How to Organize an Online Conference: A Simple Guide for Digital Professionals

Contents:

• Defining the goal
• Looking for a partner and distributing roles
• Looking for speakers and creating a conference program
• Promoting the conference and gathering an audience
• Choosing a platform for an online conference
• Preparing for the conference: discussing details with participants and making presentations
• Looking for a moderator
• Checking the technical part on the day of the event
• Additional touches with audience

Defining the Goal

Before the start of an online conference, you need to clearly define its goals. This will not only help with event planning but also form the basis for all subsequent actions, including program development and promotion strategy. Let's consider the main goals of an online conference.

Brand promotion plays a key role in business promotion. For digital agencies, participation in conferences provides an excellent opportunity to demonstrate their expertise, increase brand awareness, and connect with new audiences. Such events also serve as a reminder for existing clients, allowing for additional interaction without direct sales. Participation in conferences helps strengthen a company's image and expand business connections.

Developing speaker skills. Participating in events helps improve public speaking skills and establish valuable business connections. This is especially relevant for those intending to pursue a career in public speaking. Regular practice on various platforms helps to increase confidence and improve communication skills, which is a key factor for a successful career in this field.

Launching a conference requires careful preparation. If you intend to hold such events on an ongoing basis, it is essential to establish a solid foundation from the outset. A successful first project will provide you with the opportunity to organize subsequent conferences, whether it be your second, fifth, or even tenth. The accumulated experience will not only enhance your status in the event industry but also attract the attention of participants and sponsors, contributing to the further development of your brand. Conferences organized with due consideration for all the nuances will be an important step towards your success in this field.

When preparing for an event, it is important to create a database of registered conference participants. Depending on the scale of the event, this may include information on dozens or hundreds of people, collected legally. Consent to the use of personal data is usually posted on the landing page, which ensures the lawfulness of the processing of this information. Creating such a database not only simplifies event organization but also facilitates successful communication with participants.

Engaging with contacts in this database is not limited to the event itself. It is recommended to launch advertising campaigns targeted at this audience, as well as send regular newsletters and personalized offers. This approach helps maintain interest in your brand, increases its recognition, and, as a result, leads to increased sales. Effective use of a contact database helps build long-term relationships with clients and improve business performance.

Information leads play a key role in successful presentations. During presentations, it is essential to provide practical materials, effective tools, and real-world cases that attendees can apply in practice. This approach not only retains the audience's attention but also helps attract information leads—those who show interest in the topic and value the speaker's expertise. By sharing high-quality content, you create value for your audience and strengthen your reputation as an expert in your field.

There are many methods for generating leads. One example is the use of a QR code that directs users to a personal dialogue with the speaker. The process works like this: event attendees send the speaker a code word, which allows the lead's source to be tracked. The speaker then continues communicating with the audience through personal correspondence. This approach not only promotes interaction but also helps effectively gather information about potential clients.

It's important to understand that an informational lead is not the same as a qualified lead. This is not a client ready to buy, but rather someone interested in the speaker's experience and knowledge. Successful marketing campaigns require focusing on attracting high-quality leads that have real conversion potential. Informational leads can be valuable for building trust and increasing awareness, but to achieve commercial success, it's crucial to convert them into high-quality leads ready to take action.

Quality leads are a crucial aspect of a successful business. Ideally, a speaker would immediately receive requests for a commercial proposal after a presentation. However, this isn't always the case. Speakers often face a situation where the audience shows little interest immediately after the event. To increase the likelihood of generating leads, it's essential to prepare compelling offers in advance and clearly communicate the value of your product or service. Effective audience engagement methods and smart positioning can significantly increase the number of interested clients.

To effectively manage informational leads, you need to focus on consistent interactions, creating useful content, and engaging the audience. It's important to develop a strategy that addresses not only current needs but also builds long-term relationships with your target audience. This approach helps maintain interest, increase loyalty, and create a valuable user experience. By investing time and resources in follow-up lead management, you increase your chances of conversion and successfully promote your brand.

Finding a Partner and Assigning Roles

Now you have a clear idea of ​​what you want to achieve at the conference, but you don't yet know how to achieve your goals. Don't worry—the key is finding those with the necessary knowledge and experience. Finding experts and like-minded people will be a key step toward successful conference participation. Finding a partner is essential for personal and emotional well-being. Partnerships foster mutual understanding and support, which are the foundation for healthy relationships. Having a reliable partner allows you to share joys and challenges, providing emotional stability. Furthermore, living together enriches experiences, broadens horizons, and creates a sense of unity. It's important to remember that the right partner helps you realize your potential, supports you through difficult times, and inspires you to achieve. Therefore, finding the right partner plays a key role in building harmonious and long-lasting relationships.

• Task sharing — a partner can take on, for example, the entire technical part: organizing the broadcast, recording, technical run-throughs.
• Financial risk reduction — the costs of creating a landing page, advertising, and working with the audience can be divided between partners.
• Partner experience — if a partner already has successful experience organizing and holding events, they can become a mentor, sharing useful knowledge and life hacks.

Defining the terms of the partnership is an important step in delineating responsibilities. Before starting a collaboration, it is necessary to clearly define who is responsible for what. It is important to discuss key issues with your partner, such as the distribution of tasks, deadlines, and mechanisms for monitoring their implementation. A clear understanding of roles and responsibilities will help avoid misunderstandings and ensure effective communication during the work process.

• Who collects the registration database?
• Who pays for the creation of advertising materials and the landing page?
• What joint advertising campaigns will you conduct?
• Who will moderate or technically coordinate the event?

It is recommended to look for a partner at least three months before the planned event. This approach will ensure a comfortable pace of work and increase the chances of successfully achieving your goal.

Finding speakers and creating a conference program

The topic of the event should be directly related to your products or services and at the same time be of interest to the target audience. Choosing the right topic will help attract customers, increase their engagement, and build a positive image of your company. Ensure that the content of the event meets the needs and interests of your target audience, which will effectively convey the value of your offerings and strengthen their loyalty.

When choosing a topic, it is important to clearly define its scope. This will allow you to focus on specific aspects, making the research more in-depth and targeted. The scope of the topic affects the amount of information available, as well as the ability to analyze and interpret it. Clarifying the scope helps avoid fuzziness and provides a more structured approach to studying the chosen issue. It is important to consider both the breadth and depth of the topic to achieve the optimal balance between the volume of material and its quality. Choosing the right scope will significantly simplify the work process and increase the effectiveness of the research.

• A highly specialized topic ensures that the core audience will be maximally interested in your content. For example, an agency's digital conference could be dedicated to one of the advertising channels—for example, Yandex Promo Pages or targeted advertising on VKontakte.
• A broad topic covering various areas will attract a large audience. However, it requires careful programming to maintain focus.

Speakers play a crucial role in a successful conference. To ensure high-quality event content, it is recommended to select and approve the speaker list 2-3 months in advance. Speakers can include experts from your team, external specialists, and representatives of partner companies. A well-chosen speaker selection will help attract an audience and increase interest in the event.

Well-known speakers have pre-scheduled slots for their presentations. If you want to attract the attention of top executives, it is recommended to contact them with a clear description of your event and suggestions for presentation topics at least two months in advance. This will ensure a better chance of receiving a positive response and successful collaboration.

The event program should emphasize presentations that will effectively attract targeted leads. It's also important to diversify the program by including practical presentations that will be useful to your target audience. For example, you could invite experts to share their experience using specific tools in practice. This will make the content more valuable and relevant to participants and will also increase engagement and interest in your event.

Our agency organized a specialized online conference, "How to Attract New Clients through Yandex Promo Pages: Turning Impressions into Sales." We gathered a broad audience to share the latest developments in this advertising channel and invited Yandex experts to discuss effective strategies. The conference became a platform for exchanging experiences and practical recommendations for increasing sales through this tool. We believe that events like these help businesses master new approaches to attracting customers and maximize the results of advertising campaigns.

The program focused on my presentation, which we planned to use for lead generation. I gave a detailed discussion of Yandex Promo Pages, backing it up with practical examples. My presentation was aimed at an audience ready to engage a digital agency to launch advertising campaigns, which allowed me to effectively convey the important aspects and benefits of using this marketing tool.

We understand that not everyone is ready to immediately begin working with an agency, so we expanded the program to include presentations aimed at independent use of the tool. Olga Trifonova from Yandex Promo Pages and marketer Olga Kireyenko presented their reports, in which they detailed the capabilities of the advertising account and how to use the psychology of advertising text perception. These presentations served as a practical part of the event and helped participants better understand the tool's functionality.

Promoting the Conference and Building an Audience

A month before the online conference (or two months for an offline format), it is recommended to begin active promotion. It is important that advertising channels and settings are tailored to your target audience. For example, for digital agencies, the target audience is often marketers and business owners. Effective promotion will help attract the right participants and increase interest in the event.

A standard set of advertising tools is used to effectively attract an audience to the event. These tools include social media, contextual advertising, email newsletters, creating landing pages, and conducting PR campaigns. Using social media allows you to reach a wide audience and interact with potential participants. Contextual advertising helps attract people who are actively searching for information on the topic of the event. Email newsletters allow you to directly contact interested parties and inform them of event details. Creating landing pages with an event description and registration form helps increase conversion. PR campaigns help create a positive image and increase interest in the event. The right combination of these tools ensures maximum visibility and attracts the target audience.

• contextual advertising in Yandex;
• Telegram Ads;
• advertising on VKontakte;
• advertising seeding in Telegram;
• advertising using your own and external databases;
• advertising for a look-alike audience;
• email newsletters;
• paid announcements in event aggregators.

With an advertising budget of 80 thousand rubles, it is possible to carry out several effective marketing campaigns. For example, you can organize several posts in specialized Telegram channels with a target audience, which will allow you to achieve significant reach. You should also consider launching an email newsletter to your databases, which will help you directly reach interested users. Additionally, it is advisable to make 2-3 announcements in conference aggregators to attract attention to your event. This approach will ensure comprehensive promotion and maximum visibility for your brand.

Promoting an event without a budget is possible using various strategies. One effective way is to use social media. Create event pages on popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, where you can share relevant information and interact with the audience.

It is also useful to attract partners and sponsors who can help with information dissemination. Discuss the possibility of advertising exchanges or collaboration with other organizations working in your field.

Don't forget about content marketing. Publish blogs, articles, and press releases that may interest your target audience. This will increase the visibility of your event in search engines.

Also, use email marketing. Build a contact list and send regular updates about your event. This will help maintain interest and engagement.

Organizing webinars or online meetings can also be a great way to attract attention. Share useful information and build anticipation before the main event.

Don't forget about local resources. Spread the word through local media, blogs, and social media groups to reach your local audience.

These methods will help promote your event, even if you have a limited budget. The key is to be creative and actively use the tools available.

• Post announcements on the organizers' social media.
• Publish the announcement on your colleagues' specialized Telegram channels. For example, we posted announcements on my channel, our director Timur Ugulava's channel, and our editor-in-chief Maya Blum's channel.
• Send invitations to your own customer base with whom you've previously interacted.
• Plan seedings in specialized Telegram channels of partners willing to publish the announcement for free. For example, we managed to coordinate such placement on the Yandex Promo Pages channel with a large audience.

Joint advertising campaigns with partners can significantly increase reach and attract new participants. This is especially effective if your companies' target audiences overlap. Joint efforts not only expand the market but also strengthen trust in brands. By combining resources and creative ideas, you can create more attractive offers for clients, which ultimately leads to increased interest and sales.

Choosing an Online Conference Platform

Each platform has unique advantages and disadvantages. When choosing the right platform, it is important to consider the size of the event, the number of participants, the format of interaction, and the allocated budget. This article presents a selection of platforms with brief descriptions to help you make an informed choice.

Zoom is one of the leading video conferencing platforms, providing users with high-quality tools for online meetings and webinars. This popular program offers many features, such as screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, and the ability to record sessions. Thanks to its ease of use and accessibility, Zoom has become an indispensable tool for business, education, and personal communications. The platform supports a large number of participants, making it an ideal solution for collaboration and communication over distance.

Advantages:

• suitable for both small meetings and large events with up to 1000 participants (in the Zoom Webinar version);
• extensive functionality - screen sharing, chat, conference recording, participant management (turning microphones on and off), organizing sessions in group work rooms.

The disadvantages of using certain services or products can include various aspects. Firstly, their high cost may make them inaccessible to a wide audience. Secondly, insufficient support from providers may lead to problems in use, which negatively impacts the overall experience. Technical glitches or limited functionality can also be significant drawbacks. In addition, some products may have a complex interface, making them difficult for new users to master. Potential compatibility issues that may arise when integrating with other systems should not be forgotten. These disadvantages should be considered before deciding whether to purchase or use.

• The free version has a meeting time limit (40 minutes);
• A stable internet connection is required.

Microsoft Teams is an important part of the Microsoft ecosystem and is widely used in corporate environments. This platform enables effective collaboration between teams, providing tools for video conferencing, messaging, and document collaboration. Through integration with other Microsoft products, such as Office 365 and SharePoint, Teams helps optimize workflows and improve communication within organizations. Using Microsoft Teams increases productivity and simplifies project management, making it an indispensable tool for business.

Advantages:

• up to 100 participants in the free version;
• there is a chat, the ability to share files, the function of integration with other Microsoft products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint);
• convenient for teamwork and long-term projects.

One of the disadvantages of the platform is its overloaded interface, which can be difficult to navigate and perceive information.

Google Meet is a platform from Google that offers users an intuitive interface for video conferencing. With Google Meet, you can easily organize online meetings, participate in webinars and communicate with colleagues or friends in real time. The platform provides high-quality video and audio, and also offers many features, such as the ability to record meetings and integration with other Google services. Google Meet is suitable for both personal and business use, providing reliable and secure communication.

Advantages:

• up to 500 participants in the paid version (up to 100 in the free version);
• directly integrates with Google Calendar, making it easy to set up and send invitations.

Limited functionality, such as the lack of a built-in webinar mode and complex participant management settings, can create certain inconveniences when organizing large events. This can hinder audience engagement and reduce the overall effectiveness of the event.

GoToWebinar is an effective tool for organizing webinars and educational events. It provides users with all the necessary features for conducting online seminars, including the ability to interact with the audience in real time. With GoToWebinar, you can easily create and set up events, manage registrations, and analyze results after their completion. The platform supports various content formats, making it an ideal choice for trainings, presentations, and lectures. Using GoToWebinar will help you expand your audience and increase participant engagement, making it an indispensable tool for educational institutions and businesses.

Advantages:

• up to 3,000 participants depending on the plan;
• data analysis, surveys, and integration with CRM systems are available;
• branding can be customized.

All versions of the platform are paid, but a trial period is available. This allows users to evaluate the functionality and capabilities of the service before purchasing.

MyOwnConference is a universal platform designed for conducting webinars and online conferences. It offers a multilingual interface, making it accessible to users from all over the world. The platform provides high-quality broadcasts and support for various event formats, making it an ideal choice for both businesses and educational institutions. MyOwnConference helps organize audience interaction, providing functionality for chat, polls, and analytics.

Advantages:

• up to 10,000 participants per event;
• simple interface, stable broadcast quality;
• interactive tools available – screen sharing, creation of virtual discussion rooms, polls, chats, and built-in tests to increase audience engagement;
• access to conference materials can be restricted.

Pruffme is a Russian multimedia platform specially designed for organizing webinars, online courses, training programs, and consultations. It offers users convenient tools for creating and conducting interactive educational events, allowing for the effective sharing of knowledge and experience. Using Pruffme ensures high-quality broadcasts and the ability to interact with participants in real time, making learning more accessible and engaging. The platform is ideal for both educational institutions and corporate training, providing flexibility and ease of use.

Advantages:

• up to 10,000 participants per event;
• the interface can be customized to suit your brand style;
• there are interactive elements: whiteboard, quizzes, polls, chats, as well as functions for creating groups and managing access.

Choosing a conference platform should be based on the specifics of your event. Key factors include the scale of the event, budget, and the ability to adapt the platform to your brand style. Choosing the right platform ensures the success of the conference and the satisfaction of participants.

Preparing for the Conference: Discussing Details with Participants and Making Presentations

Presentation presentations play an important role for both speakers and conference organizers. They allow participants to become familiar with the topics to be discussed at the event in advance and help organize the program effectively. Reviewing presentations with each participant provides a deeper understanding of the content and format of the presentations, which facilitates better interaction between speakers and the audience. This also helps optimize the time and resources allocated to the conference and enhance its overall value for all participants.

Check how your presentations align with the event theme. Ensure a logical structure and that there are no overlaps with other presentations. It is important that the content presented is original and unique, without obvious borrowing. It is recommended to begin preparing materials three weeks before the conference to ensure high-quality and relevant information.

To create a comfortable atmosphere for speakers, prepare and send them a detailed agenda in advance, including speaking times and technical instructions. This will help participants speak confidently and focus on the content of their presentations. Properly prepared materials contribute to the success of the event and improve its quality.

To effectively organize the conference, create a working chat for all participants. This will significantly simplify coordination and allow for prompt resolution of any issues. Be sure to send reminders with important information a few days before the event to minimize risks and avoid potential problems. This approach will ensure a smoother conference and increase participant engagement.

No later than a week before the conference, all final versions of presentations should be collected. Members of the program committee, often a single person who also serves as the moderator, should carefully review the presented papers and check them for repetitions. This will ensure the high quality of the content presented and improve the comprehension of the material by conference participants.

Looking for a Moderator

One of the common mistakes newcomers to conferences make is focusing exclusively on their presentation. This can make the audience feel as if the speaker is trying to attract all the attention. To achieve harmony between the interests of all participants and the needs of the audience, it is important to have a moderator. A moderator helps create a comfortable atmosphere, ensures equal attention to all speakers, and facilitates interaction with the audience, which ultimately improves the quality of the event.

A conference moderator is a key figure in ensuring the success of an event. Their role includes not only coordinating participants and monitoring the schedule, but also promptly resolving unforeseen situations. The moderator helps create a positive atmosphere, maintaining order and audience engagement. Thanks to his professionalism, the conference runs smoothly and efficiently, which in turn affects the overall perception of the event and its success.

A quality moderator provides clear and constructive answers. They carefully analyze the situation, take into account the opinions of participants, and strive for fairness. An effective moderator also knows how to manage conflicts, maintain order, and enforce community rules. An important aspect of a moderator's work is the ability to find a common language with various participants, providing a comfortable atmosphere for communication. Maintaining professionalism and neutrality are key qualities that distinguish a good moderator and contribute to the development of a healthy community.

• for introducing speakers;
• keeping to timing;
• gently regulating audience questions;
• quickly resolving minor technical issues (such as a speaker with the sound turned off);
• maintaining audience engagement and the dynamics of communication.

Finding a professional moderator is already a significant step towards solving many problems. Having an assistant assist the moderator is also a great advantage, as they can quickly post links, files, and other information presented in the speakers' presentations in the conference chat. This will facilitate participant interaction and improve the overall effectiveness of the event.

Checking the technical side on the day of the event

Technical preparation is a key aspect of a successful online conference. The day before the event, as well as on the day itself, it is essential to thoroughly test all platforms and equipment used. This will help avoid technical issues and ensure a smooth flow of information during the conference. Ensure that all participants have access to the necessary tools and resources and are familiar with the platform. High-quality technical preparation guarantees the success of the event and the satisfaction of the participants.

• connection stability;
• broadcast platform operation;
• communication with speakers;
• sound and video quality, presentation display.

Event participants can remember even minor technical flaws. Technical failures can negatively affect the perception of even the highest-quality content. Therefore, it is extremely important to devote sufficient attention to technical preparation. Conducting a final check of equipment and materials will help avoid most potential problems and ensure a positive impression with the audience.

Additional touches with the audience

After the event, it is important to send participants a thank-you letter, which should include a recording of the conference, presentations, and other speaker materials. This will not only increase the value of your event but will also create an opportunity to attract the same participants in the future. Posting your content on an accessible platform can also improve your search engine visibility and further develop your audience.

Send an email with a recording of the conference to all registered attendees who were unable to attend. This will allow them to review the conference content and not miss out on important information.

If speakers agree, use individual clips from the video to promote the content. This will help maintain audience interest and increase the value of your event. Dividing the video into key points makes the information more accessible and attractive, which promotes greater viewer engagement. Use these clips on social media, on your website, or in newsletters to maximize the reach and activity of your target audience.

Regular reminders of your brand play a key role in establishing long-term relationships with your audience. They not only maintain interest but also gradually lead potential clients to making a decision to collaborate. Such reminders help build trust and increase the likelihood that the audience will eventually become your clients. An effective regular communications strategy creates a solid foundation for engagement and drives business growth.