How do I accurately project and drive attendance to my virtual event?

Accurately projecting and driving attendance to virtual events is difficult. Check out these tips and tricks that may help!

Poll Attendees. Just because someone's calendar shows availability doesn't mean it's a good time for your event. Consider polling your most important attendees (or their assistants) to see when would be good for them.
Avoid Conflicts. While scheduling conflicts are out of your control, there are usually some time slots that are less likely to have conflicts than others. Avoid scheduling your event when it is likely that last minute things come up. Also avoid when people likely have other plans that might not be on their calendar (i.e. Monday mornings, or EOD Fridays).
Collect RSVPs. Similar to in-person events, it's always a good idea to collect RSVPs. Just because attendees can login from anywhere doesn't mean they won't have a conflict.
Set a Deadline. Set a deadline by which individuals must provide their RSVP.
Send Reminder(s). Remind attendees of the event as it approaches. Ideally this would include fun announcements (as suggested below), but it can be as simple as setting up a quick automated email/message the day before, and 10 minutes before your event.

Market the Event. Send a regular drip of announcements leading up to your event. Utilize our customizable promotion materials, and/or create your own with tools like Canva. Even better, save choice details for these announcements to help grow excitement.
Incentivize Participation. Consider incorporating a raffle or other prize giveaway. This could be as easy as digital gift cards, or as budget-friendly as additional PTO days.
Send Physical Materials. Having a party packet, costume/prop box, drinks and eats, or a simple printed invitation sent to your attendees is a sure-fire way to drive attendance.
Send a Calendar Invite. Make it easy for your attendees to remember and locate the event link. Use the handy calendar invite buttons within your event manager dashboard.
Involve Leadership. Have a C-suite leader be the source of communication leading into the event. We've noticed that when the "boss" sends the invite, more people show up.
Share the Fun. You receive fun photos after every Go Remote event. Incorporating these images into your organization's newsletter, social feeds, etc shows how much fun people have, and will help to drive attendance to your next Go Remote event!