In the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, events were forced farther into the digital realm than many marketers may have ever intended them to go.

Today, marketing experts say event marketing and digital marketing are one in the same, and brands today must be able to bring a “full experience” digitally.

Prior to the pandemic, hybrid and virtual events were far less common.

Hybrid meetings were most often held to accommodate companies with multiple locations, and virtual meetings may have been more of a way to show off what was possible — “The future of events” — and less about what was necessary.

But soon, these events became necessary. Experts say it’s not realistic to assume marketers and business leaders can provide a full, beautiful digital experience overnight, but there are ways to prepare for this reality.

Dane Matheson, director of enterprise sales at RainFocus, recently penned his thoughts on digital event planning for Forbes.

He believes marketers can take a look at social media as inspiration for what digital events should be.

As the prime example, Matheson noted TikTok’s success. Statistics show TikTok’s growth exploded during the Covid pandemic, and it became the most-downloaded app in 2021.

Matheson says many TikTok videos are only 10 to 30 seconds long, and use storytelling elements such as music or audio to get the message across.

He says he understands it’s not realistic to assume B2B companies can “unravel the complexities of their expertise” in this short amount of time — or to layer it with a trending Celine Dion track in the background. 

But instead, companies should look at the underlying reasons for the success of this format.

Due to TikTok’s success, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other platforms have been consistently re-evaluating their video tools to mimic or attempt to improve on TikTok’s tactics.

In other words, experts say it’s only natural to take the best of what’s working in the content marketing world and tailor it to a company’s own unique strengths and audience needs.

The TikTok formula is personalized, short-form content with “exceptional” delivery, Matheson says.

This formula mimics the biggest trends in content marketing strategies for 2022. According to marketing surveys and statistics, consumers want personalized, human content that is high quality, fresh, and exciting.

Marketing experts say leaders across industries can benefit from a brainstorming session on how their hybrid or virtual events can stand out with a mix of these “TikTok” elements.

The major focus, experts say, is creating a memorable user experience that is unique to the intended audience. This deep understanding of the audience comes with time and experience, but also with the right tools to measure and track success.

Photo by Eva Bronzini