So, you’ve decided to go towards a virtual event for your show. Virtual events use various software and platforms that have several features, but not all include a group chat tool. These platforms usually have a video chat option and exhibition stands/showrooms where participants can enter. Then, there are videos and how-to’s about the topic. It’s a one-way connection.

Now, you’re thinking, “How can I interact with all of these participants if there’s no group chat?” Here are some examples of how a group chat is a must-have for virtual events.

Engagement between attendees and exhibitors

In-person events allow face-to-face interactions. In a matter of minutes, questions and inquiries are answered. This can still be achieved with virtual events. Even though people are not meeting personally, when there’s a group chat, participants can also enter the community and ask questions.

Not only does it create instant connections, but a live group chat can also put them at ease. This is as if they’re talking to real people. If executed properly, group chats are a great way to capture your audiences’ attention and get their questions answered quickly.

Drive traffic to your virtual event

An event chat will drive attendee engagement and interaction, making them more likely to stay in exhibitors’ showrooms. When participants see the number of showrooms, they might get overwhelmed. However, if they see a group chat, they are more likely to interact with exhibitors and other participants who share the same interests. The more people in the group chat, the more attractive it is for newer participants.

In the exhibitor’s point of view, when they see people flocking in the group chat, it means that there are visitors interested in them. The more traffic there is on your virtual event, the more that everyone will gain, e.g., content, page views, networking, etc.

Gather leads and open up networking opportunities

When you throw a group chat in the mix, networking in virtual events is so much more alive. A group chat can connect the following: exhibitors, attendees, and attendees to attendees. Most of all, participants are allowed to watch and enter which showroom they want. Therefore, there are greater odds that those attendees who enter the group chat will have the same interests. Starting conversations in a group chat leads to valuable business opportunities.

In open communities, public discussions, and podcasts, they commonly use a group chat. RumbleTalk is customizable and flexible. So, it’s up to you what kind of chat you would use for your virtual event.

You can export the user’s list so you can get the participants’ contact information. If they filled this out at the start, it will be easier for the exhibitors to contact them. Usually, emails will be available. If the participants logged in via social media, they can also reach out to them on those channels.

How can you set up a group chat for virtual events?

To set up your group chat, it’s easy when you have RumbleTalk.

1. Register an account on the RumbleTalk website. If you already have one, then just log in on your admin panel.
2. On the admin panel, go to Settings > General & Logins.
3. Hover over to Chat Type and select Group chat.

The group chat allows interaction with anyone logged in. This is a public chat that allows participants and exhibitors to talk. Since the login options do not default to all options, you have to set it up so that anyone can join in.

1. Go to Settings > General & Logins.
2. Click Login Options.
3. Select all the available login options so anyone can enter the chat room.

NOTE: For the User authentication required option, a developer will need to set this up. Membership websites wherein there is a userbase use it for integrating their members. You need Login SDK for this. To know more about it, you can go here.

Advanced moderation for virtual events

If you want advanced moderation for your virtual events, then try the moderated chat. The moderated chat lets you pre-approve messages before they are sent in the chat room.

Admins act as moderators and they choose which messages are appropriate for the discussion.

Usually, for conferences, job fairs, and closed discussions, they use the moderated chat.

The more interactive tools that you have on your virtual event, the more impactful it will be. By incorporating a group chat, the audience will leave your event feeling satisfied.

There are other features available on RumbleTalk if you use it as your group chat platform such as InTEXT keywords, full CSS capabilities, media sharing, etc. You can find all these and more when you visit the Features page.

Make your virtual events more interactive with RumbleTalk.

If you’re already a long-time user of RumbleTalk, you would know that we have a WordPress chat plugin. The RumbleTalk WordPress chat plugin is constantly improving its user interface. Therefore, here are some WordPress tips that might be useful for you.

One of the features available is the display name feature. This gives a personalized user experience as you can change what name will show in the group chat. Here’s an overview of the feature and a guide on how it can be used.

WordPress Tips: What is the display name feature?

The display name feature is a simple way to control what usernames will appear in the user list. Since the names are taken from the WordPress database, you will need to enable the members chat option on WordPress. Here are the following options and combinations you can try:

• Display Name
• Username
• First Name
• Last Name
• Nickname/Alias
• Last Name + First Name
• First Name + Last Name
• Display Name + Bio
• Username + Bio
• Nickname + Bio
• First Name + Bio
• Last Name + Bio

You will see all of these in your WordPress profile. To see your WordPress profile, click your username in the upper right corner.

In there, you will see the different settings that you can change, from color themes and the names aforementioned.

Just scroll down and you will see the Name category.

In there, you will see the following: Username, First Name, Last Name, and Nickname. You can also choose which of the following names show publicly in WordPress.

When you scroll a bit more, you will see the About Yourself category. In there, you will see the Biographical Info section. This is what Bio stands for in the combinations.

A user must have a biography typed in for it to work in the RumbleTalk chat plugin. If not, only the name will show up even if Bio is included in the options.

Here’s an example of how the Display Name + Bio combination would look like in the chat if we used the sample above.

How does it work?

After installing the RumbleTalk chat plugin, next to the Members field, you will see an arrow. This is a dropdown where you can choose the option you like or ignore if you want to use the default name.

What are the steps you need to do to set up the feature?

Just like other plugins, having a lot of features is not enough. You need to know how to set it up, use it for your convenience, and integrate it into your membership site. So, let’s see what you need to do to take full advantage of the feature:

1. When you click on the Members checkbox, this activates a code in your WordPress site where it will integrate your userbase with the RumbleTalk chat plugin. 
2. After checking it, any user that’s logged in to WordPress will be automatically logged in to the RumbleTalk chat room.
3. Change the desired display name next to the Members checkbox.

The feature presents maximum flexibility to let chat owners decide what names will appear. This depends on what you use your chat room for. For example, if this is for a job fair, the First Name + Last Name combination would be appropriate. If used for community chats, then regular usernames or nicknames would work. It’s up to the chat owner what he deems appropriate for the scenario.

NOTE: If you don’t want to use the RumbleTalk chat plugin, you can also manually integrate your site userbase to the standalone RumbleTalk chat.

WordPress tips you can use in the future

If you’re using the RumbleTalk chat plugin, then you might want to go to the knowledge base or blog and check other WordPress tips.

• How To Use RumbleTalk WordPress Chat Plugin
• Set a Members Only Chat with WordPress RumbleTalk plugin
• How to Create a Chat Moderator using your WordPress RumbleTalk Chat plugin
• How to set your WordPress Users to Auto Login with RumbleTalk Chat

Engagement is key to making a live stream successful. A live stream group chat can provide you with the necessary medium to connect with your audience.

Live streams are what’s trending in today’s digital world. When you start a live stream, the audience will be flocking in. This is why you should create a live stream chat next to your chosen live stream platform to interact with your audience.

Why do we need to engage with the audience?

It’s simple. Without the audience, your live stream will be not impactful. When you create a conversation with the participants, you give them a reason to stay. When they stay, there is a higher chance that they will invite other people to the live stream.

Another thing is that some stay for the live stream chat. They love interacting with other people who have the same interests. So, seeing a live chat can pique their interest.

Prepare for questions beforehand

Questions are always included in live streams. The moderated chat allows you to host a Q&A session through the live stream chat. The audience can ask you about the product, next topics, follow-up, or more. This goes the same for you. If you want to ask the audience a question, they can send in their answers in the live stream chat.

However, sometimes there are too many people in the chat. You could overlook questions and not be able to answer them. In this scenario, you should bring backup. Backup means appointing administrators to become moderators.

With the help of the moderated chat, moderators can choose which messages will be approved or not. Therefore, only relevant questions and answers will be seen in the chat room.

This makes it easier to keep with the conversation. At the start of the virtual event, don’t forget to introduce them. They will be the contact persons of the participants and they can alert the moderators if something happens.

As they are going to man the conversation, you should also keep a side chat open to communicate with them if anything happens.

To create a moderated chat, follow these simple steps.

1. On your admin panel, click Settings > General & Logins.
2. Under Chat Type, select Moderated chat.
3. After choosing your chat type, when you login as an admin in the chat room, you will see that messages will have check and cross boxes.

Now, moderators can easily check the chat for spam, irrelevant questions, and trolls. It will be a hassle-free chatting experience for everyone.

Engage with the audience through the live stream group chat

Don’t forget to talk to your audience when hosting the live stream. It’s what they came for. When you forget the most important thing, it defeats the purpose of having a live stream chat.

Users like to feel valued. To talk to your audience, mention them in the chat room. You can use the Mentions feature to capture their attention.

Use the media and file sharing feature to share interesting videos and images that are still on topic. It’s a great way to disperse relevant information without having to leave the chat room.

Lastly, to make your audience feel welcome, add a welcome message. A welcome message pops up when the participant first enters the chat room. You can type up to 1024 characters, so get creative!

This little extra work can make a huge impact on your audience. Once you follow these tips, you’ll see an improvement in both brand loyalty and audience participation, which are the keys to a successful live stream.

Create more moments like this when you add a live stream group chat via RumbleTalk. It only takes a few minutes to set up.