The new year beckons and nonprofits watch marketing trends to step up their presence and marketing game.  Keeping abreast of changes while creating a marketing plan is crucial to achieving desired results.

We’ve collected a list of nonprofit marketing trends that nonprofits must watch for and plan around next year, marketing goal setting, strategies, and tools to help you have a successful year. Are you excited to move into 2022? Let’s go!

Trends:

Event management and fundraising platforms

Technology stays at the forefront of nonprofit management, marketing, fundraising, and events. A platform like iConnectX assists with:

• Auction and event ticketing
• Secure checkout and payments
• Easy to use administrative pages
• Customizable event and campaign webpages
• Virtual event capabilities

The platform you chose should make commitment requirements, payment processing and subscription fees clear upfront

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI’s presence in nonprofits will expand with a shift toward automation, primarily focused on routine administrative tasks and customer service – think chatbots.

Digital Marketing

A well-planned digital strategy is a key to achieving goals. An online presence is required to reach the maximum amount of people in the shortest amount of time. According to Statista, over 223 million Americans – that’s more than 70 percent of the U.S. population — held a social media account in 2020. The number of social media users is expected to increase to 243 million by 2025.  Video fundraising and marketing on the web are also essential considerations in digital marketing, which leads us to look at them independently.

Video Marketing

Video marketing is flourishing in 2021 and will continue to grow next year. Video is an integral part of any digital marketing strategy, nonprofits included. It is a primary channel for many nonprofits to achieve outreach and fundraising goals, and video often garners more engagements and donations than any other social media content. You can find free and inexpensive tools to help create compelling and shareable videos.

 Mobile Applications

Mobile-friendly marketing, apps and mobile donating improve access by allowing supporters and sponsors to contribute and access information quickly. Considering that the number of smartphone users in the U.S. is expected to reach over 271 million people, this is a trend that will grow.

If your nonprofit is on the fence about mobile giving, take a look at this data from the fundraising statistics firm, Double the Donation:

• Online donation pages had an average conversion rate of 8% on mobile devices last year, but the number of transactions completed through mobile devices increased by 50%.
• The number of donations completed through desktop browsers decreased by 10%.
• Half of all nonprofit website traffic last year came from mobile and tablet users. The share of desktop-based traffic decreased by 9% over the previous year.
• The average gift by mobile users is $79, while tablet users give $96, and desktop users give $118.

Monthly Donations

Recurring donations provide a consistent revenue stream, make budgeting and planning a little more flexible, and builds long-term relationships with donors that may lead to planned gifts. According to a 2020 M+R Benchmarks study, monthly giving amounts to “about 17 percent of all online revenue in one calendar year.”

Crypto Giving

The total number of cryptocurrency users is impossible to define, but estimates range from 120 to 220 people worldwide.  The Giving Block, a provider of a nonprofit cryptocurrency ecosystem, projects $1 billion in crypto donations will be processed in 2022.

Hybrid Events

Online and virtual events will continue to grow in the coming years. Remote working tools like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and other platforms that allow attendees to participate virtually took hold during the global pandemic and will never leave. Nonprofits discovered the potential donor reach and cost benefits of online events; a hybrid event allows attendees to participate in-person or online. Creating a hybrid event makes it affordable, flexible, agile, and reaches more supporters and broader audiences. iConnectX is a platform that provides nonprofits with all the tools needed for an online, hybrid, or in-person event, including ticketing, landing pages, auctions, and more.

Establish Your Goals

There are two types of goals to establish for every period: long-term and short-term. The objectives define the roadmap your strategies need for direction. Consider the time-testing goal setting method, SMART objectives:

• (S) Smart
• (M) Measurable
• (A) Achievable
• (R) Realistic
• (T) Timely

All stakeholders should be clear as to the following:

• What your nonprofit expects to achieve and the timeline
• Who is responsible for what goal
• How the goals relate to your nonprofit’s vision
• Budgets

Tactics

Let’s circle back to digital marketing and outline ways to boost online presence.

Website Design

A helpful and well-designed website makes a solid first impression in the nonprofit world. User-friendly navigation and intuitive design are critical to maintaining an online presence. Optimize your pages for maximum load speeds, mobile-friendly, and accessible to everyone. Optimization includes SEO, content creation, graphic design, and user experience.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

We mentioned this as a part of website design. SEO is a set of practices designed to improve the appearance and positioning of web pages in organic (user-generated) search results. Because organic search is the most prominent way for people to discover and access online content, a good SEO strategy is essential for improving the quality and quantity of traffic to your website. Publishing high-quality and relevant content ensures users will stay on your site for longer times and increase engagement.

Social Media Marketing

We mentioned this above in trends. Social media marketing is more than getting “likes.” Yes, likes are a key performance indicator, yet there are more pieces to the puzzle than that.

Social platforms and social listening tools help organizations succeed. Social sites and apps let users create, share and network quickly and inexpensively. Social media allows an organization to tell its story, engage with supporters, get and retain attention, increase awareness, and fundraise. Your organization should integrate a social strategy with your nonprofit’s goals and the target audience.

Designate specific staff, interns or volunteers to keep up with social media and interact with your audience – frequent posts and interactions boost visibility and community engagement. With creativity and a little humor, you can create a dialogue with supporters that help them feel like part of your cause rather than like a cash machine.

Email Marketing

We suggest continuing to use email marketing. It’s still relevant, and it is a highly effective fundraising tool. Many donors prefer to receive emails over postal mail, and these emails can inspire donors to give again. Email marketing is a cost-effective, proven strategy that builds relationships with supporters and helps convert one-time donors into recurring donors. A platform like iConnectX can help you connect the dots between promotion, campaign, emails, and your donor database.

Data Analysis Tools

Nonprofits are like any other business in that they actively use data and analytics tools. Analytics help nonprofits streamline their operations, enhance donations, effectively utilize resources, and optimize outreach.

Next Steps

Of course, the key to leveraging marketing trends is a solid marketing foundation — dial-in on your organization’s personality to find its voice. Telling your organization’s story in its unique voice creates a distinct presence that will shine through and resonate with your audience.

The last year and a half demonstrated we all need to remain flexible. Flexibility is a great strategy – agile organizations can navigate challenging times and adapt to changing circumstances. All of this allows an organization to stay stable in the long run.

iConnectX is a tool your organization can leverage to stay on top of goals with features like:

• Auctions – hybrid, in-person and virtual. iConnectX auction management includes ticketing, online bidding and secure payments
• AI – iConnectX offers a text-to-give donation feature that’s easy to use and convenient for donors
• A custom event or campaign landing page with a unique URL
• Event invitation, guest list and donor messaging capabilities

Reach out to iConnectX today and let us show you how to make the most of your events and fundraising efforts!

As the year ends, it’s time to level-set, review successes and analyze our challenges. It’s also the end of the year, which means it’s giving season for nonprofits. Charities are pushing for end-of-year donations as many supporters feel particularly generous during the holidays – and look for yearly tax breaks.

The pandemic gained traction in many places and that means nonprofits will continue to find creative ways to engage with donors and host events. One thing we know for sure is that virtual events are here to stay. What else is in store for

The nonprofit sector has adapted quite well to the pandemic situation in the past two years implementing changes like virtual events, non-contact payment options, etc.

Here’s an overview of the Top Fundraising Trends for 2022:

1. Virtual Events are Here to Stay

In 2020, many nonprofits started utilizing virtual and digital fundraising. From online auctions to peer-to-peer fundraising, online strategies dominate. Nonprofits have found these fundraising strategies effective, as have donors. Online and virtual fundraising is no longer a novel concept – it’s the norm – and supporters expect it.

2. Online Donations

COVID protocol insists on minimizing contact. Therefore, offering non-contact payment options to donors is mandatory. Non-contact payment is safe and easy way for nonprofit supporters to engage with their cause of choice.

Some of the popular methods for non-contact payment are:

Scan to Give:

In scan-to-give, a nonprofit provides a QR code for donors. This is a fats, simple and secure way to donate since software donation tools employ multiple levels of security.

Text to Give:

Text to give is another effective donation option. In this method, the donor messages a keyword to a short code number. The donation amount is then tacked on to the donor’s monthly mobile phone bill, with the service provider donating to the nonprofit. This popular donation method works well for donors since they do not need to create any new online accounts with their nonprofit of choice.

Text to Donate:

Like text to give, the donor sends a keyword to a short code. Then, the supporter is directed to an online donation to complete the donation.

Cashless Donations:

Cashless donation options like using credit cards and debit cards are far from new, and they’re not going anywhere. Credit cards offer a safe and secure mode of transfer and are suited for recurring donations.

Blockchain:

A convenient contactless method of donating to charities, blockchain facilitates global and secure payments easily. A benefit of a blockchain payment is that the donors do not incur any currency exchange fees when donating internationally. Blockchain technology processes data safely and mitigates fraud.

Cryptocurrency:

Charities can boost donations by accepting payments in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Stellar. People like using cryptocurrencies because they are easily transferable; however, they do incur securities and can be overly complex compared to other modes of cashless donations.

3. Social Media Promotions are Necessary

As per Statista 2020, there are currently 3.78 billion daily social media. This amounts to 48% of the total world population and the number of users increases daily. It is critical for nonprofits to leverage the power of social media marketing in order to reach the largest potential audience.

When employing social media marketing, it’s important to pinpoint the social channels used by your  target audience. Social media channels offer users access to statistics like reach, link click, likes, and shares.

Social media campaigns tailored to the target audience and their social media use allow advertisers to reach the right audience at the right time, making it an effective way to reach a wide audience for fundraisers.

Social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn allow nonprofits to communicate their key messages to supporters (and potential supporters). Creative and strategic brand storytelling on social media helps organizations hit their supporter’s “sweet spot” by addressing their issues and they outcomes donors seek from charitable organizations.

4. Don’t Miss out on Email Marketing

Today’s customers demand personalized attention. Email Marketing is the best digital marketing strategy to provide a personalized experience to your donors. Build a rapport with your audience with regular emails. Make sure that you acknowledge the donations made and send regular emails in the form of newsletters, etc. to keep your subscribers. Inform your subscribers of any fundraising event you plan to host. You can encourage them to be a part of your fundraiser through peer-to-peer fundraising, etc.

5. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will Make its Presence in the Realms of Nonprofits

Automation is making headway in various sectors to take over routine tasks and offer more time to employees for creative activities. Automation will provide several benefits in the nonprofit sector as well. Nonprofit organizations will have more time for activities other than mundane everyday tasks. This will offer them time for innovative thinking to create more engaging events, etc.

COVID 19 pandemic has created a shortage of staff in various sectors. The nonprofit sector is also experiencing issues with the workforce in terms of shortage of volunteers and others. AI is an inexpensive way of minimizing labor-intensive tasks. Automation works seamlessly to help nonprofits to achieve their goals.

2022 will see more nonprofits using AI to boost their efforts.

6. Fundraising Platforms

Any digital fundraisers or contactless giving may be hosted using a fundraising platform. These platforms help in organizing virtual events, facilitating different payment modes, organizing social media marketing campaigns, email marketing campaigns, and more.

Each platform has its unique set of features to facilitate organizing various types of events, etc. These platforms are available at different prices.

Make sure to check the features of the platform and select the one that is best suited for nonprofit functions.

iConnectx is a platform that includes all the features required to host any type of fundraising event. It also facilitates secure and quick payment options. iConnectx also includes features for effective marketing campaigns for nonprofits.

iConnectx will take your nonprofit’s fundraising seamlessly to 2022!

2020 and 2021 have been turbulent years for people across the globe. The pandemic has taken its toll on businesses and economies worldwide. The non-profit sector also felt the heat of the disturbing times. Fundraising strategies for nonprofits needed to be changed. Virtual events replaced in-person events. And, nonprofits were forced to take a digital route as far as fundraising was concerned.

Responsive website designs, online donations, mobile giving, were some methods that became popular for donating to charities. Different fundraising strategies adopted by nonprofits bore mixed results.

Here’s a look at some of them:

The FEP released its findings for the trend in Giving in 2020 and 2021. (Source: https://www.thenonprofittimes.com/donors/study-first-quarter-2021-fundraising-beat-2020/)

According to their report:

• Giving in the first quarter of 2021 grew over that in 2020 by 6%.
• The number of donors in the first quarter of 2021 grew by 10% over 2020 and the donor retention rate grew by 13.6% in the same period.
• However, it is important to note that not all nonprofits experienced this increase in the number of donors, or the funds raised. The funds raised by charities associated with religious organizations and Human Services experienced an increase while most other charities were not so fortunate.

We do not know exactly how long the pandemic will last or how much it is going to impact the nonprofit sector. But nonprofits can leverage these insights to plan their fundraising for the future.

Now, when 2022 is just around the corner, it is time that nonprofits pulled up their socks and planned their fundraising for the coming year!

Looking at the current scenario, virtual fundraising seems to be an effective means in the near future!

Here are 8 Powerful Virtual Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits:

1. Online Donations

Facilitating online donations for donors is no longer a choice but a must for nonprofits. Data reveals that online donations increased by 23% last year over 15% off the previous year. (Source: https://doublethedonation.com/tips/matching-grant-resources/nonprofit-fundraising-statistics/) Hence nonprofits must ensure that they provide easy and simple online methods for donations. Especially in the current scenario when it is difficult for donors to visit specific locations to donate, online donations are necessary to enable donors to contribute.

If donors can relate to a nonprofit and wish to support its cause then online donations make it easy for them to contribute to the charity from any part of the world.

Online donations can be made through the website of the nonprofit. The website should be easy to navigate and the donation page and donation button must be clear and easy to access. Online donations can also be facilitated through the social media pages of the nonprofit.

Non-profits can also offer other means of online donations to make it easy for donors to contribute.

2. Online Auctions

Charity auctions have been an extremely popular means of fundraising among donors for years. However, in-person auctions had to be stopped in 2020 because of the COVID 19 restrictions. However, many nonprofits have switched to a virtual mode of holding charity auctions. In an online auction, the bidders can view the products on which bids are to be placed online. They can place their bids anonymously. They will get an alert when a higher bid is placed. They can raise their bids as and when they desire. The time limit for the auction is indicated by the nonprofit and all bids need to be sent within the deadline specified. The winning bids are announced in a virtual event where all bidders are present.

The benefits of online auctions to nonprofits are that they cut down on several expenses such as venue costs, hosting costs, transportation costs, etc. Besides, they save on the time, effort, and manpower required for hosting the online event. Nonprofits can also reach a wide audience easily online. People across the globe can participate in an online auction.

The participants of the auction enjoy the benefit of placing the bids from the comfort of their homes at a time of their convenience.

However, hosting a successful auction requires an event management platform to facilitate it. The software available for hosting such events can be expensive. Therefore the cost of the platform must be budgeted for while organizing an online auction.

3. Virtual Events

Virtual events have become the alternative to in-person events when the pandemic has forced us all indoors. Nonprofits have created innovative virtual events to attract donors for their fundraisers.

Virtual events are facilitated through Zoom calls, webinars, Facebook Live, or Instagram Live events. In the past year, we have seen how these types of events have been successful in attracting a wide audience.

However, virtual events do not provide an opportunity for physical interaction for the audience. Therefore, it becomes challenging for nonprofits to host virtual events that engage their audience for the entire duration of the event.

Nonprofits have offered different ways of engaging their audience through break room chats, Q&As, etc.

Some of the virtual events hosted by nonprofits include online concerts, digital movie nights, virtual races, and more.

4. Text-to-Give/ Text-to-Donate

Text-to-give and text-to-donate have become extremely popular methods of donation in recent times because of the convenience they offer.

Text-to-give is a method of donating where the donor is required to message a keyword to a shortcode. The amount donated is charged in the cellphone bill of the donor and the mobile service provider remits the amount to the nonprofit.

Text-to-donate is a little different from text to give. In text-to-donate, the donor messages the keyword to a shortcode. He is directed to the registration form of the nonprofit where he furnishes his details and donates the amount directly to the nonprofit.

Text-to-give and text-to-donate are convenient for both donors and nonprofits.

5. Scan to Give

Scan to give is another method of donating using the smartphone. In this method, the nonprofit shares a QR code that the donor can scan and donate the amount to a charity. This method is popular because the donor can contribute any amount at any time of his convenience. Scanning a QR code is possible for donors even when they are on the go. It is a safe and secure method of fundraising which is also easy for nonprofits to provide to their donors.

6. Peer to Peer Fundraising

Peer-to-peer fundraising is an effective fundraising strategy for nonprofits. In peer-to-peer fundraising supporters of the nonprofit and other individuals create fundraising pages on behalf of the nonprofit. They share the page in their community, among their friends and network to ask for donations.

7. Social Media Takeover

This is an interesting and effective virtual fundraising strategy. In social media takeover, you can request your corporate partner permission to use their social media accounts for a day.

You can spread the word about your fundraiser on the social media accounts of your partner. Nonprofits can share links to their website, social media pages, their online donation forms, etc. Social media takeover helps increase the visibility of your brand and raises awareness about your cause. It helps you tap into an existing online audience and boosts your reach.

8. Online Raffle

An online raffle is when participants need to purchase raffle tickets. One lucky winner wins the raffle prize. Raffles have been an effective fundraising strategy in the past and online raffles are also effective in raising funds for a cause.

However, the nonprofit needs to clearly communicate the purpose of the fundraiser and the cause that is being supported to attract donors.

This becomes easier by choosing an event hosting platform like iConnectx which facilitates customizing the event with your brand colors and logo besides making it easy for you to tell your brand’s story to your audience.

Most of the online fundraising strategies require software to organize and host fundraisers. There is a myriad of platforms with specific features available for event management. The non-profit must select a platform that meets all its needs. It is recommended to opt for a platform that helps host different types of fundraisers.

iConnectx is a platform that has all the features that facilitate hosting different types of events and fundraisers for nonprofits. This platform is easy to use and has a team to support the installation and maintenance of the platform. This platform also offers tools for marketing and promotion besides facilitating customization with brand colors and logos.

The success of any fundraising event is gauged by the revenue generated by the event which solely depends on the number of attendees to the event. Whether it is an online event or an offline one, the number of people who attend the event determines its success. One of the chief focus areas for a fundraising event is ticket sales.

In a physical event, the nonprofit can sell tickets online or sell paper tickets to attendees through various channels. Selling tickets for virtual events is slightly different. You will need event management software that includes the ticketing feature.

Usually, nonprofits plan the event and send invites through emails, etc. to their regular donors to inform them about the event and urge them to purchase tickets for the same. Also, nonprofits create a buzz about the event through different social media channels to attract their audience for the event.

Nonprofits need to sell more tickets for the fundraising event and this is not an easy task! However, a little planning and strategic thinking can help maximize ticket sales for a fundraising event. Increasing ticket sales directly impacts the total amount of funds raised. Hence, ticket sales is an important area of focus for a fundraising event.

Here are 8 ways to sell more tickets for your nonprofit’s fundraising event:

1. Optimal Pricing of Tickets

The first step towards ticket sales is pricing your tickets right and incentivizing attendees. Make sure to price your tickets such that your attendees see value for money. Pricing tickets too high can discourage your audience and pricing it too low is likely to make your work a lot harder. Find an optimum price for the tickets to your event. This can be done by finding how other nonprofits have priced similar events. Make sure that you cover all the expenses incurred in planning the event while pricing the tickets.

2. Ticketing Tiers

Price tiers for tickets are an effective way to incentivize attendees to come to the event. Some commonly used ticketing tiers include Half-day tickets, early bird tickets, and VIP tickets. Offering discounts is also effective for boosting sales. However, for any kind of ticketing tier, the core price of the ticket must be optimal.

3. Start Selling your Tickets Early

You don’t have to wait until you mail the invitations to start selling the tickets. You can start selling the tickets even before that. You can ask your host committee to sell tickets to their network. Make sure that you set up your online ticket selling platform early so that you can make tickets available to your audience. You can also create excitement around ticket sales through early-bird discounts, etc.

4. Make it Easy to Buy Tickets

Do not have a complicated procedure for buying tickets for the event. Offer safe and secure platforms for purchasing tickets. Make it easy to buy tickets through methods like scanning QR codes for payment, etc.

5. Explain the Benefits of Attending the Event

Put yourself in the position of a potential attendee and think why would you attend the event? Prepare a promotional strategy that explains the benefits of attending the fundraising event for the attendees. You can highlight the purpose for which the funds are being raised. Explain why such causes need the support of the attendees.

You can also highlight the features of the event that will make it interesting for the attendees. For instance, you can call celebrity guests to speak at the event and advertise the name of the celebrity in the promotion. You can make the event interactive and highlight this aspect in your promotions.

You can promise attendees some surprise at the event.

6. Social Promotion

Social media has a wide reach and it is the fastest way to reach a large audience. So, create effective social media campaigns to promote your event through social media channels. You can direct the traffic to your website from where web visitors can easily buy their tickets.

7. Leverage Supporters Networks

One of the most effective ways of increasing ticket sales is leveraging the networks of your supporters. Encourage your donors, supporters, etc. to sell event tickets to their friends, colleagues, etc. This can be done before you start sending out the invitations. You can make the task easier by creating flyers or handouts about your event that your supporters can share with their network.

8. Make Sure to Follow-up

Many nonprofits stop after sending the invitations for the fundraising event! But, it is a good idea to follow up with your invitees to remind and push them to purchase the ticket. However, make sure that you are not a “pushy salesman” while reminding the invitees.

Here’s how the ticketing process for an online event works(for attendees)

• Potential attendees visit your branded ticketing page to purchase access to the date and time for the event. To gain access they will need to register and pay for the event. You can direct your audience to the branded page through social media channels, emails sent, etc.
• People who pay and buy access to the event will receive a unique code through which they can access the event.
• Attendees can enter the unique access code a few minutes before the event starts to enter the waiting room.
• When the event starts, all those in the waiting room will be able to join the event.

The entire process is streamlined through event management software. The platforms are beneficial for organizing both in-person and virtual events. There are several event management platforms available to choose from. Make sure that you evaluate the different platforms and choose the one the best meets the needs of your nonprofit.

How nonprofits can organize a Fundraising Event Using an Event Platform?

• You can host your event on YouTube, Zoom, Facebook, Vimeo, etc. The link for the event can be added to the event page.
• Those who are interested in attending the event will need to register and purchase a ticket for the event.
• You can send a code to the registered attendees through the platform.
• Registered attendees can join the live stream using the code.

Some event platforms facilitate customizing the event page with event details, the theme of the event, colors of your brand, logo, etc. You can promote your event through the event platform with email marketing, social media marketing, and more. Event platforms also provide valuable insights to track the effectiveness of promotional strategies, feedback about the event, and more!

While the needs and budget of each nonprofit vary for the selection of an event management platform, here are some common features to look for while selecting one:

• Customizable
• Easy to use
• Support for set up and maintenance
• Secure payment gateway
• Offer a seamless experience to your audience

It is recommended that you select a platform that supports different types of fundraising events so that you can organize different types of events with ease. It is beneficial to choose platforms that offer features for promotion and marketing. However, the choice of features would largely depend on your budget for the software.

One of the best event hosting platforms is iConnectx. This platform has all the features to support different types of fundraising events for nonprofits. iConnectx includes features that facilitate end-to-end event management from registration and ticket sales to tracking the success of the event.

A successful fundraiser for a non-profit means increases in overall revenue. This is only possible when donors have a good experience, and you can communicate your organization’s goals.

A successful marketing campaign lures your donors to register for the fundraising event. If your event ticketing process is simple and positive, it will leave a good impression on the donor. Event ticketing software provides a smooth experience when registering for the non-profit fundraiser.

Whether the event is online or offline, event ticket management software is a must for your organization. Here we will look into what event ticketing is and the best event ticketing software for non-profit.

What is event ticketing software?

The sale and purchase of event tickets online using desktop and mobile event ticketing systems are known as event ticketing. Digital event ticket sales should be approached with forethought, regardless of whether your fundraising event is personal, online, or hybrid.

Your online event website represents the true difference between tickets and box office sales. The online event page will probably be your company’s first and only impression when someone decides if they want to attend or not.

Event organizers provide the groundwork for donors to say YES to attend your fundraising event with ease and enthusiasm.

5 Crucial Features in Event Ticketing Platform

1] Multiple Ticket Choices

You will sell more when you provide various ticket categories for your nonprofit events. This is because individuals desire something different from your event and actively search for tickets to suit their demands. It is necessary to be able to provide “tables” tickets for various prices and advantages. Your ticket software should also make it easy to provide group tickets with special add-ons such as a free drink voucher, a free T-shirt, backstage access, etc.

2] Safe and Easy Payment Process

A secure payment gateway is the golden rule of online payment for any web service. At the same time, it should be as simple and feasible.

To do it, make sure that various payment alternatives are included for the participants. You may add, for example, VISA, Amex, Bank Transfer, PayPal, etc. to allow purchasers to choose from. This can assist you to improve conversion rates and provide you advantages such as decreased withdrawal from your check-out.

As a client, you should also keep in mind the terms & conditions of having these payment gateways on the portal. Before you start utilizing a ticketing platform, always reading the fine print to make sure you are happy with the fees and payout schedules affecting your cost and income. Ideally, you want to collaborate with a ticketing company that charges a flat fee without hidden expenses per ticket.

Determine how often your money is transferred to you on the ticketing site. You must get as soon as possible the money you make from ticket sales, but many platforms have high payment limits and time limits.

 3] Integrated Marketing Tools

To increase the response rate, ticketing platforms should interact with other advertising and marketing apps. For example, your ticketing software should link with Facebook and Google AdWords so that you can track visitor behavior on your ticket sales page and retarget them with Facebook and Google advertisements. You can also automatically generate custom audiences and lookalike audiences from those who visit your sales tickets page by using the data from Facebook integration.

The ticket administration and promotional tools that can enable the platform to work with automated tools are of significant advantage for you.

4] Compatible with all Devices

The necessity of the hour is a mobile site. Whether it’s purchasing tickets via social media or planning the event jointly – today’s digital customers rely on their smartphones more. Therefore, the event booking site must be equipment-agnostic compatible with cross-browser. Meaning the participants should be able to book their tickets with a laptop, desktop, or portable device. Your event booking software should thus make sure it is compatible with all devices.

5] Quick Support System

When people buy tickets, what if individuals have issues or problems? What about your account configuration, ticket sales page design and integration, and event promotion? What if you have questions regarding your account? Does the ticketing software provide the assistance you need for your event? Make sure it does.

Importantly, ensure that the ticketing software provides help when and how you need it. Choose a platform that provides email and phone assistance seven days a week since you never know when you or your ticket purchasers may run into an issue or have a query.

Best Event Ticketing Software

1] iConnectx

iConnectX is a good alternative for people who desire not too expensive event software, however, it has all the capabilities needed to best advertise events and sell tickets. The platform is nicely built and is excellent for companies that desire considerable expansion and scalability. From online auction to seamless ticket administration, the firm can offer solutions. You may utilize the tools on their website to include your event list, encourage your events with links to your Facebook page, and sell tickets.

iConnectX is inexpensive to all nonprofits enterprises and is suitable for all sorts, sizes, and complexities of events.

2] Eventbrite

The purpose of Eventbrite is clear: connect live experiences with the world. They have the means to sell more tickets and know what is happening in the event business.

Eventbrite is an excellent choice to explore if you want something straightforward to use. There is, however, little opportunity for templates to be customized. One reviewer says that if you want to have complete control of the design, you cannot “remove” branding from Eventbrite.

3] CVent

Cvent is commonly regarded as one of the finest choices for event planners who want to sell and purchase. Cvent is software for important events and programs throughout the world that has been included. The program is complete, beautifully designed, and unbelievably easy to use. Whatever sort of event you conceive of, Cvent can help you obtain what you need. The program gives anyone who wishes to test it themselves a free demo.

4] Tix.com

Tix.com is a great alternative for anyone who seeks free and easy-to-use software. Software programs often charge you for the privilege that accomplishes the same job. Tix.com is a fantastic alternative for people who don’t want to pay, so you can easily put up your ticket page. The program is recognized for its particular guest commitment function, which makes it possible for event organizers to connect to the participants of the event.

5] Ticketbud

Ticketbud is ideal for people who want software that gives them full control of all aspects in the process of event management and the sale of tickets. It is a wonderful way to aid people holding large events and who have no restrictions on the type of sales they wish to perform. The program also provides daily payments, so event organizers get paid more quickly than most other ticketing sites.

6] Accelevents

Accelevents is a low-cost software package for people who wish to build a ticketing platform. It is renowned to offer a broad variety of features and possibilities.

Regardless of what type of fundraiser you wish to hold, Accelevents offers lots of assistance to event organizers. It is recognized to be equipped with numerous integrated tools that may help event organizers do fund-raising, silent auctions, contributions, and other initiatives.

Conclusion

When it comes to organizing an event, you have to understand that it follows the principle of being judged by the book. Don’t jeopardize it by utilizing a ticket application with no proper functionality. Look instead for a platform that provides several types of tickets, integrated advertising and marketing, built-in advertising tools, payment processing, and support. In this sense, event ticketing serves as your cover since it provides the initial impressions of your event and leverages all subsequent interactions. If the event registration profile you use coincides with the features you require, you do not have to doubt the success of your event.

The first cell phone came into being just 30 years ago. Our cell phones have been able to connect to the Internet for just 15 years. And just within the past 2 years, mobile giving has passed fundraising through desktop – we are online on our phones more than we are on our computers. That is a lot of technological change in a very short amount of time. Of course, nonprofits must adapt to keep up. If you didn’t grow up around technology like the millennial generation, how can you adopt the latest technology trends to help nonprofit organizations more efficiently?

Online fundraising accumulates millions of dollars every year using various online fundraising methods like online donations, ticketed events, text giving, or mobile giving.

To make the donation process easy for you, here are some features and methods of the iConnectX online donation process. iConnectX tool is easy for donors to use for all levels of nonprofit fundraising. There are several fundraising sites available for both individuals and nonprofits. iConnectX has made it possible for both.

iConnectX’s user-friendly platform enables anyone to set up a fundraising page to raise funds for the cause you are passionate about.

iConnectX has set itself as a platform for nonprofit fundraising to help nonprofits reach their goals.

Support Your Cause

Promote donations from your advocacy site in iConnectX, your fundraisers and events. Any collected monies are sent to your nonprofit weekly.

Increase Your Donations

Solicit donations on your advocacy page within iConnectX, also on your fundraisers and in your event pages. We make it easy by integrating the payment form from a single click button. Payments are sent to your nonprofit directly.

Fundraising Tool to Watch

iConnectX has features a new set of online fundraising tools that are timely and relevant for the year to come. This year’s tools tap into fundraising trends that have emerged because of the COVID19 pandemic, from text giving or mobile giving to virtual events to online donations for nonprofits.

In this guide, we will deep dive to understand the online donations process, new fundraising trends and more. Nonprofits are not immune to the new changes and COVID19 has forced many nonprofits cancel their fundraising events resulting loss of revenue to support the cause.

Turning one-time donors into recurring donors remains one of the major challenges for nonprofits. The benefits of recurring donations are obvious – more funds and the ability to plan more events and programs. Due to the cancelation of nonprofit events, nonprofits losing the funds.

iConnectX, a fundraising tool for nonprofits, offering a platform for millions of 501c charities to create virtual events, online auctions, ticketed events, online donations for charities and more. In this guide, we will deep dive to understand the iConnectX’s Online Donation process.

How to Accept Donations Online

• Select the nonprofits based on City or Industry to make online donation
• Go to the nonprofit page and click on Donate button
• Choose the option to donate with or without registering on iConnectX
• Enter the amount to donate and other details
• Save your details for future recurring donations
• Receive the receipt on your registered mail for your donation

What Are the Best Nonprofits to Make Donations?

Once if you have decided that you want to support a cause based on your interest. The next process is to find the best nonprofits based on industry or city that will use your fund to make impact on the community. If you are making donations then it should not be hard, iConnectX have brought you more than best charities to donate to and 1.5 million non-boarded charities to donate to on our platform. Whether you are looking for charities supporting coronavirus programs or charities doing educational work – iConnectX has listed nonprofit for every cause. Find the list of best charities to donate to.

Charity events like auctions, 5km runs, etc. were the mainstay of nonprofit fundraising till the end of 2019. In 2020, when the COVID 19 pandemic struck, nonprofits were left stranded!

How to organize fundraising events? How to connect with donors? How to raise brand awareness?

These were some of the questions that cropped up and needed to be addressed. While the nonprofits were struggling with these aspects, people in general and businesses had other issues to face! The economic downturn, health and safety issues were just the tip of the iceberg.

People across the globe were struggling with health issues, financial losses, loss of jobs, new norms of living, etc. In this tumultuous scenario, it is heartening to observe that the attitude of “giving” among people continued.

This implied that the onus was now on the nonprofits to connect with those who were willing to donate. And, this is where several nonprofits struggled initially!

Unfortunately due to the challenging circumstances, several nonprofits were forced to close down. However, some nonprofits adapted better to the changes and planned effective strategies to cope with the situation.

As we progress into 2021 several nonprofits have now learned to thrive in the new normal. One of the main takeaways from 2020 was that fundraising events are going to be virtual until the situation improves.

Virtual events have certain drawbacks. For instance, there is no physical interaction between participants, nonprofit organizations and participants need to familiarize themselves with technology, online fundraising strategies will have to be planned, etc.

However, looking on the brighter side, virtual events have a much wider reach. A nonprofit can connect with the audience from different countries. Besides, nonprofits now have an opportunity to engage a much larger audience. Also, the investment for engaging the audience virtually is much lower than that for a physical event.

So, if virtual is the only way, nonprofits need to think out of the box and organize creative events that can engage the audience.

Some of the most popular virtual fundraising events for nonprofits

• Online Auctions
• Virtual Galas
• Online Team Games
• Crowdfunding
• Peer-to-peer Fundraising

One of the biggest challenges virtual events face is holding the interest of the audience throughout the entire duration of the event. Event hosts need to pool in the best ideas to organize engaging events.

Some of the best online events include

• An eminent individual as a keynote speaker.
• Keep the event duration under an hour.
• Drive engagement through high-quality content that adds value to the guests.
• Organize events that offer an opportunity for the attendees to interact through polls, chats, etc.

How do you do a virtual fundraising event?

Establish Your Goal

When organizing a virtual fundraising event, you need to clearly establish your goals. Your goal could be a specific amount of funds you need to generate through the event, or if you are trying to attract new donors or retain old donors, increase your brand awareness. Having clarity of your goals will simplify the process of organizing the event.

Understanding your Audience

Once you have determined the goals of your fundraising event, you need to plan the event so that it engages the audience. Therefore, you need to understand who your audience is and what they like/dislike, what their needs are, etc. This will help you organize the event customized to their needs.

Select the Mode of Online Event

An online event means an interactive zoom meeting or webinar for most people. However, there are different modes of delivering online content in an event.

• Live Streaming: It is an online event held in real-time with active participation from the attendees. However, live streaming requires technological expertise for successful hosting. Live streams are quite popular and can be fun for the participants.
• Pre-Recorded: In this case, compelling videos are created and recorded before the actual event. This is best suited for event hosts who are not very tech-savvy.
• Streaming: This is ideal for one-time events that are available on a specific day and time.
• On-Demand: The event is available to the audience for a specific time frame. These events can be watched again and again by the interested parties.

You can choose the mode that is best suited to the type of event you are hosting.

Event Checklist:

Before hosting the event make sure that the following aspects are on track:

• Plan the event well in advance with your team. Take care of all aspects of your event such as logistics, event platform, ticketing, etc.
• Create a list of attendees and send the invitation emails to them.
• Ensure that your technology is working seamlessly at least 24 hours before the actual event.
• Make sure that your linked donation pages, chats, etc. are in order before you start the event.
• Send reminders to your guests a week, a day, and an hour before the start of the event.

With all the above aspects in order, we come to a vital question, “How do I sell my fundraiser tickets online?”

For the past few years, even before the pandemic struck, most nonprofits had started using online methods for selling tickets for events. Several event ticketing platforms are available for nonprofits to streamline the ticketing process.

Here are some best online tickets sales practices for nonprofits:

Event Page:

Your online event page is something that informs your audience about your event. Create an attractive event page with an eye-catching image or a video. Make sure that your event page is aligned with your brand and it clearly communicates all details such as the event lineup and sponsors, and other relevant information about the event. This page should provide the contact details of your organization.

The page should be easy to navigate with a clear CTA (Buy Tickets). Make sure that the event page is mobile-friendly and loads quickly on different devices.

Hassle-free Payment Process

It is recommended that you provide your guests a seamless payment process. Using automation simplifies the ticketing process. Several nonprofits are using an automated process wherein a confirmation for the payment and the tickets are emailed as soon as the payment is made. Virtual event platforms like iConnectX include such automation that simplifies the process of selling event tickets.

Ticket Pricing

Hosting virtual fundraising events is less expensive than a physical event because of the reduced overhead costs. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep the price of the tickets for your virtual event on the lower side.

Make Sure your Tickets are Ready at the Initial Stages

As soon as you conceive the event, there will be many supporters of your nonprofit who will be ready to purchase tickets. So, make sure that your tickets are ready as soon as you start planning your event.

Clear Ticket Descriptions

Clearly communicate details of your event on the ticket such as the date, timings, login, password, dress code, if any, etc. It is a good idea to communicate how the funds raised will be used. Be creative and write a concise description that covers all aspects.

Email Campaigns

Email drip campaigns are extremely effective in creating awareness about the event and driving sales.

Social Media Campaigns

Make sure that you leverage different social media channels to spread the word about the event. Create social media campaigns tailored to different platforms to create a buzz about the event.

Incentivize through Pricing

You can increase your ticket sales by offering “early bird discounts.” You can use the data on the tickets sold for creating urgency among your audience for ticket purchase. You can send messages on social media and other channels like, “X” number of tickets left! Buy before they get sold out!

A little creativity and out-of-the-box thinking can help you organize engaging fundraising events. The success of a virtual event depends to a large extent on the technology used. Several event management platforms with different features are available for hosting nonprofit events to choose from.

iConnectX is one of the best platforms for hosting nonprofit events! This platform includes all the features required for an efficient virtual event planner!

2020 has been a tough year for most businesses globally. The non-profit sector has also suffered its wrath. Fundraising was way below the expected goals. Almost 38% of nonprofits had to close down in the last year.

Fundraising post-COVID is likely to become more challenging for nonprofits for several reasons:

1. Unemployment and financial losses: COVID 19 has taken a toll on the global economy. Many businesses have had to close down, people across the globe have lost jobs, there have been massive pay cuts, etc. All these have impacted fundraising. People who were donating funds to charities before COVID are finding it difficult to do so currently. Under, the circumstances the future of fundraising does not look very bright.
2. Lack of in-person events: One of the most effective ways for non-profits to raise awareness about their brands and market them was through in-person events. Events offered an opportunity for donors, etc. to interact with the members of the non-profit and this helped build trust. Besides, hosting nonprofit events also involved contributions by sponsors. Sponsors also helped market the brand. But physical distancing and other restrictions have put a halt on events like 5km runs, etc.

The good news for nonprofits is that although monetary donations were not much, that the pandemic did not deter people from giving in kind. A report by Women’s Philanthropy Institute shows that 56% of US households indulged in charitable giving in 2020. (Source: Philanthropy)

This goes on to show that the willingness is there among the donors although they may lack the means. The onus is entirely on the nonprofits to think of ways of spreading the word about their organization, connect with donors, engage them and motivate them to donate.

Technology emerges as the ray of hope that can completely transform the nonprofit sector. Technological innovations have been around and many nonprofit organizations had been leveraging them even before COVID. But many nonprofits shied away from using technology for fundraising and other activities either because of the costs associated or because they felt it was too complicated to implement.

However, today we can safely say that the future of nonprofit fundraising will depend on how well it uses technology. In other words, technology is no longer a choice but a Must for nonprofit fundraising!

Let us delve into how technology can help a nonprofit organization

Since in-person interactions have been restricted, the only way for nonprofits to connect with their audience is virtual. Besides nonprofits need to offer online methods for donations. Also, nonprofits need to engage the tech-savvy Millennials and Gen Z donors.

These are technological tools that nonprofits require and how they can benefit from them:

Websites

Nonprofits will need a strong online presence with the help of websites that clearly communicate to the audience what the brand is about. Websites should explain the mission of the nonprofit. Websites should also include donor forms and offer the provision to donate. It is also essential that the website is mobile-friendly.

Benefit: A website helps raise awareness about your brand. It can also help you inform your visitors about any upcoming events, etc. It is easy to keep your visitors coming back to your site by refreshing the site with new content. Your website helps you establish authority in your field when you share relevant content about your niche.

Digital Marketing

The internet is full of a variety of websites. Then how do you attract your audience to your site?

Digital marketing is necessary for you to ensure that your brand stands out in the digital marketplace. Different digital marketing strategies like social media marketing, search engine optimization, email marketing, etc. are used to increase the visibility of the site.

Benefits: Digital marketing strategies help enhance the ranking of your website on search engines. When your website ranks high, it will attract more visitors. Strategies like email marketing enable you to offer a personalized marketing approach. This helps build trust and loyalty. Social media marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect with a wide audience.

Online Fundraising

Nonprofits need to ensure that they offer simple online fundraising methods to their audience. They can provide donation facilities through their website or even social channels.

Benefits: Online fundraising tools help attract more donations as donors find it easy to donate.

Virtual Event Platforms

Events are most effective to connect with the audience. Since physical events do not seem likely in the near future, virtual events are the only alternative. Virtual events have become popular during the past year.

Virtual events are hosted using software platforms. Nonprofits must familiarize themselves with different platforms and use them for hosting events.

Benefits: Virtual event platforms include a myriad of features to simplify the process of organizing events. They include online registrations, breakout rooms, feedback forms, and many more to help the hosts. Platforms like iConnectx.com are customized for hosting nonprofit events. They include all the features required to organize a successful nonprofit event.

These are some of the technological innovations and their benefits to nonprofits. Many nonprofits are a little skeptical about using technology because of the costs. However, technology cannot be ignored in the current times and even in the post-COVID times.

Nonprofits need to invest in technology because of the benefits it offers in the long run. Besides in the current pandemic situation, technology is a survival technique!

There is no denying that technology is expensive compared to the conventional techniques used. However, how much a nonprofit spends on technology is something that can be controlled. It is recommended that a nonprofit budgets its expenses and allocates fixed sums to different technological tools it uses.

The nonprofit organization can determine the blend of technological tools it requires and invest specific funds for each. You can assess the effectiveness of the technologies leveraged by analyzing the returns they provide.

It is beneficial to work within the budget so that the expenses incurred are well in control.

Summarizing

The pandemic has driven home the important point that the future is highly unpredictable! And, since we cannot control or predict the future, we need to have the ability to adapt to it. While the future of nonprofits also cannot be predicted, one thing that has become apparent is that adopting technology is a must for nonprofits. Technology offers several benefits that justify the funds invested. While the initial investment of funds, time, and efforts might seem tedious and expensive, it is worthwhile in the long run. One of the best technologies that are tailored to managing all aspects of running a nonprofit in the future is iConnectX!

Connect with iConnectX for better fundraising!

Just like the other sectors, COVID-19 has turned the nonprofit sector on its head. With around 5-10% of the US economy and 10% of the US employment dependent on nonprofit services, the pandemic has only made the country realize the power of this sector. And for good!

However, the way it has evolved during these unprecedented times is commendable. The nonprofit sector has, thus, given a path to a few trends that have made their way into 2021 and will continue to hold a firm grasp.

In this guide, we will dive deeper to understand 4 ways the nonprofit sector will evolve stronger in 2021.

1. Nonprofit Sector Will Turn Digital & Virtual

Because COVID seemed to be in no mood to leave us alone, the nonprofits eventually shifted from in-person to virtual events. While this shift was expected to be short-lived, the news is that it will continue over 2021 and beyond.

That’s precisely because digital events succeeded in blurring the geographical barriers, letting people (who otherwise wouldn’t have) participate.

Further, the lack of in-person volunteering has and will continue to make the virtual aspect of nonprofit marketing outshine the previous methodologies. This means that nonprofits will (have to) incorporate live-streaming, curate content for live events, install chat apps and promote virtual volunteerism.

This move will eradicate the largest barrier to volunteering i.e. volunteers citing busy schedules as an excuse. Volunteering from the comfort of their homes, thus, gives people their own space to bring about a difference in their own way.

Not just this, the focus will also shift a little more on digital communication, be it for meet-and-greets, fundraising, or likewise.

We might also see an evolution of virtual events. Here’s why!

Post a recent study from the Goodman Center that pointed out how 65% of the respondents raised concerns regarding videoconferences adding up to their fatigue, fear of virtual fundraising events becoming difficult cropped up alongside.

For example – For nonprofits that offer educational services, videoconferencing is not the best source.

Thus, the virtual event market is likely to experience a seachange and new tools will be introduced to support the online programs. This will enhance the experience of the attendees and donors.

2. High-Tech Technology Will Help Nonprofits Find Their Donors

Nonprofits will delve into high-tech solutions like

• Artificial Intelligence
• Blockchain for Fundraising
• Outcome Management
• Enhanced Communication

This will be done to find the right donors.

For Example Direct mails or social media conversations are the primary mode of communication for nonprofits to target their potential audience.

However, these are still too basic to make an impact. AI is expected to wave its magic wand and introduce tools like automation which will personalize the messages along with reducing the effort while increasing the impact. Cool, right?

But how can these tools be managed?

Well, it’s simple! These tools can be added through managed cloud services, thereby letting the nonprofits boost their services whenever needed.

With tools like chatbots, AI can really turn the tables in terms of conducting better and brighter campaigns/events; be it serving the community in whatever way.

Long story short, nonprofits will enhance their communication using the latest technology.

Mobile, for one, will become a hotshot in 2021; thanks to the mobile marketing techniques that are impressively improving at an exponential rate.

According to research from the Blackbaud Institute, mobile donations represented 26% of all online donations in 2019, up from just 9% in 2014.

Giving Tuesday has seen $2.47 billion in donations in 2020 which is much higher than $1.97 billion in 2019. It is interesting to note that most of these donations have been through mobile.

3. Nonprofits Will See More Partnerships, Mergers, and Joint Ventures

As every business does, even nonprofit organizations tend to grow their branches into different areas where they can expand their programs. While they have the resources to carry out the expansion of operations, they don’t really have the right knowledge to do so. A human can only know so much, after all!

Because a single entity can’t have all the specializations, taking into consideration the technological and demographic shifts, 2021 will see nonprofits forming joint ventures, mergers, and partnerships.

In other words –

• Some nonprofits will enter into strategic partnerships with other nonprofit organizations.
• Some nonprofits will form joint partnerships with for-profit organizations.
• Some nonprofits will consider mergers, either with other nonprofit or for-profit entities.

In 2021, we’ll witness nonprofits having concrete conversations regarding this with one another and also with the corporations to make a better impact.

Not just this, but many nonprofits are attuned to both private and public organizational goals and needs. This will make them create more public-private partnerships in 2021.

4. Grantmaking Will Become More Collaborative

Even before COVID-19 gave us all a blow, nonprofits were witnessing a shift in the grants process. Everybody related to this industry knows how crucial grants as resources are for nonprofits to fund and boost services that are offered to the communities.

But nobody worked towards making the grant process easier even after knowing how cumbersome it is for both the grantor and the grantee.

However, last year, we all saw how traditional grantmaking succumbed to pressure. This was because the demand for funds exponentially increased and grantors hustled to get grants out faster.

It is indeed commendable that nonprofits and Grantmakers could collectively raise their concern regarding this issue after all these years, thus coming up with a solution.

For Example: Outbound Funds Module is an open-source product that was built to help organizations disburse funds quickly and easily.

To enhance the collaboration between grantors and grantees, salesforce.org has built Grants Management as a complement to Outbound Funds. This has improved the grants experience right from the step of applying for the application to its distribution to its reporting.

Another example is The Malala Foundation. It records donor interactions through Grant Management and takes supporters on a convenient ride – right from the first step of initial conversation to the last step of donating. This not only lets them have an insight into how the donor’s journey has been but also the zeal to improve since they have the loopholes.

Thus, the relationship between grantors and grantees is likely to turn less transactional and more collaborative in 2021.

Some key changes that will be introduced are –

• Better processes
• Higher transparency
• More feedbacks

Wrapping Up

With the world adapting to the new normal after the pandemic, it is only natural that people will adapt to the changes introduced in the nonprofit sector.

Because the world demanded it, even iConnectX as a brand revamped itself and now offers all nonprofits a digital platform and the right technology to hold virtual events, raise funds, carry out auctions, and more.

The thing is one can’t really lag when there’s a shift in the needs of the community.

Nevertheless, all the trends that are bound to evolve in the nonprofit sector will only give it a push to achieve newer and better heights. Even though it might seem difficult to replace the personal touch of a call, technology will soon take over, turning automation into the new “personal.”

It’s all subjective.

In case you are struggling or ever struggle dealing with the digitalization/virtualization of nonprofits or any of the points discussed above, remember iConnectX is just a live chat/call away.

We are in the last few days of 2020. What a year it has been! While we awaited the year to bring us some of the most revolutionary technologies, the year has brought us the pandemic! However, the overall change that was expected has almost remain unchanged-in the sense that the concept of normal has been re-defined!

We have now reached a stage where the phrase “new normal” is something that we are learning to accept! The new normal has a lot to do with transitioning to a digital space where online working, online education, online shopping, virtual meetings, virtual events are now becoming a way of life!

While many of you might be familiar with the other aspects of the virtual world, the concept of “virtual events” might come as a surprise!

Wondering how an event can be held virtually?

Without any further ado let’s get into the nitty-gritty of a virtual event:

What is a virtual event?

A virtual event is one in which the attendees interact in a virtual space instead of a physical location. It is held through webinars and webcasts. These events offer the look and feel of a physical event.

A traditional event is hosted at a specific venue. All attendees arrive at the venue at a fixed time and they have discussions in a physical space. On the other hand, in the case of a virtual event, the interaction is in a virtual space.

Although virtual events may seem very different compared to a traditional event. The planning and hosting process is quite similar.

Best Practices for a Virtual Event

Step 1: Define your objective

Before you plan your event, you need to identify the reason for holding the event. Are you trying to create awareness for your brand, training, or focusing on lead generation? Your objectives for the event must be in sync with the goals of your organization.

Step 2: KPIs

Identify the KPIs before you start with the planning process. These are metrics that will help you understand whether your event was a success or not. Based on the data collected post the event, you can assess the ROI after the event is over.

Step 3: Identify your Audience

• Who will attend your event & why?
• What are the demographics of your audience?
• Which social media platforms do they use?

Prepare a list of such questions to understand your audience and customize your event according to their needs.

Step 4: Choose the Type of Event

Virtual events can be hosted in different ways. Choose the one most suitable for your event based on the nature of the event and its purpose.

Types of virtual events are:

• Virtual conference
• Hybrid Events
• Internal Training
• Livestreamed Keynotes or panel discussions
• Virtual Exhibitions

Step 5: Details of Presentation

You need to create the event based on the specific needs of your audience. Therefore identify the expert in the field who will present. Also, draft the content relevant to your audience.

Step 6: Tech Set-up

Make sure that you have all the video conferencing tools in working condition.

Choose the best event technology platform.

Integrate the attendee data between the event technology system and the virtual event platform.

Ensure that you have a backup so that the event does not get interrupted due to connectivity issues.

Identify the tools for the attendees to network and schedule appointments.

Step 7: Finer Details of the Event

Type of event-live/on demand/mix?

For how long the on-demand sessions will be available to users after the event is over.

Will you charge a fee for the event or will it be free of charge?

Step 8: Registration

Determine the date and time for the event before asking your attendees to register.

Ensure that you have a robust online registration tool for your attendees to register. </>

The registration tool offers vital details such as personal information of the attendees, their preferences, and many more. This information helps to create customized events. Additionally, the registration tool can be used to collect payments if needed.

Step 9: Promote the Event

Leverage all marketing channels such as social media, mail marketing, and other channels to effectively connect with your audience.

Create a buzz on relevant channels to attract the attention of your audience. Encourage them to register. Offer incentives if possible, etc.

Step 10: Guiding your Potential Attendees

There are several technology options available for hosting virtual events. There is a possibility that the members of your audience may not be familiar with the technology that you are using. It is a good idea to help them by offering a guide that explains how to access the event sessions, etc.

Step 11: Hosting the Event

This is when the actual event takes place. Before the scheduled time of the event prepare a checklist and ensure that the entire setup is working seamlessly. During the vent, make sure to record it. Also, facilitate hassle-free communication between participants by resolving any technical/non-technical hitches.

Step 12: Engaging Attendees

Engage your audience by making the sessions interactive by including polls, Q&A, etc. where the members of the audience can participate, and their interest is sustained.

Another vital aspect of creating an engaging event is the duration of the event. While the duration of a physical event is ideally 60 minutes, it is difficult to hold the interest of the audience for 60 minutes in a virtual event. Therefore, keeping a traditional event as a yardstick, you can plan your virtual event around 15-20 shorter. For instance, if your physical event is planned to last for 60 minutes for a specific topic, schedule your virtual event for approximately 45 minutes.

Step 13: Data collection

Make sure to gather all the relevant data during and after the event. This is valuable information that helps evaluate the success of the event, qualify leads, identify gaps, etc. These inputs can help to enhance the quality of future events.

This is an overview of how a virtual event can be organized so that it is beneficial for the attendees and the host.

Virtual events have gained popularity in recent times due to restrictions imposed to restrict the spread of the coronavirus.

Although virtual events have become popular during COVID times, people are now realizing the benefits they offer, and they have the potential to be adopted even post COVID.

Here is a quick comparison between a traditional and virtual event:

Conclusion</strong >

Therefore, we can conclude that a virtual event is cost-effective and convenient for both the host and the attendees. However, on the flip side, it does not offer an opportunity to network as effectively as a physical event. But, if we compare it with the positives it offers, it is surely a great option, especially during current times.

One of the most vital constituents for a successful virtual event is the event management platform being used. While choosing an event management platform, make sure it has the following features:

• It should offer end-to-end event management solutions.
• It should be easy to use and should have the flexibility to be customized for different types of events.
• The platform should facilitate live and on-demand delivery of the content.
• It should offer audience engagement tools.

One such event management platform which offers all these features, and more is iConnectX! It is a platform that is ideal for hosting non-profit events such as online auctions, fundraisers, and many more! iConnectX offers end-to-end management of your event by providing all the essential tools and support to host a successful event.

Connect with iConnectX for the best event experience!