This is Part 2 of Measuring Virtual Events. See Part 1 for step-by-step instructions.Visit this page for a list of our articles on COVID-19 communications measurement.
To set up a program to measure the effectiveness of your virtual event, read Part 1 of this series first. It will give you the basic steps to follow. Here in Part 2 we provide a more detailed breakdown of the parameters that pertain to most types of events. Included for each type of event are typical objectives, activity and outcome metrics, benchmarks, and research methods or tools:
(If the table below is too wide to show all the columns, drag the table to the left to view the hidden columns. Or use the scrolling bar at the very bottom of the table to slide the table over.)
| Type of Event | Examples | Typical Objective | Activity Metric | Outcome Metric | Benchmark or Baseline | Research Method or Tool Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online Stunt or "virtual flash mob” | Captain Tom or Fresno Kids | Generate engagement and publicity for a cause | Social sharing results | % of target audience more aware, $$ raised | Other marketing or promotional activities | Social listening and Excel |
| % increase in desired activity, e.g., click thrus, donations, goal conversions, SEO | Web analytics | |||||
| CPM vs. other promotional activities | ||||||
| Virtual trade show (with booths and exhibitor area) | United Fresh | Generate qualified sales leads | % of virtual booth visitors or attendees providing emails or qualifying information | % increase in qualified sales leads | Other/prior trade shows or promotional events | CRM and virtual trade show analytics (from platform) |
| Virtual conference (presentations with no special space for sponsors or breakout rooms) | Publicity Club of New England PR Club Virtual Seminar | For speaker: position brand as a leader in the industry | Share of desired positioning in media coverage of the event | % increase in qualified leads, % increase in target audience believing in your positioning | Other/prior trade shows virtual and IRL | Media content analysis and CRM |
| % of attendees that visit provide contact info | % reduction in cost per lead | CRM | ||||
| User group or customer meeting (generally company or product specific) | Apple Virtual Developers Conference | Increase customer loyalty, reduce churn, increase renewals | % of customers that participate | % increase in customer loyalty | Prior meetings | CRM |
| Ratio of positive to neutral comments in social media | % reduction in customer churn | Social analytics | ||||
| % increase in renewals | ||||||
| % growth in existing accounts | ||||||
| Thought leadership event | Virtual Ted Talk | Position CEO or other member of the leadership team as an subject-matter or industry expert | Share of media items positioning the CEO or other member of the leadership team as an subject-matter or industry expert | % of target audience perceiving CEO or company as industry leaders | Key competitors share of conversation | In-show or post show survey |
| The Summit on the Future of Measurement | Other events | Media content analysis | ||||
| Community event | Virtual Art Walk | Increase brand awareness, consideration, or preference in a specific community; Increase trust; build relationships with community leaders; reduce opposition | Share of desirable brand mentions vs. other sponsors | % Increase in brand awareness, consideration, or preference in a specific community | Other community relationship-building events | Pre-post survey |
| Local virtual music festival | % of mentions that contain key messages | % increase in trust among community leaders | Last year or prior period | Media content analysis | ||
| % decrease in undesirable coverage | ||||||
| Seminar or learning event | Product training sessions or webinars, i.e., Measurement Base Camp | Build customer loyalty, knowledge, and awareness of product; increase adoption | % of customers that participate | % increase in renewals | Other events or prior years | CRM |
| % customers that consider new or additional products | % growth in existing accounts | Post-event survey |
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