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![](/images/Modern%20Gradient%20Black%20Digital%20Creative%20&%20Technology%20Business%20Event%20Zoom%20Virtual%20Background%20\(1\).png)The event industry experienced a paradigm shift with the pandemic putting the world on a standstill in 2020. Marketers across the world were forced to adapt to virtual events, but with more and more people getting vaccinated we are now seeing people taking baby steps towards a mix of ‘in-person’ and ‘virtual events’.

So can virtual events become an essential part of your B2B Marketing strategies ?

The numbers revealed by a [Forrestor research](https://www.forrester.com/blogs/b2b-marketing-event-trends-virtual-is-here-to-stay-hybrid-is-on-the-way/) indicate that while ‘in-person’ events are picking up, virtual events are here to stay. The same report suggests that a mix of ‘virtual’ and ‘in-person’  events will become the new normal for B2B marketing events in the next two years. Either way, the virtual aspect will be an important part of marketing strategies in 2022 and going forward. Don’t believe us, let these numbers do the talking:

*   63% of marketers are of the opinion that they will continue to conduct “the same number or more” virtual events in 2022.

*   58% of marketers agree with the statement that \*\*\*“most or all flagship B2B marketing events will have to be conducted the hybrid way in two years.” \*\*\*

*   67% of marketers are of the opinion that though networking opportunities are a challenge in the ‘virtual event’ environment, by harnessing AI technology they can overcome this. The use of AI could be a major focus in virtual events in 2022.

*   62% of marketers are of the opinion that bringing a virtual aspect to events has many long-term benefits and hence, events will be an integral part of the B2B marketing strategy in 2022.

Though we have said enough about how important B2B event marketing is within your B2b marketing strategy, let’s understand what is B2B event marketing and why should it be a part of your marketing strategy in 2022.

## **Understanding B2B Event Marketing**

[Networking and building relationships](https://www.nunify.com/blogs/how-to-achieve-better-networking-with-online-events/) are at the core of every sales and marketing plan. B2B event marketing is designed such that it facilitates in-person interaction that leads to:

*   Relationship building

*   Networking

*   Lead generation

*   Sales pipeline generation and acceleration

*   Brand awareness

*   Customer retention

Getting insights on what your competition and peers are doing is important for a business. B2B events enable people of the same industry to come under one roof and exchange their thoughts, ideas, and knowledge. Vendors get to showcase products and services and offer solutions to help enterprises overcome any challenges they might be facing. The end goal of any B2B marketing event is to drive sales for a business.

## **Importance of B2B Event Marketing**

Reaching the top-brass and decision-makers of any business enterprise is not an easy task.

A B2B event brings these decision-makers together at one place, making these events a breeding ground to connect with the top-brass. Such events present the salesforce and marketers with a unique opportunity to hobnob and make meaningful connections with people who have the power to make decisions. Creating such relationships in a short span of time through any other channel is next to impossible. 

Today’s digitized world too realizes the importance of personal connections and is a key driving force behind increased chat-functionality on websites. Digital marketing channels contribute in a big way to lead generation. Both events and digital channels bring some unique benefits to the table and hence having both elements as a part of your marketing strategy are important for success.

## **Virtual Events: The Future of B2B Marketing**

Events being an integral part of a marketing strategy can make or break a company’s brand and reputation. 24% off the B2B marketing budget is towards events according to a report by Forrestor. However, the pandemic stalled any in-person events. B2B marketing agencies soon realized that virtual events are the way forward. In fact, virtual events were picking up even in the pre-covid era as in-person events were expensive and time-consuming at both ends of the spectrum (organizing and attending). Virtual events are the future of B2B marketing and here’s why:

*   More and more companies have come to realize the many [benefits of remote workin](https://www.nunify.com/blogs/how-hybrid-technology-will-improve-your-business/)g and look forward to continuing the trend as it means more productivity, saving valuable time and costs.

*   Companies across industries including B2B marketers now hire employees working from their home offices around the globe. However, this translates to these companies conducting [virtual events for team building, engagement, and interaction](https://www.nunify.com/blogs/virtual-team-building-games-for-remote-teams/).

*   Virtual events track and store every single data point of attendees providing a gold mine of information for lead nurturing and subsequent conversion. The data also facilitates better and more relevant ‘event planning’ in the future.

*   B2B marketing when clubbed with virtual events tracks metrics that matter such as, [calculating ROI ](https://www.nunify.com/blogs/how-virtual-events-can-boost-roi/)(return on investment), and helps develop a follow-up plan backed by real data. 

*   Virtual events have a better reach, they are convenient, cost-effective, yield high productivity and ROI, can be re-visited by participants and it’s time-saving.

To conclude, virtual events have the potential to engage an audience and bring a human touch to a digital space. It gives participants a platform to network and grow business. Virtual events enable a company to accelerate its ROI, reduce costs, broaden its reach and make your business a success in the long run. 


Virtual events : One of the best B2B marketing strategies ?

![](/images/Blue%20Cream%20Modern%20Covid%20Handling%20Conference%20\(1\).png)2021 was undoubtedly a year of webinars, virtual events, and hybrid events. However, what are the event KPIs to measure the success of your virtual event. Being a relatively new concept, virtual events KPI’s are a hot topic of discussion.

 Even though we are returning towards normalcy, a report published [by Markletic suggests that 67% of businesses use virtual events complementary to in-person events.](https://www.markletic.com/blog/virtual-event-statistics/) This is a clear indicator that virtual events are not just a pandemic-driven fad, but they are here to stay.

However, how do you measure a virtual event’s ROI (return on investment) or determine its success?  Are there any quantifiable outcomes that are indicators of success? Would you be more confident if you knew what the true measures of success are? Let’s find out.

## **A brief explanation of “Virtual KPI’s”**

Analytics plays an important role in measuring the success of any event be it a virtual or an in-person event. For organizers to understand and improvise on their budget, interaction tools, content plan, and investments; it’s crucial to gather event data and analyze them. Think about virtual event KPI’s. 

## **What are virtual event KPI’s?**

A virtual event KPI is a metric that can help you identify how well your event performed. The planning stage offers the best time to create actionable KPIs. You can collaborate with all the key stakeholders to understand what outcomes you wish to achieve. A common KPI is the number of registrations you get for the event. 

One can define the KPIs based on essential elements like monetary investment and expected returns. When you design the KPIs, all the stakeholders need to have a unanimous opinion about them. A post-event assessment will help you understand whether or not you should hold more of such virtual events. 

So what parameters qualify as KPIs to evaluate the success of a virtual event. Let’s find out.

1.  **Event Registration and check-in numbers:** A whopping [51% of companies](https://www.markletic.com/blog/virtual-event-statistics/) use their business partners to drive event registrations. [39% of marketing experts](https://www.markletic.com/blog/virtual-event-statistics/) suggest their sales team generate a significant number of registrations for an event. However, getting an adequate number of registrations is one part of the story. It is also important to ensure that registered users check in to the event as well. Registration and check-in numbers tell a lot about the success of an event.

2.  **How long attendees stay online:** Audience retention is a key factor in determining the success of your virtual event. As a host you want attendees to be logged on longer and spend more time at your event. Too many attendees dropping off mid-event could be a sign that they do not find the content as per their expectations and engaging enough. [61% of virtual events](https://www.markletic.com/blog/virtual-event-statistics/) use videos to keep their audience engaged.

3.  **Repeat attendees:** Repeat event attendees are a good indicator of a successful event. It is a clear indicator of value creation and an event engaging enough to motivate people to come back for more. 

4.  \*\*On-demand viewership: \*\*Keeping a track of the viewership of on-demand content such as downloading slides, accessing additional content, or reviewing recordings of an event is one of the important KPI’s of a virtual event.

5.  \*\*Audio and video quality: \*\*Most virtual event platforms have tools to monitor video and audio quality. Much like OTT’s, good video and audio quality is imperative to how successful your virtual event is. 

6.  **Engagement level:** To get a better perspective on whether your event was a hit or a miss it is a good idea to analyze the engagement levels on parameters such as response to polls, number of questions asked during Q\&A, activity level on chats, etc. In fact, [49% of marketing professionals](https://www.markletic.com/blog/virtual-event-statistics/) believe that audience engagement contributes in a big way to the success of a virtual event.

7.  **Social media engagement:** Social media engagement comprises all the likes, comments, and shares you receive on event-related posts across all social media platforms. An increase in the number of followers and subscribers on your social media handles after an event announcement is an indicator that you have successfully managed to create brand awareness. 

8.  **Online search results and traffic:** Increased search rate and more people visiting your website in the days following your virtual event is a clear indicator of its success.

9.  **Response to surveys post-event**: Essentially includes surveys around the audio & video quality, streaming quality, technical glitches, etc. [38% of marketing professionals](https://www.markletic.com/blog/virtual-event-statistics/) experience technical glitches when hosting virtual events. Poor audio and video quality is a major turn-off for most attendees.

10. \*\*Net promoter score (NPS): \*\*NPS is a critical KPI and is the most easily quantifiable way to measure the success of your event. Questions should be framed in a manner such that respondents can rate various parameters on a scale of 1-10. This helps to better quantify and track results from event to event.

11. \*\*A number of genuine leads generated: \*\*If a virtual event was organized with an intent to generate leads for your sales team, then the number of leads generated is definitely a KPI of success. It also a good idea to study the geographical breakdown of participants and generated leads.

12. \*\*Revenue generation: \*\*One of the primary reasons for any organizer to plan for an event is revenue generation. The revenue generated can be calculated on the basis of ticket sales, sponsorships, and funds collected. Many online event platforms calculate and set their price on the basis of headcounts at an event i.e. per attendee basis.

## **Key takeaways**

Technology is fast changing the way we live, collaborate, work and engage. What started as a response mechanism to a global pandemic is here to stay as the benefits are way too many. However, anything that is new for us needs to be monitored to ascertain how sustainable it is.

KPI’s are therefore important and an effective tool to gauge the success of virtual events. There are several KPIs to determine the success of an event. However, a lot will depend on the purpose for which an event is organized. Whatever KPI you choose, it must give you actionable insights to help you plan and conduct your next event better than the last.

 As they say in the event industry, “you are only as good as your last event.” 


Key Event KPIs to Measure the Success of your Virtual Event

![](/images/Modern%20Gradient%20Purple%20Digital%20Creative%20&%20Technology%20Business%20Event%20Zoom%20Virtual%20Background.png)

The success of a business is reflected by their sales. More customers mean better sales. Hence, the main function of any business is to target potential users and convert them into customers. This function is also known as lead generation. It is a core marketing activity for any business- big or small. In simple terms, lead generation can be defined as finding people who are most likely to become a customer for your business. The business would then target this particular individual. The aim is to generate interest in their minds. This involves investing resources to try and convert them into actual sales.

There are various tools used for lead generation. These can be digital or non-digital in nature. Some examples of traditional methods include phone calls, direct mails and door-to-door marketing. Although today, digital tools are preferred. This is due to three main reasons. Firstly, there are a plethora of digital options available. Secondly, the cost per acquisition is lower. Finally, there is much more precision in targeting when it comes to digital tools for lead generation. Some examples include: Social media, emails and content marketing. Although it was considered a traditional tool, events are very important in the lead gen arsenal.

The digital world has opened up many opportunities for businesses across the globe. The virtual world helps them increase their reach. At the same time, it removes many restrictions. There has always been a geographical barrier between brands and a diverse group of people. This no longer exists with virtual events. Events are now considered as a digital tool for lead gen rather than a traditional one.

In 2020, when the pandemic hit, companies had to modify their standard rules of business. Mainly this meant adapting to an almost completely online model. This included Virtual events. Today, virtual events are being used by companies- big and small. They have become a very important tool of communication. Webinars, Conferences, Interviews, Internal Employee team building games and External client meetings. These are just the tip of the ice-berg when it comes to the various types of virtual events that businesses can host.

There is one main reason why virtual events have become so popular for all types of businesses. This is because of their incomparable ability for multiplying lead generation. Virtual events usually cover topics which are related to the business or the products they sell. This automatically means that the attendees are already interested in the same. Hence making them more likely to be the end consumer of your products. For example – Let us assume a tech company was hosting an event. The topic is the latest features of their newest phone model. The people who choose to attend are most likely those who want to purchase this new phone.

## How can Virtual Events Increase lead generation (and thus, sales)

Let us compare the lead generation capacities of in-person events and virtual events. We can most definitely conclude that the latter has a much higher capability for the same as compared to the former. In fact, virtual events, if successful, can generate substantially greater results.

Wondering how and why this is so?
Here are some points that explain why Virtual events increase lead generation.

### 1. Widens your reach exponentially

Reach your ideal audience situated thousands of miles away with virtual events. This is because you are eliminating the need to travel to a physical space. You can reach the ideal audience situated anywhere in the world. An event held in California, US cannot be attended by a resident of Mumbai, India without spending on travel. But, when it comes to virtual events, any person from any corner of the world can attend. The only thing one needs is a link and an internet connection.

Another aspect which restricts the number of people at an event, is the venue. There is always a limit to the number of people that can fit in a conference hall or an auditorium. When it comes to online events, these physical restrictions no longer exist. Thus a larger number of people can attend. On virtual event platforms such as MaxiEvents, up to 1 million attendees can join an event. When the audience at an event is larger, there is a higher probability of finding appropriate leads which may be converted to actual sales.

### 2. Provides greater opportunities for branding and marketing

Branding and marketing are also a very important aspect of lead generation. In fact, businesses spend millions of dollars on their marketing budget every year. There is an increasing importance of the inter-web. Thus, digital marketing has come to be of utmost importance and a major area of investment.

Virtual events provide several opportunities for branding and marketing. For example – banner ads on the registration website, video ads between sessions, fillers during the breaks and much more. Along with this, some platforms such as MaxiEvents even allow brands to set up Exhibitor booths. These equip attendees to view and get a better idea about the brand and its products.

### 3. Collects precise data and analytics for effectively studying the consumer base

We live in a generation, where everything is data-driven, especially marketing. For any marketeer to be successful, consumer research is very important. You must understand the consumer base better, their likes and dislikes. Most importantly, how to convert them into sales.

Virtual events allow the organisers to collect detailed data from the attendees. They can integrate question polls in the middle of the session, monitor the drop-off rates during the event, see which parts had the highest interaction and so on. All of this will help them to generate a greater number and more precise leads.

### 4. Creates digital assets for the long-term use in lead-generation activities

Unlike most in-person events, the benefits of a virtual event do not just end when the event ends. Since it is held on an online medium, all the material can be recorded easily. This can further be repurposed and reused for long term marketing activities.

For example, the best bits from the sessions can be turned into byte sized videos. These can be re-shared on social media platforms. Further, they can be promoted to generate more leads.

## In Conclusion

The aforementioned points make it clear that virtual events can help elevate your lead generation. That too, by a great deal. But to do so, it must be skillfully conducted. To organise a successful virtual event, one must choose the right virtual event platform such as MaxiEvents. This virtual event platform has all the right features. It will thus help your event have a positive impact on your business. This is your chance to expand your customer base and grow your business.


Blog

Virtual events : One of the best B2B marketing strategies ?

Key Event KPIs to Measure the Success of your Virtual Event

Exponentially Increase Lead Generation through Virtual Events in 2022

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