Greetings friends!
My goodness things have been busy. Lots of production … training videos, consulting work, but most projects have been hybrid events. In case you missed it, everyone is moving towards the hybrid model: holding an in-person event, but incorporating virtual audience as well. It’s incredible and I am so very happy to be a part of the revolution.
What’s ironic is, everyone in my industry has been recommending this to clients for years, but it took a pandemic to open people up to the possibility. For the most part, many organizations have seen the benefits of having an online component to all their events; increased attendance, higher engagement, and even the opportunity for people to view later or again at their convenience.
News flash, this isn’t ever going to change. We have all been moving towards ‘time-shifting’ our viewing habits for quite some time, but now we’ve all adopted this philosophy and we are never, ever going back. But don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing, it’s the exact opposite. This allows for people to juggle many things and still be a part of things they couldn’t before. We are all busy. One of the things my wife and I discuss most frequently is that we feel we work harder remotely than we did on-site. One of the benefits we’ve enjoyed is being able to engage or participate in virtual events at our convenience. We’ve participated in more events virtually than we ever would have in-person. And we aren’t alone. If you track viewing statistics, you might see 15-20 people viewing ‘live’ during your event but check it a week later and it’s easily doubled or tripled.
One arena I’ve worked very close to is with churches. I produced our worship services for 56 straight weeks, pre-recording and posting on Saturday afternoons. Initially, we would have 50-60 views in a single day, with further viewings through the week. As time wore on, we noticed the first day maybe that 15-20 number, but by the end of the week, we’d be close to 100 views. What that showed us was:
1. People are viewing at their convenience.
2. People are viewing more than once.
3. Our audience is growing!
Now that we are back in-person, we are incorporating a livestream at the same time as in-person. Guess what? 5-10 online viewers during the live event. End of week, 50-60 views. Notice a trend?
How does this impact you? Well, for starters, by incorporating a hybrid model, you open to a larger audience. People from out of state, parents who can’t find sitters, out of town for work, you name the reason, they can still participate even not physically there. BUT, the even bigger element is this allows you to market your mission or effort with a video for a longer period than just that 1-time event. You have something to advertise your fundraiser, your organization, and a resource for advocates of your group to show people in the community.
As we begin to move forward after this pandemic, I encourage you to avoid going back to the ‘way it was before.’ Take this knowledge and experience, the new approach to engage with your audience and move it forward.
I’ve learned so much about the hybrid model this year, and I’ve been providing a lot of consulting work on the subject. I’d love the opportunity to help your organization move forward into our new normal.
I try to end every post with a movie quote, here’s todays:
“How many times do I have to teach you: just because something works doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.” - Black Panther