Hosting a virtual gala is a great way to connect with donors and raise money in this time of social distancing, but there is an important question: how do you keep guests engaged?
How to Keep Guests Engaged During a Virtual Gala:
Cut out the fluff
Make every moment count. In our fact-paced, entertainment-centric culture, people expect to be engaged. Spend time strategically planning how your event will go down to the minute. Even one boring or unnecessary minute will lose you viewers. Hiring a creative director and professional emcee will help keep the flow going.
Integrate Social Media into the Program
Have people sharing pictures of themselves watching the gala from home. Repost their pictures to your feed and have the emcee or auctioneer mention it during the live program, “I see @awesomesauce334 got all dolled up in her prom dress for our virtual gala, the slippers are a nice touch! Keep sharing those photos with our gala hashtag #homegala2020.” It’s a way to bring the home audience into the live event.
Try reposting their photos on instagram and have followers vote on “Best Dressed” as a fun game using the poll option in instagram stories. This is a way to get people involved and feel like they are a part of the community.
Incentivize them to stay around
Now, I don’t mean you should bribe your guests, but could you entice them to stay with a special announcement that happens at the end of the program? Could you get a surprise celebrity to video call in to the event near the end of the event to chat with viewers? How about a giveaway* for people who watch through the end or for who engages the most with the event through comments and social media?
Your emcee or auctioneer will remind guests throughout the program, “now later in the program we have [a special guest, a big announcement, an opportunity for you to win] so stick around to find out what it is…”
Think of how TV shows entice you to stay past the commercial break. You are waiting for something BIG and they keep stringing you along through a bunch of other stuff, but still you find yourself sitting through those commercials and backstories for all of the contestants until you finally find out who won! That’s exactly what you need to create within your virtual program.
Stats show us that 50% of people drop off the live event by the end of it, but giving them a reason to stay can help improve those numbers for your event.
*For giveaways and raffles, make sure to research the laws and guidelines around these, because different social media channels have rules to keep engagement honest and ethical.
Ask them questions throughout the event
One cool thing a virtual event offers that you cannot achieve in a live event is that you can communicate with the audience members as individuals. Use the amazing comment features on your live streaming platform to have your guests answer questions. “Who are you honoring by being here tonight? Oh, I see Susan Smith is honoring her grandmother who she lost to Breast Cancer. We are so sorry to hear about your grandma, Susan, but thank you for showing up for her!” The Emcee and Auctioneer can take a few moments to read some responses, but the guests will be able to see the comments coming in and see a sense of connection and community even though they are all at home.
Which will you try?
Which of these will you try for your virtual event? How could you use one or more or all of these to keep guests engaged through your entire program and help connect them with your mission? I’d love to hear your ideas!
