As social distancing and stay-at-home orders continue, virtual events are on the rise and here to stay. For small business owners and ecopreneurs looking to pivot their marketing strategy to virtual, see our list of 6 virtual event ideas to get you started. I hope this brings inspiration to get you in front of the camera to engage with your audience in a new way.

Virtual Event Platforms

Before diving into virtual event ideas, let’s discuss the virtual event platforms you should consider. There are various platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and GoToMeeting that provide you the functionality to video conference. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and LinkedIn now allow you to broadcast live video content to their network in real-time. For larger community events, Airmeet is a great option and has a free version of up to 100 attendees.

Six Virtual Event Ideas

Live Q&A

Virtual Event Ideas with a live Q&A

One of the most manageable virtual events to coordinate is a Live Q&A. Go live and engage with your audience by answering frequently asked questions about a product or service. A live Q&A can be around a particular topic like eco-friendly packaging or a new product release. If you are feeling stuck on what topic to focus on, ask your audience what they’d like to hear. 

Fireside Chat

Virtual Event Ideas with a fireside chat

Invite someone to chat relevant to your business, mission, values, or topic of interest. Make it engaging by offering a live Q&A at the end of the discussion. Don’t forget to ask your guest to co-promote your event on their marketing channels for further promotion. 

Live Pop-Up Event

Virtual Event Ideas like a live pop-up event

For any product-based business, engage with your audience by putting on a live pop-up event. Select a couple of products to feature or highlight a whole collection. Incentivize sales by offering a discount or creating a bundle set. Promote your pop-up event on all your marketing channels to help drive traffic.

3-day Instagram Video Challenge

Workshop/Class/Webinar

Any service or product-based business can offer a workshop, class, or webinar to showcase their offerings. For product-based companies, think of stay-at-home activities that best friends, couples, and families can enjoy. For example, a winery can offer a free wine tasting class to their audience and sell the wine tasting kits leading up to the event. If you are a service-based business, you can offer a webinar giving tips on a specific topic like email marketing. At the end of your webinar, announce a new email marketing service or a package deal.

Virtual Networking

Offer your audience an opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and meet you virtually. Add a theme to the virtual networking event or add a speaker as the headliner. Engage with your audience during the times they are available and have fun meeting new people.  

Demo/Tutorial

A demo or tutorial is great for product and service-based businesses. Take your tutorial live and answer questions that your potential customers may have. Once they learn how your product or service will solve their problems, they’ll for sure buy.

Are you ready to go live? What virtual event idea are you excited to try? Do you have any questions about live events? Let us know in the comments below.

If you are needing marketing support with a virtual event, please contact us or book a consultation.