Micro Events and Why They Should be Part of Your Event Strategy
Planning and hosting events for your business is a great way to spread the word about the products and services you offer, while simultaneously providing you with a chance to network and expand your overall reach.
However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, many event managers and business owners alike have transitioned to using not only traditional events but also micro-events. Integrating micro-events into your marketing strategy can significantly help you expand your reach while streamlining your marketing campaigns altogether.
What are Micro Events?
Micro-events are typically smaller events for businesses and brands that may either be entirely virtual and online or a hybrid event, with both local and online attendees. Hosting micro-events can help with maximizing attendance and reach, especially if you are attempting to spread the word about your business or brand online.
Hybrid events provide the best of both worlds and can allow those who want to attend in-person to do so, while still providing a safe and virtual alternative for others.
Popular micro-event examples include:
- Webinars
- Podcasts
- Local skill workshops
- Product/service launches
- Community club events
- Seminars
- Ceremonies
- Social media events
- Q&As/panels
- Guest speakers
- Tastings/happy hour
- Virtual events
Benefits of Hosting Micro Events
Choosing to host micro-events can help you hone in on particular groups of professionals or even specific demographics of potential customers and clients you intend to reach.
When you host micro-events, you can do so by limiting the number of attendees, providing you with more opportunities to connect with each individual who attends, which can cause a much richer and more fulfilling experience. There are many notable benefits of hosting micro-events that can help you reach and engage as many potential attendees as possible, both online and off.
Creating a Sense of Community
Micro-events are optimal for those who are interested in hosting corporate events that are a bit more personal than standard conferences or networking events. A micro-event online or even locally can provide you with the ability to segment audiences and attendees, providing you with more one-on-one time with each individual who attends or logs in. When attendees feel heard and listened to, they will be much more likely to attend events again in the future, while also referring your business and events to others.
Health and Safety
Since the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic, more businesses than ever are transitioning workers to work from home or remotely, while also implementing new methods of meeting and gathering. One of the best ways for many business owners to streamline their operations while also maintaining motivation and morale is to host micro-events, especially if they are readily available for those working remotely or for those who prefer to attend events virtually for safety and health reasons.
Planning micro-events that are virtual or even hybrid events makes it much easier to adhere to any pandemic restrictions or limitations that may be in effect where you live, especially for wearing masks and social distancing. With virtual and hybrid events, you can provide attendees with the opportunity to attend an event however they prefer, even if they choose to do so in luxury from home.
Online Platforms
With virtual micro-events, you can host your gathering(s) using a wide range of tools and online platforms. Hosting micro-events using online platforms provides an opportunity to create multiple rooms, limit the number of attendees to one session, and ensure complete and total creative control over what is presented and shown.
Using an online platform to host micro-events is also ideal if you are interested in tracking and monitoring metrics in real-time regarding the number of views, participants, and attendees you receive. You can also use digital metrics with online virtual platforms to also track users in real-time to determine which micro-event that you are currently hosting is the best performing of them all.
Decreaes in cost
If you are budget-conscious and always looking for ways to cut costs for your business, you can easily do so by choosing to host micro-events, especially if you go the route of digital seminars, webinars, podcasts, and even live chats. Hosting in-person meetings or networking conferences can quickly add up, especially when you consider the following costs that are typically associated with a larger corporate event:
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Venue reservations
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Audio/video equipment
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Internet/electricity connections
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Staff/volunteers
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Food/beverages
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Licensing/permits
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Badges/tickets
By opting for micro-events that are accessible online, you can significantly reduce the overhead you are taking on whenever you plan an event for your business.
Improving the Quality of Your Events
While hosting a massive in-person networking conference may sound appealing at first, it can quickly become stressful, and overwhelming, especially if you are working on a strict budget. Hosting multiple micro-events can help you to ensure quality over quantity, as most micro-events are also much more personal than traditional corporate gatherings.
Tips for Hosting Micro Events
Once you have decided to go forward with hosting a micro-event of your own, there are a few tips to keep in mind to help you streamline the planning process, such as:
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Create a personalized experience: Using micro-events to offer an intimate and personalized experience can go a long way with both new and loyal attendees. An intimate experience provides more time to spend on each one of your attendees, which can drastically increase the overall satisfaction they experience each time they choose to attend one of your virtual or hybrid events.
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Use gathered data for future target marketing: With each micro-event you host, you can gather analytics and data in real-time from your guests and attendees. You can use the data you collect from each individual micro-event you host for future target marketing and event-planning purposes. The more you know about your attendees and the type of content or topics they are interested in, the easier it will be to develop webinars, workshops, and online podcasts that resonate with the audience you intend to reach.
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Provide safety features/incentives: If you want to encourage individuals to attend your micro-event, you can do so by promoting safety features you are adhering to and abiding by for those who may have health and safety concerns. Micro-events are much safer than traditional networking events, especially when and if they are hosted online and in a virtual setting.
Understanding the ins and outs of hosting micro-events can come in handy whether you are building a brand from the ground up or attempting to scale and grow an existing business. By hosting micro-events, you can expand and maximize your reach, boost your online visibility, and create a positive and professional reputation for your brand in any market or industry today.
