💻 How to Create & Manage Virtual Events in Constant Contact — Webinar and Q&A

[Caitlin_M]

In this time of social distancing, you may find yourself considering virtual events to stay in touch with your customers and prospects for the first time. 

Whether you need to move your class, seminar, workshop or you’re creating a new program to move online, virtual events can help you continue running your business and expand your reach.

As part of our Small Business Support Kit, Constant Contact has been hosting a free weekly webinar series that includes practical advice on putting your action plan to work. Our latest webinar discussed our Event Management tool. Highlights included:

•  Tips for setting up your virtual event
•  Editing and managing your event details
• Tracking event registrants & managing your event

Here are some of the questions during the webinar from our attendees:

I’ve had to switch all of my in-person events to virtual meetings. How can I promote the event and have people sign up for it within Constant Contact?

With our Event Management tool, you can create an event to advertise a virtual or online event by selecting Online as the location for your event. Include a direct link to the meeting from where it is hosted (such as Google Hangouts or Zoom) for easy access. 

Is there a way to include an area where maybe people can submit questions they would like answered during this virtual event? 

You can create a custom question on the registration form. This will appear under the registrant’s information. 

How does Constant Contact interact with Zoom or other virtual meeting platforms? Is there data passed back and forth between these two tools or is it meant to supplement Zoom and similar webinar tools as a method to let people know about your event?

Great question. Constant Contact is meant to supplement Zoom and other webinar tools. It assists you in promoting the event to the contacts you already have in your Constant Contact account and promote it on social media. Using the Constant Contact tool in addition to Zoom helps you manage all of your marketing in one place and keep it connected with your Constant Contact contacts. The data isn't passed back and forth, it is an additional way to manage the event you are hosting.

Is there a way to indicate the event will be online but the link to join the webinar will be sent 24 hours before the event? Or do you have to have the link already available?

When selecting the online option, you must have a website entered in that area. So you could include a link to the homepage of the online meeting tool you are using and include a message in the confirmation email that a link will be sent out before the event. When you have the link ready, send an email to event registrants. 

What customizations can I make to the confirmation page or email? Such as a video related to the event or a  link to a landing page that has information?

The event confirmation page and emails are limited on the content you can customize, however, there is an option to send an email to all the registrants, which you could do a couple of days before the event.

I use a payment processor that’s not listed as an option under the Event tool. Can I include mine?

No, we do not have any additional integrations beyond what is listed in the tool. If you do not see yours listed, please comment on our Feedback post regarding payment options for events. 

Can I limit registration up to a certain date or a number of registrants?

Yes, you can limit event registration and set a deadline for a registration date or cut off registration after a certain number of people have registered.

Will registrants automatically become contacts in my account?

If they do not join your mailing list, you can only send them emails directly related to the event. You can turn on the option that allows people to join your mailing list under Event Basics

How do I collect donations through the Event tool?

The donation option in the Event tool will only appear if someone declines your invite. If you would like to link directly to your website, you could include a link in the event invitation email or social post but it would not be on the registration form itself. You could also charge fees for the event, which could act as donations if you happened to have a free event, for example.

When you create an invitation from here, is it just like doing a regular Constant Contact email?

Our Event Tool uses our legacy editor to create an invitation email. If you wish to use our mobile-responsive editor to create an invitation, you can include the Event URL in your campaign.