Quick Guide to Nurturing Virtual Event No-Shows

There have been weeks where I have signed up for three or four virtual events and only attended one. Why do I sign-up for events I know I might not attend? For me, it’s about being able to consume the content on my own time. Now more than ever, audiences need the flexibility to consume content in a way that works for them. Just because someone doesn’t show up to your virtual event doesn’t mean they aren’t a quality lead.

Run a virtual event that isn't terrible with the event planning workbook.

Why you shouldn’t give up on virtual event no-shows

Since the start of 2020, Banzai has produced a variety of virtual events. We understand that everyone can’t attend live and we work hard to continue the conversation long after the event is over. Why? Because Banzai’s event no-shows and on-demand registrants significantly influence pipeline.

Banzai stats:

• 50% of Banzai’s event registrants are no-shows
• 10% of Banzai total registrants sign-up to view on-demand (register after the live date)
• No-show registrants have made up 53% of SQLs influenced by webinars in 2020

A lot of work goes into producing a great virtual event and unlike in-person events, the content can easily live on in digital channels. The last thing we want to do ignore 50% of our registrants when there’s a chance they’ll continue to move through our sales pipeline. So make that content you worked so hard on work hard for you!

Engaging no-show registrations

Your virtual event may be over, but your promotion and engagement shouldn’t stop. Continuing to follow-up with your attendees, no-shows, and on-demand viewers is necessary for driving and nurturing leads. Unfortunately, one size does not necessarily fit all when it comes to follow-up with attendees and event no-shows. Effective post-event engagement should be tailored to your contact’s experience with your virtual event. Here are a few ideas for making sure your follow-up messaging makes an impact with your virtual event no-shows.

Make it easy to access content

There’s a good chance someone registered but didn’t attend your event because they simply didn’t have the time. So instead of making them sit through your full event recording, give them direct access to the event takeaways and resources. In your initial follow-up email include:

• Key takeaways from the event
• Resources that were shared during the event
• Means of accessing the recording (ungated) with time codes

Your contact can now decide how and when they want to access and interact with the event.

Give them options

There could be a million reasons why someone did not show up to your virtual event, so make it easy for them to choose how they want to interact with your brand going forward.

After a recent webinar, the team at TrustRadius sent out a “we missed you” email to their virtual event no-shows. The email (below) guided the recipient in continuing the conversation on their own terms.

They made it easy to respond by letting the registrant select what they hoped to get out of the interaction. Registrants could respond with one or more of the following:

1. “I was unable to attend, but would love the on-demand recording of it.”
2. “While I’m educating myself on how the current state of digital events, I’m also open to learning more about TrustRadius”
3. “Let's set up a quick time to chat. I would like to take a look at what TrustRadius has to offer.”

With this one email, TrustRadius was able to gauge the interest of their no-shows and tailor their next steps to their specific requests.

Ask them for feedback

Follow-up with your event no-shows is a valuable way to understand if you are approaching your virtual event strategy the right way. Use this opportunity to dive into why your potential audience is not showing up to view your event live. Their feedback could impact your format, timing, and/or strategy around your virtual event promotion. You might find that Thursday webinars at 10 am PT conflict with most of your audience’s schedules.

Sample survey:

Why were you unable to attend today’s webinar live?

• I planned to view on-demand
• I had a schedule conflict
• I was too busy
• I forgot about the event

Their response to this simple survey question gives you and your sales team a great excuse to continue the conversation and create a live virtual experience that is tailored to your audience’s unique needs.

Nurture your no-shows

Marketing and sales nurtures are powerful tools for continuing the conversation with your virtual event no-shows. For one reason or another, they couldn’t make your event, but they have shown interest in your content and thought leadership.

Create an SDR sequence that provides valuable content, showcases your brand as a thought leader in the industry, and continues the conversation with your prospects.

Example Nurture Sequence:

• Email #1 - Link to view the event on-demand and fill out the survey
• Email #2 - Provide additional resources around the virtual event topic
• LinkedIn Message - Share the upcoming event calendar. Can you register them?
• Email #3 - Book a demo or strategy session

Seeing low attendance numbers can be disheartening. It’s important to remember that the content and virtual experience you worked so hard on producing can still provide tremendous value long after the live event is over. Take the time to create a follow-up engagement strategy that is tailored to your audience that was unable to attend. You never know where your next great customer will come from.

‍