The virtual space is currently booming and virtual events are now more popular than ever. With that, event speakers who have mastered the art of delivering in-person presentations now have to adjust. How do you become a great virtual event speaker and what adjustments can you make to keep your audiences’ interest?

How to be a great virtual event speaker

We’re here to give you our best tips for how to be a great virtual event speaker so you can deliver compelling content and a presentation to be remembered.

If you’re planning an event you might benefit from our social media marketing event strategy tips.

Test, Test, Test

Your audience is likely surrounded by a lot of distractions as they attend your virtual presentation from home. This means that it’s even easier to lose your audience’s attention than it is with in-person events.

Don’t let the technology side of your presentation be your downfall. Set yourself up for success well ahead of time and test your technology.

This includes the joining process, along with your video and sound checks. It’s also important to have back up options should your first option fail.

Think About Your Body Language

Sometimes body language speaks louder than words. This rule applies to virtual events as well!

To be a great virtual event speaker, you will need to think about how your body language translates into the virtual space.

Eye contact is still important for connecting with a virtual audience, so be sure to look into your camera and avoid distracting glances.

Keep your hands visible on your screen and avoid fidgeting. You should continue to use hand gestures as you would in an in-person presentation.

Get Personal with Your Audience

To keep your audience’s attention, get personal, and try to interact with them.

Pause for questions, use imagery, get them involved with a poll, tell a story, or find ways to get them involved in what you are discussing.

There is nothing worse than a long presentation filled with endless slides, especially during a virtual event.

Pay Attention to Your Pace

As a virtual event speaker, you still need to be mindful of your speaking pace. Check-in with yourself and determine if it might be necessary to slow down.

Take pauses where appropriate for your audience to digest the information. It may also take a bit of time for your audio to be transmitted so pauses can be great for allowing catch-up time.

First Impressions are Important

If your virtual presentation is business related then it is still important to dress the part. Your appearance can have a major influence on the first impression you give to your audience, so don’t show up in pajamas or having just rolled out of bed.

Dress in business-casual attire and do a test recording to get a feel for what your audience is going to see. This is one of the many perks of being a virtual event speaker!

Think About Lighting and Camera Positioning

As you are setting up for your virtual presentation, think about your lighting and camera positioning. Cameras are best at eye level position so it is easy for you to keep eye contact with your audience.

If you want to keep your audience’s focus, you should also adjust your lighting.

The light should highlight your face and darken your background. This allows you to be clearly seen and for background distractions to be kept to a minimum.

Switch up Your In-Person Presentation

Your virtual presentation should not be a duplicate of your in-person presentation. Switch things up and make your virtual presentation shorter.

Without the energy of an in-person crowd, each minute of your virtual presentation will seem longer. Keep things short and to the point so both you and your audience stay motivated and engaged.

Take Your Virtual Event to the Next Level

In addition to these tips, one of the best ways to take your virtual event to the next level is with eSpeakers enterprise-quality tools. We can help you to plan a virtual event that will stand out with speakers and help you to become even more connected to your audiences.

Interested to hear more? Contact us about our services today!

Enjoyed this article? Here are three more to help you:

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7 Questions to Include in Your Virtual Post-Event Survey