Customer experience (CX) has become table stakes, with 81% of B2B survey respondents claiming they compete primarily on CX (Gartner), and 85% of B2B buyers rank the experience they receive as important as the company’s products or services (Salesforce). 

Finding out what customers really think about your company and your offerings can provide invaluable insight to shape your business and product strategies, but in-person customer panels and roundtables can be challenging to schedule and costly to produce. Fortunately, virtual customer panels and roundtables have proven just as effective, with none of the costs and logistical challenges. 

However, a virtual customer panel or roundtable still requires careful planning. You want to put your best foot forward with your customers, and be sure you can make the best possible use of the time everyone invests. 

Here are four best practices to consider that can help you optimize your virtual customer panels for maximum business impact.

Make it relevant for your customers

Yes, your goal is to elicit feedback and input from your customers. But you need to make sure they get something out of the event as well. Look for ways to tie your goals into emerging industry trends or challenges that will be of interest to your audience.

Make it easy for your customers to participate

Ensure the technology you have chosen is reliable and easy for all participants. Test for high-quality audio and video, using different platforms your participants are likely to use, including desktops, tablets and smartphones. Consider the day and time your participants are most likely to have available, and limit your overall time to one hour, if possible. Audience attention can be hard to keep if you go longer than an hour, and most everyone can commit to one hour without too much negative impact on already busy schedules.

Make it partner-inclusive

If you have channel partners that are important to your business, consider including them in your panel or roundtable. You can work with partners to invite shared customers, which may increase both attendance and engagement. You could also invite partners to sponsor the event with you.

Make it interactive

Make sure you’re using technology that enables you to create interactive experiences with your customers. Consider how to incorporate Q&A and screen sharing to create more engagement. Think outside the video conference box to discover innovative ways to bring your customers along on the journey with you. Lastly, don’t forget to invite feedback on the event itself.

Make it moderated

Without a doubt, any customer feedback event of this type requires thoughtful moderation from a senior leader in your company, in a partner company or possibly even a well-respected thought leader from your industry. An independent moderator can attract higher participation and can elicit more candid feedback.

How to make virtual customer panels and roundtables impactful using Socialive

Virtual customer panels and roundtables can prove to be a highly effective way to connect with your customers and discover insights that shape your business. With Socialive’s all-in-one enterprise video content creation platform, you can produce high-quality, branded, immersive customer panels with the team you already have:

  • Create dynamic and engaging panel experiences with cloud-based video production, including preset workflows to mix and match live, pre-recorded and screen share video with dynamic layouts and branded graphics to keep everything professional and consistently branded
  • Capture HD video and audio content from anywhere — straight from your phone, tablet or desktop browser — with Socialive’s remote recording capabilities to ensure the highest quality possible
  • Streamline content management with the ability to securely capture, store and access HD video in a cloud-based recordings library. No manual file transfer required
  • Manage behind the scenes during the event, SHARE talking points and switch between presenters, no matter where they are located through a virtual Green Room
  • Repurpose content to share within your company and partners, both during and after the event

At Socialive, we believe that everyone, regardless of video experience or skills, should be able to use video to easily communicate and collaborate with customers. Discover how we can help you produce customer panels and roundtables that inspire your customers and impact your business.

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