Okay, let’s be real. Giving presentations and engaging with your audience in a virtual environment can be a challenge. Primarily come across as boring and dull. Be used to presenting in a physical environment, we depend on body language and social cues for almost 60% - 90% of our communication. There are so many techniques out there that help you engage with your audience virtually as if you were with them in person. Don’t let the setting of talking through your computer hold you back! Practice your presentations with your audience and you will soon see clear results that it is simple to engage with your audience in a virtual environment!

Why is virtual engagement important?

Virtual engagement allows you to create a relationship with your members or co-workers. Virtual engagement is vital for any organization as it breaks barriers all over the world and opens up incredible networking opportunities. Online engagement is necessary for any organization that uses online events or conferences as it increases the chances that your members will stick by your organization !Here are our best ways to engage with your audience in a virtual environment.

Increase your visibility

The first thing you should do before engaging with your audience is to make sure they can see as much of you as possible. Try and get as much of your body into the camera as possible as this will help with getting your body language across. Be a presence on the screen rather than just a face. The best ways to do this are;

• Take a step or two back from the camera (but not too far as it will be difficult to see you
• Make sure you have enough room to use your body language
• Over emphasize your body language

Speak clearly and carefully

Whilst talking to your audience make sure you sound as confident as you can. Project your voice in a loud and clear manner. Make sure you know exactly what you want to say and how to say it. Enunciating words helps. Pretend you are talking to a group of 3rd graders and need them to understand what you are teaching. A useful way of talking with more confidence is to hold a pen or piece of paper you can play around with. This takes some of your thought away from your nerves and will let your voice ring through.

Ask Questions

A terrific way of engaging your audience is to ask them questions and to involve them in what you are saying. This can be a simple “how are you all today?” at the beginning of your speech. You can also ask them certain questions about what you are discussing and to see if they know the answers. If they know you will ask questions or call upon them they will be more inclined to pay attention and stay involved in what you are discussing rather than scrolling through their phones.

Don’t keep your audience waiting

One of the best tips for virtual engagement is to not keep your audience waiting. If the event is meant to start at eight then start as close as possible to then. If you keep your audience waiting you will see your virtual engagement drop steadily as they will grow bored waiting around and will let distractions get the better of them. It’s hard to look away from your phone once you start scrolling!

Use visualization

Visualization is key to virtual engagement. Let your audience see what you are talking about. Use PowerPoint presentations and visual aids to improve their experience. Everyone loves visualization, it’s easy on the eyes and makes topics less confusing. Give your audience access to the slide so they can look through it after the event. This lets them recap what was said and learn.

Give out surveys

At the end of your presentation or event, give your audience a survey they can fill out online so they can give you feedback about what you had to say or about the event in general. This is a great way to engage with your audience. It makes them feel wanted and cared for as their opinion matters to your organization. Use their points made in the survey to improve upon future events or presentations. This will show them that they have a say and will be further engaged in future presentations and events.

Conclusion

And there you have it, 6 easy ways to help you with virtual engagement with your online audience. Remember, it’s up to you to improve on audience engagement. Keep them interested and invested in what your organization has to offer! Creating engaging interactions online is a crucial aspect of communication in today's professional and cooperative landscape. It's important to understand the fundamentals of creating face-to-face interactions in a virtual setting. Mastering virtual communication will not only help you create more efficient business operations and methods, but it will also feel as if there is no screen between you and your audience. Before you can master communicating through an online medium, you need to know the roadblocks most event hosts, trainers, managers, and organizers face online. Check out this guide that breaks down 3 Challenges to Solve When Creating Face-to-Face Interactions Online in 2021!