Digital meetings are more than just technology: 4 tips for planning.

Since the outbreak of Corona, we have all been forced to communicate via digital channels with colleagues and customers. By and large, the transformation has worked well. Or maybe even better than expected. After all, we've quickly become accustomed to sitting at home at our computers, chatting, raising our hands and speaking into a camera.

2021-09-15

Slowly, however, we are all starting to feel that the endless stream of team, hangout, or zoom meetings is getting tiresome. Naturally, we need to maintain collaboration, structure and communication between the different parts of the company and approach the new situation with a business-as-usual attitude. But the experience of the digital meeting can sometimes leave something to be desired. After all, how do you keep the culture, energy and commitment of your company alive?

Many people long for meetings and events that strengthen the sense of community, and we see a clear increase in demand for digital events. However, too many people get stuck on the technical issues when planning their digital event. Technology is of course an essential component, but the technical issues only come in later in the process.

Because a digital meeting is so much more than technology.

Some tips for planning a digital event:

  1. The experience should create engagement and energy. First, we always want to create an experience that engages and energizes. Being emotionally engaged creates the conditions for both absorbing and remembering a message. It's important to clarify a clear purpose and goal in order to focus on content and message in the next step.
  2. Capture the target audience. To create impact in a digital format and to capture the target audience, the content itself becomes the format. What do you want to say and how? What is relevant and what is not? What creates results?
  3. More dramaturgy. In the digital channel, we need to think more dramaturgy, more TV, otherwise we risk losing the focus of the meeting participants. Directing and scripting become key elements to enhance the experience and make the broadcast play. It's about creating a good tempo with varied content. Short presentations and interviews instead of long presentations and powerpoints. Filmed elements enhance and interactivity with the participants creates engagement.
  4. Content, content, content! Be careful when choosing a supplier. Many sell technical solutions, but forget about content.

Our work at Contrast involves looking at an assignment through different lenses than our client, finding new creative angles and thinking dramaturgically. How do we engage the target audience? How do we create impact, and how do we achieve the desired result?  

Only when we have those answers can we start talking about technology and streaming solutions.

What are your experiences with digital events? Please get in touch with your thoughts and feedback.

/Ola

ola@contrast.se