Lisa Fraser, a director of content strategy at Stoke, started her career in instructional design. When developing her lesson plans for students, Lisa knew she couldn’t just create dull learning objectives and rote assessments. She needed to tell a great story.
“We’re naturally inclined to follow a story,” she says. “Even if what we’re talking about is relatively dry material, we’re all looking for a strong narrative throughline.”
Lisa kept this mindset when she transitioned to B2B marketing at Stoke, where she creates digital events. With storytelling as her North Star, she’s successfully launched a variety of digital events for clients.
The demand for digital events is growing. In a more flexible and interconnected work world, they help brands expand access to information, spark connections, and reach global audiences. And with more than half of organizations already incorporating digital events into their strategy — and an additional 34% planning to do so in the coming months — creating an effective storytelling experience is more important than ever.
In this blog post, we’ll share how to turn a standard digital event into a standout experience. You’ll discover:
- Why digital events are unique
- Common pitfalls in digital event planning
- Digital event strategies that really work
“You don’t just want to entertain your audiences. You want to change them — to have them come away feeling one step closer to solving a problem.”
— Lisa Fraser, Director of Content Strategy
Why digital events are unique
Beyond the obvious differences in venue — a virtual space rather than a physical one — digital events differ from in-person events in three key ways: scope, audience, and format. Understanding where these elements intersect and how they affect event strategy is critical to building and executing an impactful experience.
The scope
Unlike live events, digital events often target broader audiences and top-of-funnel prospects, and they generally occur in a shorter time frame. To attract and keep the interest of a potentially uncommitted audience means creating focused sessions — usually between 30 to 45 minutes — with accompanying visual content.
The audience
With a wider scope comes a broader audience, so attendees for virtual experiences are less segmented than they are for in-person engagements. With fewer travel or time zone barriers and lower costs, digital events are more accessible and, therefore, attract a more diverse audience.
The format
In the early days of pandemic-induced “virtual only” events, connecting online was difficult because of technology issues and attendees’ lack of technical literacy. We all remember hearing “You’re on mute!” in almost every digital event a few years ago. But virtual etiquette and understanding have drastically improved for both audiences and production teams. Now, audiences expect clean, intuitive digital experiences, high production value, and built-in opportunities for connection.
In late 2023, RingCentral, one of the world’s leading providers of digital communications, introduced two new technologies: an AI-powered customer service center and a groundbreaking digital events hosting platform. The company needed a way to share the news with prospects and existing customers.
Enter Stoke. In partnership with RingCentral stakeholders, our content strategists, video editors, and project managers designed and produced a global virtual launch event to feature the new products while staying true to RingCentral’s brand.
In less than eight weeks, we designed the run-of-show, coordinated with speakers, produced scripted video, motion graphics, demand content, promotional assets, and derivative assets to support RingCentral’s international broadcast launch, which broke every company attendance record and achieved a 51.5% conversion rate.
Read more about RingCentral’s launch event.
Common pitfalls in digital event planning
As with every innovation, drawbacks evolve alongside advances. Digital events require a different approach to strategy, especially with regard to attention and engagement.
Short attention spans
Cognitive research shows that attention spans have steadily shortened over the past few decades. Today’s audiences prefer to consume fast, visual content. Video is key to capturing — and keeping — their focus.
“Audiences today expect clarity and connection,” Lisa comments. “They respond best when we show them the story visually, which is why video-based content consistently outperforms other formats.”
Divided focus
Not only are audiences expecting content to be faster and shorter, but they’re usually engaging with multiple kinds of content at once — often while doing something else, like washing dishes or answering emails. To compete, your content must be sharp, clear, and immediately valuable.
Missing personal connections
Although digital experiences have become much more common, they still limit our ability to engage with one another in traditional ways. There are no side conversations or handshakes during digital events, so creating opportunities for interaction is essential.
Digital event strategies that really work
To earn attention in a noisy digital landscape, your content must be so clear, compelling, and valuable that audiences not only want to tune in but even come back for more.
Let’s break down what it really takes to capture — and keep — your audience’s attention with a digital event.
1. Know your audience
Michael Craddock, a senior content strategist at Stoke who produces digital events, says everything starts with research. Michael does his research in two key ways: learning from the target audience and getting familiar with competitors.
“Be tapped into your audience through a boots-on-the-ground approach,” he states. This means strategizing and planning the event from your audience’s perspective and executing accordingly. Then, take note of what your competitors are doing.
“You should be consistently attending events within your industry’s space,” Michael explains. “See what you like. Where do they succeed?” This kind of reconnaissance is easy since digital events are often free, so take advantage of the opportunity to conduct market research.
2. Replicate in-person engagement
Creating an engaging virtual space is just as important as a live one to foster opportunities for people to network and connect. Open virtual rooms early so attendees can mingle. Implement live chat features and breakout rooms to encourage engagement. “Every audience member will engage with your [event] in different ways,” Michael continues. “Give them the opportunity to communicate in a way that is comfortable and accessible to them.”
Do the same for presenters, who may feel disconnected from viewers when they’re not in the same space. “Detach from talking at your audience to talking to the audience and take time to answer questions,” Michael says. By including opportunities for connection, everyone involved can not only better understand the heart of the discussion topic but also retain information in a way that feels more personal, just as they would at a live event.
3. Encourage return viewers
Supplement live sessions with attendee-exclusive downloadable guides or takeaway assets to extend the content and encourage ongoing learning and curiosity. Host your event in a virtual space that audiences can easily access and revisit. One of the benefits of virtual events is their permanence — in-person events may not be recorded live, but you can almost always come back to a webinar. Take advantage of that accessibility to reengage with the content.
4. Integrate AI for better connection
Digital events require a significant amount of hands-on human power to run successfully. However, unlike in-person events, you can easily implement digital assistance tools that relieve time-consuming manual tasks.
AI tools can automate certain to-do list items and enhance the efficiency of digital events. These resources can help field FAQs and transcribe sessions to help make your event accessible for all users. However, while AI can lighten the load when it comes to crafting the collateral, it’s important to remember that tools don’t replace ideas.
“Creating derivative content like blog posts and reports is taking less and less time,” Lisa clarifies, “but that means the story you’re telling really needs to stand out. Keep asking yourself, how can I stand out? How can we invest more in research and data analysis so we can offer fresh perspectives that are different from anyone else?”
Since 2019, Adobe and Stoke have collaborated closely to produce weekly webinars designed to ensure creatives and non-creatives alike get the most from Adobe products. These digital events feature new products and enhancements to existing ones, niche creative workflow techniques like aerial video trailer editing and campaign storytelling, and trends impacting social media and marketing strategy.
As far as trends go, Adobe is no stranger to generative AI. As it becomes an increasingly integral part of creative production, Adobe wanted to be candid about its Firefly model and how its training systems use content ethically. As the product evolves and conversations surrounding AI become increasingly complex, Stoke serves as a strategic partner and subject matter expert in navigating these delicate topics.
“We take great care to be sensitive and intentional about how we’re communicating these new ideas and products,” states Jordan Hall, associate director of content strategy at Stoke. “It’s essential that attendees understand that we’re operating with the utmost respect for creative integrity and creative roles.”
Stoke-produced webinars are one of the main avenues Adobe uses to stay in conversation with its users, especially as its products become more advanced and leverage AI in new ways.
Digital events make an impact
Digital events aren’t just convenient — they’re powerful tools for cultivating creative communities, driving product adoption, and educating audiences. Success depends on understanding your objectives, creating a story worth telling, and delivering content that resonates.
This success requires experience, preparation, and a willingness to learn. Just like a live event, it takes investment to strategize with experts who are plugged into the industry and understand your audience. Learn what you can, and then identify what you don’t know so you can learn that, too.
“More than ever, digital events need to rely on fresh data and fresh perspectives at an even more honed level,” Lisa concludes. “Look to make an investment in the story you’re telling.”
Ready to create a digital event your audience won’t forget? Partner with Stoke to craft virtual experiences that inform, inspire, and convert.
LET’S GET STARTED