Storm.  Maybe we'll even keep a scorecard.  For now, I have to sign off to go place my order.

Stay tuned, and if YOU have a G1 or a piping hot new Blackberry Storm--please post and tell us about the SMS feats you've conquered.

Web Video Conferencing

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 by joanna hamilton

Having just recently re-entered the job market at Webinar Resources after a 7-year maternity leave, I have been entertained by many advances in the world of telecommunications and conferencing.  Nothing has amazed me more than the advancement of video technology.  I remember PictureTel pioneer and President, Norman Gaut, telling us that video would become synonymous with the telephone call, and that the day would arrive in which the technology would resemble a tv broadcast.

Well, he was correct on one front.  The technology is astounding.  We use interactive web conferencing on our team all the time, and it does look just like a TV broadcast.  It's a simple click of the mouse, and there's Mark and Carolyn in St. Louis, while I sip my coffee in Simsbury, CT.  Our team meeting is underway, and though I've never met them, I'm part of the team.

Years ago, I always loved the "sell" for videoconferencing, because the technology was so much fun, and it truly helped the customer conduct business.  Now, the technology of video is just a given, and the aid to business is the way that Webinar Resources is able to drive customer acquisition by getting hundreds to attend a seminar that is webcast right to their laptop.  Technology aside, the sheer logistics of assembling a crowd that large, virtual or not, is amazing, but we do it all the time.

Also amazing is how that web conference crowd is a bit fluent through time.  Those who can't attend, live, at the scheduled time, are invited to attend the "webinar for one"--in which they view a video replay from their laptop, at their leisure.

We've come a long way, and who knows, in another 7 years, video may be synonymous with the phone call, but for now, I'm really stoked by the volume of people we can touch with a web presentation because of the effective lead generation we perform weeks before the event.  Seven years ago I thought it was a great time to be working with the technology.  Now, the technology is proven, and it's a great time to share it so easily with so many.