3 Tips to Hosting Quality Virtual Events

Virtual events and meetings have become more common over the years, and they’re more popular than ever thanks to changes caused by the pandemic. As a financial advisor, you should be prepared to utilize virtual meeting and presentation platforms. You may use them for smaller meetings, but not for larger events like webinars. While the platform is the same, your preparation may need to change to ensure your clients and prospects receive high quality content. Whether you’re already hosting larger virtual events or planning your first one, these 3 tips can help you host a quality virtual event.

Plan ahead

When hosting a larger virtual event, you don’t want to set up your space at the last minute. Instead, give yourself time to figure out if the space you want to use will work for your needs. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it quiet enough, and can I close off the space to prevent distractions?
• Is my internet connection strong and reliable in this space?
• Is the lighting good in this space?
• Will my audio be clear and crisp in this space?

These things can impact the quality of what your attendees see and hear. Ensuring that everything works properly ahead of time helps you appear as a responsible and trustworthy financial advisor. 

Consider your lighting

Depending on when and where you are when you host your virtual event, lighting can be an issue. If your space has plenty of natural light and your event is earlier in the day, you may not need additional lighting. If your space isn’t well lit, or you’re hosting an event later in the day when the light changes quickly, consider investing in some kind of lighting set up. That’s not to say that you should run out and buy a full set of studio lights. In most cases a couple of lamps or even different bulbs can fix minor lighting issues. Keep your space lit so that you’re visible the entire time. This aids in the perception that you care about being professional. 

Check your audio 

Everyone’s been in the meeting where someone’s audio is terrible. You don’t want to be the person with bad audio when you’re hosting a virtual event. Fixing your audio quality could be as simple as buying an external microphone for your computer. It could also involve more complicated things like improving your internet connection/speed or finding a way to reduce the echo in your space. Your event attendees will appreciate being able to hear you. 

In most situations, small changes are all you need to go from good enough virtual events to a high quality virtual events. In situations where the changes are a bit more expensive, consider it as an investment. If you’re looking to grow your practice, there are free resources available. Start with these 10 Things Financial Advisors should do to Thrive.