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If you think that virtual events aren’t that popular anymore since the pandemic stopped, think again.
Did you know that according to the vFairs’s survey, 77.2% of the people surveyed prefer virtual events?
And we aren’t talking only about webinars, workshops, etc. - virtual events have become a great networking hub where you can meet new people.
Moreover, popular virtual platforms like Zoom have paved the way for new and creative ways to network.
But how do you make a lasting impression when you’re not physically present?
Read on to find out what Zoom networking event ideas you can try and why digital business cards are becoming increasingly popular for networking efficiently.
The main reason why online events are still popular lies in their multiple benefits:
🔥 Ease of attendance
🔥 Global outreach
🔥 Lower organizational costs
🔥 More sponsorship opportunities.
And here are some impressive statistics to back it up.
In addition, online events are also popular because of relatively less complex administration and the lack of logistical restrictions.
However, even the impressive statistics won’t help unless you find creative ways to keep your attendees engaged and genuinely interested.
One of the most common pitfalls is turning your event into a dull one, with the attendees being bored and zoning out.
So, let’s get practical and see 5 zoom networking event ideas you can try next time you want to organize a memorable and exciting virtual event.
Speed networking events are a great example of how you can repurpose an already existing and popular concept, speed dating, and give it a new life.
Speed networking is probably the most dynamic networking event because it is fast-paced and time-limited.
Like speed dating, there are 5-10-minute rounds where you meet other attendees, have a little chit-chat, and exchange information.
Once the round is finished, you are paired up with another attendee.
Therefore, speed networking acts as a great ice-breaker because it prevents you from going all over the place when introducing yourself. It helps you stay relevant and create more networking opportunities.
What can help you greatly in boosting your networking efforts are digital business cards, like the one from Tapni.
Using digital business cards enables you to exchange or send your information quickly and efficiently, and time is definitely of the essence when it comes to speed networking.
For example, with a tap or scan, you can instantly share:
As you can see, you can provide much more info with digital business cards compared to traditional paper ones.
And it’s not only about the quantity, but quality, too. The type of information you can send will help you be more memorable and stand out after the rounds are finished.
You can organize networking events more traditionally, it doesn’t have to be speed networking if it isn’t your cup of tea.
Still, you need to choose a good event platform, like Zoom, with a good technological setup to stream the entire event seamlessly.
If you or your company are experts in your industry, organizing virtual event series that cover a wide range of related topics is a great way to attract a larger crowd.
Furthermore, enabling a Q&A session during or after the event will keep the engagement high and boost lively and bubbly discussions.
Pro tip:
In order to build stronger connections with the attendees, digital cards such as Tapni can help you a great deal.
For example, while you run your Zoom networking event, you can post the QR code from your digital business as the background so that the attendees can simply scan it and find all the relevant info about you.
And the great thing about QR codes is that devices that aren’t NFC-compatible can access the information.
Furthermore, after the event, you can automatically send a message to all the attendees that have contacted you or visited your profile.
Isn’t that great?
If you're looking for a way to add excitement to your next virtual networking event, consider creating breakout rooms.
Breakout rooms are a great way to add an element of interactivity and can help facilitate networking in a more intimate setting.
People are generally more prone to talk and engage with each other in a smaller group setting. Thus, breakout rooms can help encourage networking and interaction.
Furthermore, they promote collaboration - attendees can collaborate on projects or brainstorm ideas more effectively than if they were all in one large group.
Finally, breakout rooms allow for flexibility and customization because you can organize and divide them to ensure your event is tailored to your audience and their needs.
And this leads us to choosing a targeted audience.
When organizing a networking event, it is important to choose a targeted audience. You need to know how to group your attendees - this is particularly important if you plan to use breakout rooms.
A usual way to do it is to send a short survey to individual attendees prior to your event.
As a general rule of thumb, the survey has questions to help you understand their background, interests, and reasons for attending your event.
So technically, you act as a matchmaker that brings people together.
The process can last much shorter, thanks to digital business card solutions.
If your attendees use apps like Tapni, you’ll be able to see all of their relevant info in a matter of minutes.
This way, you can skip the whole survey process and skip sending emails back and forth.
You'll get better insight into their personalities and interests by checking your attendees’ social media links, website info, photos, etc.
Consequently, it will be much easier for you to group them.
Thus, apps like Tapni provide actionable analytics so you can understand networking activities better.
And as a result, regroup and select the participants much quicker and smoother next time you host a networking event.
Therefore, you can measures ROI at events or reward top performers so that you can take further actions based on valuable insights.
Gamification is an effective way to increase engagement and motivation.
It creates a more enjoyable and interactive experience for attendees while providing competition and social interaction opportunities.
Virtual networking events can often be daunting, particularly for introverts or those not used to meeting new people on a large scale.
However, incorporating gamification elements into the event can help reduce anxiety and make the whole experience more fun and engaging.
You can use gamification in multiple ways:
✨ You can give points to the participants for attending certain sessions or completing certain tasks, with the person with the most points at the end of the event being the winner.
✨ You can divide attendees into teams and give them challenges they need to complete together.
✨You can offer the teams or individuals to redeem points from a selection of virtual swag bags, freebies, etc.
Not only can gamification increase enjoyment and engagement levels among attendees, but it can also help facilitate more meaningful connections between individuals.
Ultimately, this could lead to improved networking outcomes for everyone involved.
Networking events offer a great opportunity to grow your professional network and build relationships.
We have provided you with 5 Zoom networking event ideas so you can host a memorable virtual event.
But a digital business card is the way to go if you want to take networking events to a higher level.
However, although all digital business cards are equal, but some are more equal than others.
Most digital business card providers only allow you to create a card with few customization options but no analytics or tracking tools.
But not Tapni.
With Tapni, you can create a digital business card in 6 easy steps, and fully customize it.
But digital business cards aren’t the only products because Tapni offers: Tapni Stickers, Tapni Keychains, and Tapni Wristbands.
Furthermore, Tapni helps you automate lead generation by directly sending new leads to your CRM thanks to our native integrations.
And as the cherry on top, the other person doesn’t need a Tapni app to receive your information.
So, to sum it up, with Tapni, you can:
🔥 fully customize your digital business card
🔥 easily share your info
🔥 benefit from useful analytics tools
🔥 automate lead generation,
🔥 and much more.
Ready to tap into Tapni?
Then, create your very own digital business card and boost your networking.
You can make up to 50 separate breakout rooms, automatically or manually. Furthermore, you can allow participants to choose and enter breakout sessions as they please, and you, as a host, can switch between sessions at any time.
For more information, visit Zoom's Help Center.
In order to maximize your ROI, consider:
And, of course, use analytics tools to measure ROI and understand networking activities better.
A digital business card can revolutionize the way you network. You can provide much more information than on a regular paper business card.
This way, a possible prospect can get more info about your line of business, your projects, and your overall work.
Furthermore, you can interact with multiple people at once.
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