Do you know what confirms a successful event? Well, happy audience. Think about a show you are excited to attend but it is so boring that in the midway you fall asleep. In fact, half of the audience is sleeping rather than paying attention.
Disaster! It is a disaster for any host. Do you want this to happen to you? Of course, not. It is a nightmare and you can avoid such situations by following several strategies to keep your audience’s attention on you throughout the event.
Keeping your audience engaged doesn’t only guarantee the success of your event but of the things you are planning in the future. You can make a long-lasting effect on them with one event so that they would try to keep in touch with you for future endeavors.
So, whether you are a musician, comedian, or salesperson, this article is going to be helpful for you. So read this till the end.
Also, if you are planning to host any event in Singapore, you can check an event planner host Emcee Singapore for you that will resolve your issues and help you to make the event successful
Audience Engagement
There are various interpretations of audience engagement by different experts. But in simple words, it means how interested your audience is throughout the event.
The human mind is always wavering. And their concentration diverges until they find something interesting to pay attention to. The success of any event is measured by how happy your audience were during and after the event. It decides the fate of the event as well as of the host.
For example, if the host is able to engage the audience for a long time, they will be able to build a fanbase. It will also guarantee the success of their upcoming events.
Now the question is how to increase audience engagement throughout the event. Well, here are some effective tips you can follow.
Strategies To Keep Your Audience Engaged
Presentation
Pay proper attention to your presentation. You should wear neat and clean clothes. You should wear clothes according to the event you are organizing.
For example, if you’re hosting a stand-up comedy, you should wear casual clothes like a t-shirt or jeans.
If it’s a poetry session then you can wear traditional clothes. If you are organizing a musical event, you can wear tuxedos or suits.
Introduce Yourself
Before you start the event, itself give a brief introduction of yourself to your audience. Rather than giving a big, plain introduction, go with a short and engaging one. Also, make one or two jokes about it to give a good laugh to your audience from the beginning.
Maintain Eye Contact
Think about an event where the host is looking down at the ground or stuttering while speaking. You will get bored and your focus will divert to something else.
One of the most important traits of a good host is that they should make eye contact with the audience and should be confident while speaking to them.
Also, try to memorize the script before the event and don’t depend on the paper while speaking. As it would turn your event into a speech-giving function and the audience would be least interested.
Break The Ice
After giving your introduction, break the ice between you and your audience by having a quick introduction to them.
Pick a few audience members and ask them questions about themselves. You can ask them to give an introduction about themselves, what they do, and how they feel currently.
Keep The Ambience Light
A serious and dull event makes everyone bored. Forget about the audience, even the staff member will start yawning.
It is your responsibility to keep the ambiance light and playful. Keep cracking jokes in between to keep your audience engaged.
Tell A Story
Another interesting way to keep your audience engaged is by telling a story. If you know the master of storytelling, then you can grab their attention of them for hours.
The art of storytelling is valuable. The speaker changes their voice into different tones to make it interesting. Build suspicion maintain, the flow of the story, and keep the listener engaged.
The ones who master this art are able to give a roller coaster ride to the listeners.
Ask Proactive Questions
You can ask proactive questions to the customers throughout the event to ensure that they are paying attention to you.
Also, if you are asking a question the audience will try to listen to you carefully as they may have to answer the question.
You can also hold a quick Q&A session, where your audience can ask questions to you to resolve their query or to know more about you or the guests.
Prizes
Who wouldn’t resist free gifts? You can keep the audience engaged by playing games or quizzes with them and rewarding the right answer with prizes.
Host An After Party
After spending hours with your audience and sitting and telling you can give them time to shine. You can throw an after-party for lunch to show your gratitude to your audience for coming and listening to you. It is also a good way to one on one and builds good relations.
Final Words
Lastly, you need to make your audience feel like they are having one of the best moments of life at this event. So, follow these strategies or develop them on your own. After all, keeping your audience engaged will ensure the success of your future events.
