DOs and don’ts for hosting successful college events

1. DOs and don’ts for hosting successful college events https://www.thepromoapp.com/

2. Hosting online events has become something of talent, and certainly, one many of us didn’t expect to gain until the pandemic hit. We’ve been forced to move away from the traditional way of conveying our messages, whether in a professional or personal setting. One area that is widely reliant on being in-person is education. Many students have faced challenging times adjusting to online lectures and classes, especially those in college. With so much of the college experience hinged on campuses, it was a big adjustment to move student interactions online. Thankfully, online events have become relatively easy to arrange. But for those battling to find the best way to organize online events for college students, here are the dos and don’ts. 

3. DO use an easily accessible virtual event platform When considering hosting college events online, it’s important to consider what the best way to reach students is. Plenty of research will need to be done ahead of your first few online college events, but it’s important to do so in the beginning to ensure success. The biggest factor in any event scenario is attendance – you want the desired number of people there. To achieve this, you need to make the event as easily accessible as possible for the students. The majority of college-going people use their smartphones to go online, interact on social media, and communicate with loved ones, so it might be a good idea to choose a platform that can be easily navigated on a phone.  

5. DON’T charge too much for entry  In addition to making the event easily accessible, it’s also important to keep in mind the budget of your target audience. College is a financial burden that many students feel; they might not have a job due to the pandemic or simply do not have the funds to spend on the luxury of attending an event. As such, charging a high entry fee will likely cause students to skip the event altogether. Suppose you are hosting an online event through a social media platform like Instagram or TikTok. It’s easier for those who already have accounts to log in, follow the college, and attend the event (most likely Live). If your event is more educational than entertainment-based, it’s even more important to keep cost in mind. You wouldn’t want any student to feel like they are being excluded simply because they cannot afford to attend the event. 

6. DO utilize social media marketing to spread the word  Probably the most obvious step in this article – use social media as much as you can. The most efficient way to market to young people is through social media platforms, and if you are hosting an event, it’s a great way to remind people through stories, posts, or lives. Make sure to not only post about it once or only on one platform either. Depending on who your target market is, you need to make sure that they’re aware of fun virtual events for college students at their schools. Regardless of how long it is before your event, you should be talking about it on your various platforms at least once a day. Tag people who you think would be interested, or partner with an influencer who attends the college to help spread the word to their following. Also, remember that people may have questions that they shoot via comments or direct messages, so try to be as responsive as possible to keep their interest in the event. 

8. DON’T make it similar to a lecture  Students have already adjusted to online lectures. The last thing anyone wants is to attend one more. Essentially, you should make your college online events as interactive and entertaining as possible, regardless of the topic. It could be a light social event or a talk on something more serious. Either way, students need to have the opportunity to share their opinions or ask questions. Hosting a game night or a quiz? This is the ideal way to keep everyone responsive, especially if you are working with teams. 

9. DO use a virtual event planning platform Regardless of whether you’re a beginner or a pro at organizing events (both in-person and online), having the help of a virtual event planner is a great way to take some of the admin off your plate. The Promo App is an event-based social network that tracks over 30 million events worldwide and will be a lifesaver when needing to get all your ducks in a row for ticketing, marketing your event on social media, and staying in contact with your event attendees. Users of The Promo App can browse the website’s live feed of public events all around the world (with real-time information), or they can create their own event and make use of the plethora of services offered through their virtual event software. 

10. DON’T make it a once-off  If you would like to increase engagement for your college students, having just one event won’t really do much. Coming up with a series of events or series with different topics might be the best way to get students sitting up and taking notice. When deciding on what kind of event to do, consider how much content could be shared on each topic. For example, if the events are around mental health awareness and managing it while studying online, you may consider doing three different events with various experts providing tips for each event. It doesn’t have to be a long event either. Short webinars or lives of about one hour are ideal for keeping people interested, and not dozing off.  Following these do’s and don’ts will make organizing your first online college event a little less intimidating. And when you have the help of a virtual event planner like The Promo App to guide you, you are halfway there. 

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