Virtual Event Marketing 2025 Playbook: From Registration to Revenue

Major Takeaways: Virtual Event Marketing

How Do You Turn a Virtual Event into Real Sales Pipeline?

• Align your virtual event strategy with sales objectives by setting KPIs like qualified leads and opportunities generated. Over 45% of B2B marketers prioritize pipeline as the primary event goal.

What Makes a Virtual Event Marketing Strategy Effective?

• Strong pre-event planning, aligned sales-marketing efforts, and mapped attendee journeys are critical. 87% of marketers consider opportunities generated the top success metric.

How Should You Promote a Virtual Event for Maximum Attendance?

• Use a multichannel approach including email, social media, partners, and sales outreach. Email drives 76% of registrations, and sales teams influence up to 39%.

Which Platforms Are Best for Virtual Event Marketing?

• Select a platform with engagement tools, CRM integrations, and analytics. 71% of organizers use live polling to boost engagement; 70.6% seek MAP integrations.

Is Virtual Reality Event Marketing a Viable Option in 2025?

• Yes, especially for trade shows, demos, and networking. One-third of marketers plan to use AR/VR to enhance experiences and deepen engagement.

Should You Use Webinar Marketing Services or Go In-House?

• External webinar promotion services can improve lead quality and event ROI. They handle end-to-end management, content, and post-event follow-up, freeing internal teams to focus on sales.

What’s the Most Effective Way to Follow Up After a Virtual Event?

• Follow up within 48 hours using a combination of thank-you emails, lead scoring, and sales outreach. Timely action increases conversion and capitalizes on peak attendee interest.

Why Is Sales Involvement Essential in Virtual Events?

• Sales alignment ensures better targeting, qualified handoffs, and faster follow-ups. Integrated sales-marketing efforts convert attendees into pipeline faster and more consistently.

Introduction

Virtual events have become a B2B marketing powerhouse – but are you turning those event attendees into actual customers? In fact, 98% of B2B marketers say virtual events are one of the best channels for generating high-quality leads (2), surpassing many traditional tactics. Webinars and online events aren’t just pandemic-era stopgaps anymore; they’re strategic tools for driving pipeline growth. 45% of B2B marketers rank webinars as the most effective top-of-funnel tactic (with virtual events a close second at 35%) (3), reflecting how pivotal these digital experiences have become for demand generation.

Yet despite high attendance and engagement, virtual event ROI often hinges on what happens after the cameras stop rolling. Too many companies celebrate a well-attended webinar, only to see sales leads grow cold in the aftermath. Our goal in this playbook is clear: help you transform virtual event engagement into real sales opportunities. We’ll share a 2025-ready virtual event marketing strategy – from pre-event promotion to post-event follow-up – so you can build a repeatable process that turns virtual attendees into loyal customers.

Ready to elevate your virtual event game and fill your sales pipeline? Let’s dive into the strategy, tools, and tactics that will make your next online event a pipeline-fueling machine. After all, if nearly half of marketers host 20–30 virtual events per year (1), shouldn’t each one meaningfully boost your bottom line?

Virtual Event Marketing Strategy for 2025

Successful virtual event marketing starts with a strategic foundation. It’s not enough to host a webinar and hope for leads – you need a plan that links your event directly to sales pipeline outcomes. This means defining goals, aligning with sales, and designing an experience that guides attendees along the buyer’s journey.

Above: How marketers measure virtual event success. Note that pipeline-related metrics like opportunities generated (87%) and deals closed (71%) rank among the top success factors for virtual events (1). In other words, marketing teams judge virtual events not just by attendance, but by how many opportunities and revenue they ultimately drive.

Set Clear Objectives and Sales KPIs. We begin every event campaign by asking: What does success look like? For virtual events aimed at lead generation, success should tie to pipeline metrics – for example, number of qualified appointments and leads, new opportunities created, or even revenue from event-sourced deals. In 2025, 45.7% of marketers say generating pipeline is the primary goal of their virtual events (1), so align your strategy accordingly. Set specific lead generation KPIs (e.g. “convert 20% of attendees into Sales Qualified Leads within 4 weeks”) to give your team a concrete target beyond just registration numbers.

Know Your Audience and Value Proposition. A strategic plan starts with the who and why. Define your ideal attendee profile (job titles, industries, account tier, etc.) and tailor the event content to their needs. The 5 P’s of event marketing (Product, Price, Promotion, Place, People) offer a helpful blueprint. For a virtual event, Product is your content – ensure it’s solving a real problem or filling a knowledge gap for your target audience (4). People refers to both the attendees and presenters: secure engaging speakers who resonate with your prospects’ pain points. When your event promises to educate or offer insights (the “product”), attendance and engagement will follow – 80% of people attend virtual events for educational content (1). Make it clear what unique value attendees will get (exclusive research? A demo of a solution to a common challenge?) and why they shouldn’t miss it.

Align Marketing and Sales from Day 1. One hallmark of a strategic approach is tight sales-marketing alignment. We ensure our SDRs and sales reps are in the loop well before the event. Why? Because those reps will be instrumental in turning warm attendees into pipeline later. In practical terms, involve sales in planning the follow-up email cadence and defining what constitutes a “qualified” attendee (e.g. did they attend certain sessions, ask a question, fit the ICP?). Marketing automation and CRM integration (which we’ll cover later) should be set up so that salespeople automatically receive attendee engagement data – who attended, how long, what they clicked – to prioritize their outreach. When sales knows an attendee spent 45 minutes in your virtual demo, they can follow up with highly relevant, timely communication. This coordination is key: 87% of marketers consider the opportunities generated by an event as a success metric (1), so marketing must enable sales to seize those opportunities quickly.

Plan Engagement to Prevent “Digital Drop-Off.” A strategic plan accounts for the realities of virtual fatigue – it’s easy for attendees to tune out or multitask. Audience engagement is cited as the #1 challenge in virtual events (1), so bake interactive elements into your event format. Incorporate live polls, Q&A sessions, chat discussions, breakout rooms or workshops – anything that turns passive viewers into active participants. These aren’t just gimmicks; 49% of marketers say audience engagement is the biggest factor in a successful event (1). Engaged attendees learn more and feel more connected – making them warmer leads when sales follows up. For example, if you host a virtual panel discussion, plan for live polling on key topics and allocate time for panelists to answer attendee questions from the chat. Not only does this keep attention high, it gives you valuable data (poll responses, questions asked) to personalize your post-event outreach.

Map the Full Journey: Pre-Event, Live Event, Post-Event. We often say that the virtual event itself is just the midpoint of the campaign. A robust virtual event marketing strategy covers three phases:

• Pre-event: Generate excitement and registrations through targeted marketing (we’ll detail this in the next section). Also, set up touchpoints like confirmation emails with calendar invites, and reminders that add value (e.g., “Here’s a preview blog or a guide to read before the webinar”). Pre-event is also the time to equip your sales team with outreach sequences to invite key prospects personally – a tactic some companies use to great effect (in fact, 39% of marketers say their sales teams generate a significant share of event registrations (1) by directly inviting prospects).
  
• During the event: Treat the live event as an opportunity to both educate and qualify. Plan for cues that help identify hot leads: for instance, a specific call-to-action link shown at the end for a demo or consultation – those who click are clearly interested. Have sales or subject matter experts on standby to interact in chat or answer tough questions. A virtual event platform with good analytics can show you in real-time who’s engaged (e.g., responded to polls, clicked resources). Ensure someone on your team is monitoring this, so high-value attendees are noted.
  
• Post-event: This is where pipeline magic happens – if you have a follow-up strategy (we dedicate a later section to this). For now, the strategy piece is to decide what follow-up actions happen and when. For example, plan that “Day 0” (same day as event) every attendee gets a thank-you email with recording link. “Day 1” after event, sales reps call or email top attendees. “Day 3” after, a nurturing email goes to those who didn’t respond, etc. By plotting this out in advance, you avoid the common pitfall of scrambling after the event. Also plan how to keep the content alive: 65.9% of organizers make their virtual events available on-demand after the fact (1), extending lead capture beyond the live day. In your strategy, include posting the recording on your website or sending it to no-shows (those who registered but didn’t attend – often 35% or more, since virtual events average a 35% no-show rate (1)).

In summary, think of virtual event marketing strategy as part of your overall lead generation strategy, not a one-off task. When we (Martal) strategize virtual events with our partners, we ensure every event is purpose-built to drive leads into the sales funnel. With clear goals, audience-centric content, sales alignment, and engagement tactics, you set the stage for success. Next, let’s look at the actionable marketing plan to get those ideal attendees in (because even the best content won’t matter if the right people don’t show up!).

So, you have a great event planned – how do you actually get prospects to attend? That’s where your promotion strategy comes in.

How to Market a Virtual Event (Step-by-Step Plan)

Even a killer virtual event won’t move the needle if no one shows up. Marketing your virtual event effectively is critical to attract the right attendees (those likely to become customers) and to maximize turnout. Let’s break down how to market a virtual event step by step – essentially, how to build and execute a marketing plan for your virtual event.

Marketing Plan for Virtual Event: Essential Steps

1. Craft a Compelling Event Narrative & Landing Page. Every successful event promotion starts with a clear, compelling story that answers, “Why should I attend?” Develop a strong event title and description that highlights the value or problem-solving aspect. Focus on outcomes: e.g. “Learn 5 Proven Strategies to Cut Cloud Costs (Live Workshop)”. Then, create a dedicated event landing page on your website. Keep it simple and persuasive: a catchy headline, 3-5 bullet points of what attendees will learn, date/time (with timezone!), a speaker bio or two (if your speakers have credibility, flaunt it), and a prominent registration form or CTA button. Include social proof if available (like a quote from a past attendee or impressive stats from last year’s virtual event). Remember that 53% of marketers say webinar landing pages generate sales leads of high quality (3), so invest time in optimizing this page. Use an easy URL and consider embedding an intro video from the speaker to personalize it. This landing page will be the hub for all your promotion channels to drive sign-ups.

2. Leverage Email – Your Registration Workhorse. It’s no secret in B2B marketing that email is king for event promotion. 76% of marketers say email is the single most effective way to drive virtual event registrations (1). Start by emailing your in-house lead lists and customers (segmented by relevance). We recommend a sequenced email campaign: an initial invitation about 3-4 weeks out, a follow-up reminder 1-2 weeks out, and a “last chance to register” email a day or two before. Write benefit-driven subject lines (“How to do X… [Webinar Invite]”) and keep emails concise with a clear register link up top. If you have marketing automation (Marketo, HubSpot, etc.), use it to personalize merge fields (e.g. industry, name) and track who clicks. Also, don’t forget confirmation and reminder emails to those who sign up – these ensure people actually show up on the day. Pro tip: include an “Add to Calendar” link in the confirmation; you’d be surprised how many attendees rely on that.

Above: Top channels for driving virtual event registrations. Email is the standout leader (76% of marketers cite it as most effective), followed by partner promotions, social media, and paid advertising (1). An effective event marketing plan uses a mix of these channels to maximize attendance.

3. Tap into Social Media and Digital Promotion. Social media is a powerful amplifier for your event, especially for reaching new audiences through shares. 60% of virtual event organizers use social media to drive significant registrations (1), so it should be in your toolkit. Create an event hashtag and use it consistently. Post about the upcoming event on LinkedIn and Twitter (or the platforms your audience prefers) with engaging visuals – for example, a short video clip of the speaker teasing a topic, or a graphic with a quote/statistic relevant to your event. Encourage your team, speakers, and partners to share these posts to widen the reach. On LinkedIn, consider posting from both your company page and personal profiles of thought leaders at your company for a human touch. You can also use LinkedIn Events or Facebook Events features to formally list the event. If budget allows, invest in paid ads or sponsored posts targeted to your ideal attendee demographics. A little spend can go a long way: promoting a LinkedIn post about the webinar to a specific job title in your industry can capture prospects not already in your database. Programmatic advertising contributes strongly to event sign-ups for 49% of marketers (1), underscoring that paid channels are worth considering if you need a registration boost.

4. Engage Partners, Influencers, and Webinar Promotion Services. Don’t promote alone! If you have industry partners, co-hosts, or sponsors, coordinate promotion with them. Provide them with ready-made social posts or email snippets to share with their audiences (this often gets overlooked – make it easy for partners to promote you). According to research, 51% of B2B companies use their business partners to drive event registrations (1), effectively expanding reach through partner channels. Similarly, leverage any industry influencers or communities. For instance, if a well-known analyst or blogger is moderating your virtual panel, have them announce it to their followers. In some cases, you might use webinar promotion services – specialized platforms or agencies that distribute your event listing to targeted audiences (for example, services that syndicate your webinar to relevant professional networks or run ads on content hubs). By using outsourced sales services you can attract leads beyond your usual reach, though evaluate them carefully for lead quality. We’ll talk more about working with external webinar marketing agencies later in this guide.

5. Use Content Marketing to Build Buzz. In the weeks leading up, create content that ties into your event to generate interest. Publish a blog post on the event topic (e.g., a teaser of key insights or an interview with the speaker) and include a CTA to register. Share short “tips” from the upcoming webinar as LinkedIn posts or tweets. Perhaps release a relevant case study or infographic with a note that you’ll cover similar material in the event. This not only drives registrations from content readers, but it positions your event as a must-attend for those hungry for information on that topic. It’s a softer sell than direct invites but reinforces the value. And consider SEO: if you optimize your landing page and blog posts for terms like “free [topic] webinar” or “virtual event on [topic] 2025,” you might catch some organic traffic of people searching for learning opportunities.

6. Don’t Forget Internal Promotion and Sales Outreach. It’s not just marketing channels that fill seats – your sales and customer success teams can help too. Arm your BDRs/SDRs with a short personal invitation template they can email or LinkedIn-message to prospects in their pipeline: a friendly note like “Thought you might be interested in this upcoming session on X, let me know if you’d like to attend – I can save you a spot.” These 1:1 invites feel exclusive and can cut through the noise. In fact, 39% of marketers rely on their sales team to generate a noticeable portion of event registrations (1). Likewise, have your Account Managers invite key clients if appropriate (this can deepen relationships and maybe prompt upsell conversations). Internally, you can create a bit of competition or gamification: see which rep can get the most sign-ups – it encourages buy-in. Additionally, if you use an outbound agency or event marketing service for lead gen, coordinate with them to include event invitations in their cadence. We often integrate event invites into our cold outreach, outbound campaigns as a “value touchpoint” – it’s a softer ask than a sales meeting and can warm up cold prospects.

7. Timing: Start Early and Maintain Momentum. Based on industry benchmarks, an average virtual event promotional period is about 3.5 weeks (1). For C-level or hard-to-reach audiences, promotion often starts 5-6 weeks out (1) (executives’ calendars fill up!). Mark your calendar with key dates: when to send invites, when to escalate messaging, etc. Early on, focus messaging on the big value proposition (what they’ll learn); as you get closer, add urgency (“next week – don’t miss out”). In the final 48 hours, capitalize on FOMO by sharing how many have registered or a final agenda release. Also, be mindful of time zones – schedule your emails and social posts to hit the workday in the regions you target (if you target multiple geographies, consider separate sessions or an on-demand option, as virtual opens you to a global audience).

By following these steps, you’ll execute a multi-channel marketing plan for your virtual event that maximizes attendance and attracts the prospects most likely to convert. We’ve seen clients double their webinar turnout by simply layering channels – e.g., not relying only on email, but adding social and personal outreach. The key is repetition (without being spammy) and clear value in every touch.

Transition from Promotion to Event: As registrations roll in, continue engaging those registrants before the event. Send a “What to Expect” email with the agenda or a related blog post – it keeps them excited and reduces no-shows. Now, with a solid roster of attendees expected, the focus shifts to your virtual event platform and experience. In the next section, we’ll explore how choosing the right platform and technology can make or break your event’s success.

Choosing a Virtual Event Marketing Platform

Not all virtual event platforms are created equal. Choosing the right virtual event marketing platform is a strategic decision that can dramatically impact audience engagement, data collection, and ultimately your ability to convert attendees afterward. In our experience, the platform is the foundation of your virtual event – it’s like the venue for a physical conference. A great platform enhances interaction and insight; a poor one frustrates attendees and hides valuable data. Let’s look at what to consider when selecting your platform (or evaluating if your current one is up to par).

Above: Most popular virtual event platforms among B2B marketers (by market share) (5). Established players like Intrado (31.6%), ON24 (20.1%), Bizzabo (~14.8%), and others dominate in 2024. This reflects a competitive landscape – with many platforms to choose from, you’ll want to base your choice on features and fit, not just popularity.

Prioritize Core Features for Engagement. First and foremost, ensure any platform on your shortlist has robust audience engagement tools. This includes live polling, Q&A management, chat or networking lounges, the ability for multiple speakers/panelists, and possibly gamification elements (quizzes, challenges) if that suits your event style. Why is this so crucial? Because as we noted, engaging attendees keeps them interested – and engaged attendees are much more likely to turn into leads. Many modern platforms (Hopin, Zoom Events, Webex Events, Airmeet, etc.) offer these features, but the ease of use can vary. Request a demo and experience the attendee side: Is asking a question intuitive? Can attendees easily chat or download resources? Given that 71% of organizers use live polling to keep audiences engaged (5) and 61% incorporate video content within events to captivate attendees (5), you want a platform that makes these interactions seamless.

Integration with Your Tech Stack. Another non-negotiable in 2025 is integration capability. The platform should play nicely with your CRM and marketing automation tools. For example, can it automatically export attendee data and engagement metrics into Salesforce or HubSpot? Can it trigger follow-up emails from your MAP (Marketing Automation Platform) based on attendance status? This is key to converting attendees later. In fact, 70.6% of event organizers look for marketing automation integrations when selecting a virtual event platform (1) – a majority clearly recognizes how vital it is to connect the dots. If a platform doesn’t integrate directly, see if it allows API access or at least CSV export of data. Manual data wrangling post-event is a time sink you don’t need. Ideally, the moment your webinar ends, you want a list of attendees, no-shows, and their activity (questions asked, polls answered) ready for your sales team – either via integration or a quick export.

Analytics and Data Tracking. Going hand-in-hand with integration is the depth of analytics the platform provides. Look for platforms that give you rich insights: Who attended and for how long? Which sessions did they attend (for multi-session events)? Did they click any links or download resources? How did they respond to polls? Some advanced platforms even offer engagement scores for each attendee. These data points are a goldmine for post-event follow-up – e.g., you might prioritize a lead that attended the entire event and asked two questions, over one who dropped off after 10 minutes. Also, consider platforms that track on-demand viewings if you offer the content afterward; those counts matter as “secondary” attendees. Remember, data is your ally – it helps personalize outreach (“Hi Jane, I noticed you asked about X during our webinar…”) and qualify leads. So choose a platform that doesn’t treat your event as a black box, but rather illuminates everything going on inside.

Scalability and Reliability. From a technical standpoint, ensure the platform can handle your expected audience size and format. Are you doing a simple single-presenter webinar for 50 people or a virtual conference with 1,000+ attendees, multiple tracks, and sponsor booths? Some platforms are better suited for one or the other. Check attendee limits on pricing plans. Also, evaluate reliability: nothing will kill your momentum (and credibility) faster than a platform crash or audio issues. Look up reviews or ask the vendor about uptime and support. A telling stat: 38% of marketers say they’ve encountered technical problems when hosting virtual events (1) – that’s more than 1 in 3. You want to minimize the chance you’ll be in that bucket. Features like support for presenters (backstage mode, tech checks, a dedicated support line during live events) are worth considering, especially for high-stakes broadcasts.

Advanced Features: Networking, Breakouts, and Virtual Expo. Depending on your event goals, you might need advanced capabilities. For instance, if one goal is to let prospects network with your reps or peers, look for breakout rooms or 1:1 meeting scheduling within the platform. Some platforms allow attendees to book meetings with sales during or after the event, or have virtual “tables” for small group networking. If your event includes sponsors or multiple product showcases, consider platforms with virtual booths or expo halls – indeed 87% of organizers of large events opt for platforms with virtual sponsorship booth capabilities (1) to help monetize and enrich the experience. While not every event needs this, it’s a growing trend as virtual conferences aim to mimic in-person trade shows. Additionally, virtual reality (VR) support is an emerging feature (more on VR in the next section) – a few cutting-edge platforms allow immersive 3D environments or avatar-based networking. These can wow attendees, but only if your audience is tech-savvy enough to use them (and has the necessary hardware or downloads).

Cost and Budget Alignment. Of course, practical considerations like cost matter too. Virtual event platform pricing models vary widely – from per-event fees, to annual licenses, to freemium with upgrades. Map the pricing to your event frequency and audience size. If you plan to host 20+ webinars a year, an annual license with a robust platform might be more economical (and consistent) than piecemeal. Keep in mind, the largest portion of a virtual event budget often goes to the platform itself (1), so it’s a significant investment. But skimping with an inadequate free tool could cost you more in lost leads or a poor attendee experience. Weigh the ROI: a platform that helps you convert even a few more attendees into customers can quickly pay for itself.

User Experience for Both Attendees and Hosts. Finally, never underestimate ease of use. Test the platform’s interface as if you’re an attendee: Is the login or joining process easy (ideally browser-based without massive downloads)? Is the interface clean or cluttered? If attendees struggle to figure out how to mute/unmute or where to find the slides, that friction hurts engagement. Similarly, test the host/presenter experience: are the controls intuitive? Can you smoothly share screen, switch presenters, moderate Q&A? A platform may look feature-rich on paper but be clunky in practice. Given that 74% of organizers say it takes over a month to fully configure and prepare a virtual event platform (1), you want a solution that’s powerful but doesn’t require a PhD in IT to operate. Many top platforms offer training or onboarding – take advantage of that.

In summary, choose your virtual event marketing platform as carefully as you’d choose a physical venue and event staff. It sets the stage for everything. In our playbook, we often help clients evaluate platforms by making a simple checklist of must-haves (integrations, engagement tools, capacity, etc.) and nice-to-haves (like VR, fancy 3D lobbies). The right platform will enhance your content and make follow-ups easier; the wrong one can frustrate attendees or silo your data. Next, we’ll explore a cutting-edge aspect of virtual sales events – the rise of virtual reality in event marketing – which is an exciting frontier for those looking to deliver even more immersive experiences.

Virtual Reality Event Marketing (Emerging Trends)

Is virtual reality the next big thing in event marketing? As we look toward 2025 and beyond, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are making inroads into the event world, promising more immersive and engaging experiences. Virtual reality event marketing refers to using VR technology to host or enhance events – think virtual conferences where attendees navigate a 3D expo hall with avatars, or product demos where you can “hold” a 3D model in your VR headset. It’s a fast-evolving space, and savvy marketers are experimenting now to stand out and capture audience imagination.

Growing Interest in AR/VR for Events. A few years ago, VR events might have sounded like science fiction for most B2B teams. Today, they’re increasingly realistic (no pun intended). A recent industry survey found 33% of event organizers plan to use augmented reality (AR) for future events, and about a third plan to incorporate VR for enhanced experiences (6). That’s a significant chunk considering the technology and adoption curve. Driving this interest is the allure of offering something novel and memorable: VR can simulate that in-person wow factor that traditional web events sometimes lack. As one example, we’ve seen tech companies host VR product launches where attendees anywhere in the world could strap on a headset and explore a virtual demo room, interacting with holographic product models. The feedback? Attendees felt way more connected to the product than via slides or videos.

Use Cases: Where VR Adds Value. VR isn’t necessary for every event, but it can be transformative for certain use cases:

• Virtual Trade Shows/Expos: Instead of a flat webpage of sponsor logos, imagine a 3D exhibit hall. Attendees “walk” around, enter booths, talk via voice chat to reps or watch presentations on virtual screens. Companies like vFairs and others have experimented with pseudo-3D environments, and fully VR ones are emerging. This can recreate the exploratory feel of a trade show, which is hard to achieve in a standard webinar format.
  
• Product Demonstrations and Training: For complex physical products (machinery, medical devices, hardware), VR allows a hands-on feel. Prospects can virtually inspect a 3D model, see it in action, or even simulate its use. For training events, VR can immerse attendees in a scenario (think safety training where you navigate a virtual plant, etc.). This interactivity can deeply engage potential buyers – they’re not just hearing about the product, they’re experiencing a version of it.
  
• Networking and Social Connection: One common gripe about virtual events is the lack of personal interaction, those hallway conversations. VR event platforms (like AltspaceVR, Mozilla Hubs, or newer metaverse-esque platforms) allow attendees to appear as avatars in a shared space, conversing in groups. It might sound whimsical, but even a cartoonish avatar can make networking feel more natural than text chat – you can spatially move in and out of conversations, “bump into” someone, etc. As business travel remains selective, VR can fill some of that gap by providing a space for casual interactions, which can foster business relationships in a way webinars can’t.
  
• Brand Experience and Wow Factor: Let’s face it, part of marketing is storytelling and impressing your audience. A VR experience, even a short one, can set your brand apart. For instance, a virtual keynote where the presenter is on a virtual stage with dramatic visuals floating around them – far more engaging than a talking head on Zoom. If your audience skews innovative or you’re in tech, using VR can itself signal that your company is cutting-edge. Just ensure it’s not tech for tech’s sake – tie it to a story. For example, a sustainability-focused company might host a VR “tour” of an ideal sustainable city to illustrate concepts from their conference.

AR: The Bridge to Reality. Augmented reality, which overlays digital elements on the real world (usually via a smartphone or AR glasses), is also creeping into events. For more accessible participation (since not everyone has a VR headset), AR can be used in hybrid events or even purely virtual ones:

• AR for Hybrid Events: At in-person conferences, AR apps can let attendees point their phone at a product and see additional 3D info, or navigate the venue with AR arrows. This benefits virtual marketing by extending interactivity to physical attendees’ devices.
  
• Virtual Booth AR Swag: We’ve seen creative ideas like sending attendees a mailer with an AR trigger image – when viewed through a mobile app, it displays a 3D model or video message. This kind of multi-sensory engagement can augment the virtual event experience at home.
  
• Interactive Presentations: A speaker might use AR to make their presentation pop: e.g., asking attendees to scan a QR code that loads an AR model on their desk at home. Now the audience is literally touching (virtually) the subject of the talk.

Challenges and Considerations. While VR/AR is exciting, approach it with a practical lens. Not all attendees will have VR hardware – though Facebook (Meta) and others are pushing consumer headsets, penetration in B2B audiences is still limited. One workaround is to offer a 3D experience accessible via a web browser (not full VR, but something like a first-person 3D environment navigable on screen). Also, there’s a learning curve; some folks might not be comfortable or might face technical hiccups. Always provide a fallback. For instance, if you host a VR networking session, also provide a standard video meeting link for those who can’t join VR. Test thoroughly – you don’t want your big VR debut marred by glitches. Keep the content quality high; VR magic won’t save a dull message. And be mindful of time – VR can be intense; people might not want to stay in a headset for hours. Short, impactful VR segments might work better than making an entire 3-hour conference in VR.

The ROI of VR in Event Marketing. Does VR actually help convert attendees to customers? It can, indirectly. By delivering a memorable experience, you increase attendee satisfaction and recall of your content. One study noted that two-thirds of event attendees feel more positively about a brand following an experiential, interactive event – VR can certainly be that kind of interaction (6). If someone was on the fence about your product, a VR demo might push them over by providing clarity or excitement that a brochure could not. VR also generates buzz – attendees may talk about it on social media (“Just attended a virtual reality product launch – mind blown!”), extending your reach. That said, measure it like any other tactic: survey attendees (“would you like more VR experiences?”), track engagement (did those who used the VR platform convert at higher rates?), and keep an eye on costs.

In summary, virtual reality event marketing is an emerging but promising field. As part of our 2025 playbook, we encourage considering small pilots of AR/VR if it aligns with your audience and goals. Even if you don’t dive into VR immediately, staying informed on these trends is wise – they could be mainstream in a few years. The core principle remains: engagement drives conversion. VR and AR are new means to that end. If they can help your attendees be more engaged and connected, they’re worth a look.

Next, let’s shift back from technology to people. We’ve covered strategy, promotion, platforms, and even futuristic tech. But executing all this can be resource-intensive. That’s where external webinar marketing services and agencies come in – our next topic is how to leverage outside expertise to boost your virtual event success.

Webinar Marketing Services and Promotion

Crafting and executing a high-impact virtual event campaign is a lot of work. From creating compelling content, to driving registrations, to managing the live experience and follow-ups – it’s no wonder many companies seek help from webinar marketing services or agencies. If you lack an internal team dedicated to webinars and virtual events, partnering with lead generation specialists can dramatically improve your results. In this section, we’ll explore how leveraging webinar marketing services, webinar promotion services, and agency support can extend your reach and ease your workload.

Think of these services as an extension of your marketing team – bringing expertise, tools, and manpower that might take years for you to build in-house. Here’s how they can help:

• End-to-End Webinar Management: Some webinar marketing agencies offer soup-to-nuts management. They help strategize the topic to attract your target audience, set up the registration pages, run technical rehearsals with speakers, moderate the live event, and even handle post-event analytics. This can be invaluable if you’re new to virtual events or want to ensure a polished, TV-quality production. For example, an agency might provide a professional host or moderator for your panel discussion, ensuring conversations flow and key messages land. They might also handle all the slide design and multimedia to keep the visuals engaging. By outsourcing lead generation and these tasks, your internal team can focus on what matters – engaging with prospects and planning how to convert them later.
  
• Webinar Promotion Services: As we discussed earlier, promotion is critical. Specialized webinar promotion services can amplify your event to wider audiences. These services might include access to exclusive industry email lists, placement in webinar listing websites or newsletters, or running targeted ad campaigns on your behalf. Some agencies maintain large databases of professionals who opt-in for webinars in certain fields, essentially acting as a broker to match content with interested attendees. For instance, if you’re hosting a SaaS product demo webinar, a promotion service might blast the invite to a curated list of IT managers who have attended similar events. The benefit: you reach fresh leads who aren’t in your CRM yet. When evaluating such services, ask about the quality of their lists (how they source and update contacts) and see if they guarantee a minimum number of registrants. It’s often pay-for-performance, e.g., you pay per lead or per attendee they generate. This can supplement your own outreach strategies nicely, especially if you’re trying to grow your audience in a new market.
  
• Content and Production Expertise: A great webinar isn’t just about showing up on Zoom – it requires good content and smooth production. Webinar marketing services often have content specialists who can refine your messaging or even script parts of the webinar for maximum impact. They ensure your value proposition comes across clearly and that there are persuasive moments (like a demo or a customer story) timed at the right points. On the production side, agencies can provide technical producers who run the backend: managing slides, switching layouts, handling any video roll-ins, and troubleshooting issues in real-time. This is huge for peace of mind. If something goes wrong (e.g., a presenter’s mic fails), their team jumps in to fix or fill the gap, while your team isn’t panicking. The result: a professional experience that impresses attendees and reflects well on your brand. It’s akin to having an AV crew for a physical conference, but virtual.
  
• Audience Engagement and Moderation: Keeping the audience engaged often requires having people dedicated to that role. Agencies commonly provide moderators who watch the Q&A and chat, respond to easy questions directly, and curate interesting questions to pose to the speaker on-air. They might run the polling questions for you and encourage participation (“We’d love to see everyone answer the poll on your screen now”). This kind of real-time facilitation ensures no attendee question goes ignored and that presenters aren’t overwhelmed trying to present and manage chat. It makes attendees feel heard, which contributes to a positive experience – critical for nurturing them into opportunities later. Some services even have tactics to boost engagement, like live contests (“The first 10 people to answer a quiz get a gift”) or social media tie-ins, which can inject fun and excitement.
  
• Follow-Up and Lead Nurturing Support: A huge advantage of using webinar marketing services is that some will assist with the post-event follow-up. They might help segment the attendee list (e.g., hot vs. cold leads based on engagement), craft follow-up emails, or even conduct initial lead qualification calls. For example, a sales agency might have a team of SDRs that can call attendees on your behalf the day after the webinar to ask if they have any questions and gauge interest – essentially warming them further before handing over to your sales team. This is similar to how B2B appointment setting services operate, and indeed some lead generation agencies (Martal included) can fold webinar follow-up into a broader outbound cadence. If you plan this right, an attendee could receive your thank-you email, plus a friendly call from a rep (or agency SDR) referencing the webinar, offering additional resources or a meeting. This multi-touch follow-up significantly increases conversion rates, and an agency can execute it at scale if your internal team is too busy. Considering that 90% of B2B marketers say appointment setting (i.e., setting sales meetings) is effective for generating leads (2), having help to swiftly secure appointments with webinar attendees can be a game-changer for pipeline.

Now, how do you choose and work with a webinar marketing agency or service effectively?

Selecting the Right Partner. Look for agencies with experience in your industry or event type. Ask for case studies or references – e.g., have they successfully run virtual events for B2B tech companies targeting C-level execs? Their approach might differ from events targeting, say, SMB customers or developers. Review their menu of services: some may specialize in promotion only, others in full-service event management. Align their strengths to your needs. If your main challenge is getting people registered, perhaps a promotion-focused service is enough. If you’re short-handed for everything, go for an end-to-end provider. Also, discuss KPIs and reporting – a reputable service will be transparent about how they measure success (number of registrants, attendee turnout rate, post-event lead quality, etc.).

Collaboration and Brand Alignment. Treat the external team as an extension of yours. Kick off the project by clearly briefing them on your value proposition, target audience, messaging style, and goals. Share your past event data if you have any (what worked, what didn’t). The best outcomes happen when the agency understands your brand voice and objectives deeply – that way, emails they send or content they create feels authentic to your brand. Establish communication channels (weekly check-ins, Slack channel, etc.) to stay aligned as the event progresses.

Also, clarify roles: who approves content? Who responds to attendee questions about product specifics (perhaps you need a subject-matter expert on your side on call)? If they’re doing follow-up calls, provide them with a FAQ or “battle card” about your product so they can handle basic inquiries and objections. Basically, set them up for success as if hiring a new team member. This prevents any disconnect where an agency person might say something off-key to a prospect due to lack of info.

Cost-Benefit Consideration. Webinar services aren’t free, of course. They may charge per event or on a retainer. It’s worth weighing the cost against the potential lift in pipeline. For example, if an agency helps drive 200 extra attendees and 10 become customers, that revenue likely dwarfs the service fee. Even so, you might start with a pilot – perhaps engage them for one important event – and measure results. If you see significant improvement in attendance or conversion, you can justify expanding the partnership. Many find that outsourcing inside sales the logistics and promotion yields a higher ROI on the event because your internal experts can spend more time engaging prospects and less on chasing registrations or fighting technical fires.

In short, webinar marketing services and agencies can be powerful force multipliers for your virtual event efforts. They bring specialized skills, tools, and manpower that accelerate your journey from planning to pipeline. As a strategic partner, they help ensure no part of the sales process is left to chance – maximizing attendance, delivering a slick event experience, and following through with leads afterward.

We at Martal often act in this capacity for our clients, orchestrating webinar campaigns as part of a larger outbound strategy. We’ve seen firsthand how a well-run virtual event, supported by expert promotion and follow-up, can fill the top of the funnel with dozens of qualified sales ready leads virtually overnight. If scaling your virtual event impact is a priority, leveraging such services could be the smartest move you make.

Now, assuming you’ve run a successful virtual event – you had a good turnout, engaging content, perhaps even external support – the final piece of the puzzle awaits: converting those attendees into real sales opportunities. Let’s delve into the post-event game plan to turn engagement into revenue.

Converting Virtual Event Attendees into a Sales Pipeline

This is the crux: you’ve attracted the right people to your virtual event, they’ve spent 30, 60, maybe 90 minutes with your brand – how do we now convert those engaged attendees into tangible sales pipeline? The window immediately after a virtual event is a golden opportunity. Attendees’ interest is at its peak, the content is fresh in their minds, and your company’s credibility is (hopefully) elevated from delivering value. A swift, strategic follow-up process can transform that momentum into meetings, opportunities, and deals.

Let’s break down a comprehensive post-event conversion plan:

1. Immediate Thank-You & Resource Delivery (Day 0). As soon as the virtual event concludes (within hours), send all attendees a thank-you email. This email serves multiple purposes: gratitude, recap, and next steps. Thank them sincerely for their time and attention. Provide a link to the on-demand recording and any promised resources (slide deck, e-book, case study mentioned, etc.). By delivering these materials, you keep the engagement going – attendees might forward the recording to colleagues or re-watch parts. Importantly, include a clear call-to-action (CTA) in this email for those ready to take the next step. For example: “If you’d like a personalized assessment of how these strategies can work for your business, schedule a free consultation with our experts here.” or “Interested in a one-on-one demo of our solution? Click here to book a 30-minute session.” Make that CTA prominent (a big button, perhaps). You’d be surprised – a portion of your audience, riding on the enthusiasm from the event, will raise their hand immediately. Catch them! Even if it’s just 5-10% of attendees clicking through, that’s low-hanging fruit transitioning directly into your sales funnel.

Don’t forget the no-shows: those who registered but didn’t attend. They should get a slightly modified email, expressing regret that they couldn’t make it and providing the recording/resources so they still feel included. It’s a second chance to engage them – sometimes no-shows register out of interest but get pulled away, so they are still valuable leads if nurtured.

2. Rapid Sales Outreach to Highly Engaged Attendees (Day 1-3). Your sales team (or SDR team) should be poised to strike while the iron is hot. We always brief our sales reps to treat event attendee lists like a priority queue immediately after an event. Focus first on those who showed strong engagement: e.g., attendees who asked questions, responded to polls, downloaded resources, or had high fit (job titles from target accounts). These are your hot leads. A salesperson reaching out the next day might say, “Hi Jane, thanks for attending our webinar yesterday on [Topic]. I noticed you asked a great question about [X] – we didn’t get to dive deep due to time, but I have some insights that might help, would you like to schedule a call to discuss?” This personalized approach shows you paid attention and are offering additional value, not just a generic sales pitch.

The speed here is key. Research indicates that lead response time matters immensely – contacting attendees within 24-48 hours yields much higher conversion rates than a week later when the excitement fades. Moreover, 74% of B2B event organizers say they only see full ROI at least 6 months after an event (1), partly because sales cycles are long, but also because many companies are slow to follow up. By being faster, you stand out. Anecdotally, prospects often express appreciation when we follow up promptly – it signals professionalism and interest. Just be sure the outreach is helpful, not pushy: reference the event content, ask if they had questions, suggest a next step if they’re interested. It’s about continuing the conversation started at the event.

If your internal team is stretched thin, consider utilizing an appointment setting service or an outsourced SDR team for this phase. As noted earlier, 90% of marketers believe appointment setting is effective for lead gen (2), and this context is ripe for it. The external team can pre-qualify interest and schedule meetings for your sales reps, acting as a bridge. This ensures no attendee falls through the cracks even if you had hundreds of them.

3. Lead Scoring and Qualification. Not every attendee is ready for sales engagement immediately, and that’s okay. Implement a simple lead scoring model to prioritize follow-up efforts:

• Behavioral scores: e.g., Attended event = +10 points; Stayed >30 minutes = +5; Asked a question = +5; Clicked email follow-up link = +5; No-show = -5 (they might need nurturing first).
  
• Demographic/firmographic fit: e.g., Title is Director/VP or higher = +5; Target industry = +5; Target account (on your ABM list) = +10.

Add it up and assign leads to buckets (hot, warm, cold). Hot leads (score above a threshold) get personal sales outreach immediately (as in step 2). Warm leads might get a lighter touch – perhaps an email or LinkedIn message from a rep rather than a call, or a follow-up a few days later instead of next day. Cold leads (e.g., small businesses if you sell to enterprise, or students who attended out of curiosity) might just go into an automated nurture flow with less urgency.

Use your marketing automation or CRM to tag attendees appropriately. If you integrated your virtual event platform as discussed, some of this data might flow in automatically (e.g., you could see “attended = true/false” on their contact record). If not, upload a list with these indicators to your CRM.

4. Personalized Nurture for Attendees. For those not yet engaged by sales or not responding, enter them into a nurture email sequence tailored to the event topic. Since they showed interest in the subject, send additional content that builds on what they learned:

• A follow-up email a week later with a blog post or whitepaper related to the webinar topic (“Following up from our webinar, we thought you’d enjoy this case study on how Company X implemented those strategies…”).
  
• Another email maybe two weeks out with a customer testimonial or short video relevant to the pain points discussed.
  
• Perhaps an invite to another upcoming event or a shorter Q&A session (“We’re hosting a live Q&A with our CTO next month to answer any lingering questions on [Topic]. Here’s an early invite.”).

The goal is to guide them down the funnel through lead nurturing. Don’t just dump them back into your generic newsletter list. Since you know their specific interest, use that context. Marketing automation can help automate this series. But ensure it’s not too many emails too fast – you don’t want to spam. Spread out over several weeks, providing value each time and a gentle reminder that your team is available if they want a consultation or demo.

5. Sales and Marketing Debrief & Data Loop. After the initial follow-up blitz (maybe 1-2 weeks post-event), gather the team for a quick retrospective. Review conversion metrics: How many attendees have we contacted? How many responded or booked meetings? Are there common questions or objections coming up in those follow-ups? Share the qualitative feedback from sales calls – this can be gold. For instance, sales might learn an attendee is interested but timing is Q4 budget, or they want to see a specific feature in action. Marketing can record those notes and adjust nurture content accordingly (perhaps send that feature’s video to that segment).

Also, analyze event metrics in light of pipeline: Did those who engaged more during the event convert at a higher rate? (Often yes – which reinforces the earlier point about engagement). Use this data to refine your next event: maybe you realize polls are great engagement but few followed the CTA link in the thank-you email – perhaps the CTA needs to be clearer or repeated.

6. Ongoing Engagement and Community Building. A longer-term conversion strategy is to treat your event attendees as a budding community. Keep providing ways for them to engage with you and each other. This could mean starting a LinkedIn Group or online forum around the event topic and inviting attendees to join. Or regularly inviting past attendees to related webinars, virtual roundtables, or offering them early access to reports. The idea is to stay on their radar and position your brand as a continuous source of value. Then, when the attendee’s company enters a buying cycle, your firm is the one they trust and remember.

In some cases, we’ve helped clients create a post-webinar survey asking attendees if they’d like any follow-up materials or a consultation. Those who say yes obviously get fast-tracked. But even those who say no – we respect that, and instead put them on a slower email drip campaign of value-add content. You’d be amazed how a “no, not now” can turn into a sale 6 months later when they’ve received 3-4 high-value pieces from you and finally have the budget or need.

To gauge success, track the pipeline and revenue attribution to the event. How many opportunities were created from attendees? What stage are they in? How many closed (won or lost)? Given that for many B2B sales cycles can be long (often 6+ months), keep monitoring over time. Some modern tools will attribute influence of the event even if the deal closes a year later. It’s satisfying to see that, say, $500K of revenue in the next year had touchpoints at your virtual event. That’s when you can truly declare the event a pipeline victory.

From Attendee to Customer: The Human Touch. Amidst all these processes, let’s not forget the human element. Virtual or not, people buy from people. Use the event as a relationship starter. Have your account executives send personal thank-you notes to key prospects who attended (“John, thanks for attending our event – great to see you there, hope you found it useful!”). Little gestures stand out in the impersonal virtual world. If your sales reps can connect with attendees on LinkedIn (with a note referencing the event), it extends the relationship beyond the event platform. Maybe even share photos or a summary of the event on social media and tag some attendees (if appropriate) to create a sense of community. All these touches make the attendee feel valued, not just processed as part of a campaign.

Finally, be patient but persistent. Not every attendee will convert immediately. But by plugging them into a thoughtful post-event nurture and outreach program, you ensure no potential lead is left behind. Over the weeks and months following the event, those seeds you planted will start to sprout – a meeting here, a product trial there, and eventually new deals in the pipeline.

In essence, turning virtual event attendees into customers comes down to timely action, personalized communication, and sustained nurturing. It’s the bridge from marketing to sales – where we pass the baton without losing momentum. With this in place, your virtual events truly become an engine for revenue, not just awareness.

Conclusion: From Virtual Attendees to Loyal Customers

Virtual events have proven their worth as a core strategy in modern B2B marketing. We’ve seen how a well-executed webinar or virtual conference can educate your market, build trust, and fill your funnel with engaged prospects. But the real magic is in connecting the dots – from that initial sign-up, to an impactful event experience, to the follow-up touches that convert interest into opportunities and customers. When you approach virtual events not as one-off webinars but as an integral part of your sales pipeline strategy, the results can be transformative.

Let’s recap the journey we outlined in this 2025 playbook:

• Start with a strategy that aligns your event to pipeline goals, tailoring content to audience needs and ensuring sales and marketing work hand-in-hand.
  
• Promote your virtual event widely and wisely, using a mix of email, social media, partners, and possibly external services to maximize attendance of qualified prospects. Remember, every additional ideal attendee is a potential deal waiting to happen.
  
• Leverage the right platform and technology to deliver a seamless, engaging experience – one that keeps attendees interested (and giving you the data to gauge that interest). Don’t be afraid to innovate with new formats like VR for an edge, if it fits your audience.
  
• Consider expert help from webinar marketing services or agencies if you want to accelerate success – their specialized skills can significantly boost both your reach and polish.
  
• Finally, and most importantly, follow through. Treat your attendee list like gold and strike while the iron is hot. A strategic combination of quick personal follow-ups and ongoing nurturing will ensure those event insights turn into concrete next steps on the buyer’s journey.

By following this playbook, you’re not just running virtual events – you’re building a repeatable system to turn virtual engagement into revenue. It’s a powerful feeling to see event attendees book meetings with your sales team, or reference your webinar weeks later as the reason they reached out. That’s when you know your virtual event program is driving real business growth.

At Martal, we’ve made virtual events a key pillar of many clients’ outbound and demand generation programs. We believe in the power of a multi-touch, multi-channel approach – where virtual events spark interest at scale, and targeted outbound efforts (like B2B cold email, LinkedIn outreach, and call follow-ups) carry that interest forward. It’s like a one-two punch: the event warms them up, and our SDR outreach reels them in. As a strategic partner, we work alongside your team to execute this seamlessly. For example, our reps can help invite the right prospects to your event (filling those seats with B2B decision-makers), and later, those same reps can reach out personally to attendees to set appointments, effectively bridging the gap between marketing and sales. It’s a coordinated dance that ensures no lead is wasted.

We’re careful not to be “salesy” in the context of this informative guide, but we’d be remiss not to mention that if you’re reading this and thinking, “This sounds great, but also like a lot of work to do alone,” – that’s exactly where a sales partner like Martal adds value. We bring experience, manpower, and proven processes to amplify what you’re already doing. Whether it’s augmenting your event promotions with our outreach, or nurturing your attendees post-event through a skilled SDR team, we tailor our outbound sales services to support your virtual event pipeline goals. The idea is to create a tiered lead generation engine: virtual events produce warm leads at the top, and multi-channel outbound (emails, calls, LinkedIn, etc.) further qualifies and converts those leads down the funnel. It’s a holistic approach where each component strengthens the other.

And we don’t view it as “hiring a vendor” – we view it as a strategic partnership. We integrate with your team’s rhythm, share feedback in both directions, and adjust strategies together. Ultimately, we’re jointly accountable for turning those attendees into deals. If that sounds like the kind of collaborative, results-driven relationship you’d benefit from, we invite you to reach out for a free consultation. No hard sell – we’ll discuss your current virtual event approach, your pipeline challenges, and share some honest insights on how we might help. At the very least, you’ll get an outside perspective on your strategy. And at best, we might together architect your next big pipeline win.

The landscape of B2B marketing is always evolving, but one thing is clear: virtual events are here to stay as a cornerstone of outbound lead generation and customer acquisition. By using the tactics in this playbook, you can ensure your webinars and virtual conferences are not just engaging sessions but engines of growth for your business. We’re excited to see what you achieve – and as always, we’re here to help if you need an experienced hand in turning more of those virtual handshakes into real, revenue-generating relationships.

Here’s to your virtual events filling your sales pipeline, and to turning more attendees into happy customers. 🚀

References

1. Markletic
2. EmailVendorSelection 
3. WPForms 
4. InGo Blog 
5. Market.us Scoop 
6. G2 (Learn.G2)