Event Operations: How to run a good event? Share 4 points!

The activity plan seemed to be well-designed, and there was sufficient communication and consensus reached with the product side. However, the final implementation was terrible. I was confused and had no idea what happened. Has this scene troubled you many times?

The reason is simple, because both operations and products have fallen into the pit of formalism in event planning. Organizing an event is not an assembly line process of operations → products, but a symbiotic and win-win operation ⇄ product relationship. Otherwise, even if the preparation is sufficient and the routine is perfect, your event plan may still be just a concept.

Let's go through the process together, from solution confirmation, requirements analysis, design and development to final launch , and see how each stage should collaborate efficiently to achieve the final result.

1. Activity confirmation stage: The activity form is a trap, and we need to see through the fog to see the essence

In the early stages of a project, operations will output activity plans for product reference, but no one can explain everything in one document, and no one can understand everything by reading one document. Two-way communication becomes particularly important, otherwise it is easy to fall into the trap of the activity.

1. The form of activity is just a representation and should not be affected by it

Activity operation documents are generally divided into four parts: purpose, time, activity form, cost and effect. The modules are as follows:

The activity plan usually contains a lot of text describing the form of the activity, and the operation will communicate with the product about this part in advance so that the product can quickly obtain information about the form of the activity. It is very likely that the product will start drawing the prototype.

However, this is a rather dangerous thing. The form of the activity is only the manifestation of demand, but the specific core purpose, the target users, the specific products, the sub-sectors and so on are not important. Operations require sufficient communication with product colleagues, and product should also take the initiative to understand the ins and outs of activity needs.

2. Grasping core needs is the key

The activity document only provides some basic and necessary information. More core information also requires reverse confirmation by the product. Here are three key points for reverse confirmation:

Thoroughly understand the purpose of demand: Understanding the purpose is the direction of the entire product design and a necessary prerequisite for success. It is crucial to understand your core users, key user scenarios, product capabilities and functions in detail.

Dig deep into the core KPI indicators: Any activity is for multiple indicators, but there is only one core goal. The product can also help operations think more clearly about which indicator it is responsible for during reverse confirmation.

For example: whether this event is intended to trigger more reposts and shares, or to promote sales, the way the products are displayed will also be different.

Organize the required forms: After determining the core goals, you need to think about the specific display form of the activity. With the goals and core indicators in place, everything becomes easy to solve, including whether the presentation is feasible and which details and processes should be emphasized or abandoned.

Therefore, the division of labor and cooperation between operations and products in the demand confirmation stage are as follows:

2. Product requirements sorting: ensuring the correct goals, effective plans, and adequate preparation

The demand analysis stage is the key to demand implementation and product design, and requires cooperation and communication between both parties.

1. Sorting out the main business processes: finding the core nodes and ensuring the correctness of the activities

Operational activities are usually divided into several stages, but the essence remains the same, which is mainly the four old user operations: attracting new users, retention, activation, and conversion.

In order to ensure the correctness of the main process, the easiest way is to determine clear data indicators at each stage, so as to avoid adding unnecessary details at different stages.

2. Overall business process sorting: sorting out branches, integrating resources, and confirming the effectiveness of activities

After determining the main process, when the conversion goals are basically achieved, product colleagues need to further sort out the sub-processes and branch processes of the main process to ensure that each branch process serves the main process, cut off unnecessary branches, and ensure that the activity design does not deviate from the overall resources.

For example, if the purpose of an activity is to spread information, then the user sharing link is the focus of the entire activity design and product design, and emphasis should be placed on sharing stimulation and diffusion channels.

In addition, data tracking for the entire process is also very important. Without data tracking activities, the overall control capability will be lacking in the future.

3. Activity scenario deduction: Avoid pitfalls in details, and demand can really be changed

With the process in place, the specific form of the activity becomes a natural outcome. At this time, product and operations personnel can put themselves in the role of the user (activity role) and use the previous form of the activity to conduct deductions. Many unreasonable things will definitely be found in this process, but as long as the above communication steps are followed, it will be very easy for product and operation to reach an optimization consensus.

It should be noted that at this stage the activity requirements, especially the form of the activity, can really be changed, as long as there is a reason and a solution. For the sake of better user experience and activity goals, the sooner the better.

Therefore, the division of labor and cooperation between operations and products in the demand sorting stage is as follows:

3. Product design, development and launch: focus on time and control the rhythm

An excellent operations manager should be equivalent to half a product manager. Basic product design and technical knowledge can make operations more sensitive to UI design and user experience. Of course, the most important thing at this stage is to control the R&D nodes and follow up after going online.

1. Product design: accurate expression and more communication

Product design is the key node from idea to technical realization, and its model is close to the form of demand online, so after the product prototype design is completed and before the demand is announced, operations, products and technology can communicate and exchange in a small range for final confirmation.

2. Demand development: focus on time nodes

Although demand development does not require much involvement from operations staff, what operations staff need to do is to control the time nodes before the event starts, determine the time points for different stages of the event, and fully communicate with R&D to ensure that the event goes online as scheduled.

The main collaborations at this stage are as follows:

4. Activity launch: real-time summary and mutual review

After the launch, the communication between product and operation should become closer to ensure smooth control of the activity channels (data) in order to obtain sufficient feedback on the activity results.

1. Activity follow-up: Data is an invisible hand that helps follow-up and summary

After going online, rely on data, pay attention to user behavior, whether conversions are normal, the completion rate of core data, etc. If possible, a certain degree of online optimization can be carried out.

Generally, our work process is that operations and products conduct synchronous data analysis every morning and communicate face to face in the afternoon to quickly increase the team's attention and sense of urgency to the event.

2. Online review: a powerful tool for self-help

No activity is perfect. Only through reviewing activities can your experience value be improved, which is the value of event operations.

There are many common ways to review the market. I personally think that the simplest and most efficient way is to use the four-step review method: review goals, evaluate results, analyze causes, and summarize experience.

We need to review the core goals and stage indicators we set at that time, and then evaluate whether the actual results are in line with the expectations at that time. We need to analyze the reasons, including the key reasons for success and failure. Summarizing the experience requires mutual summary and understanding, and most importantly, specifying the next work plan.

(Picture from the Internet)

So in the end, follow-up and review after the demand goes online is the core:

V. Summary

It can be seen that after the activity plan is output and enters product design, operations still have things to do, and the product cannot just work on its own. Moreover, operations are not the only person responsible for the assessment indicators. In a truly complete activity design process, the product naturally sets assessment indicators for itself. Any activity that only assesses operations is a hooligan act!

Whether it is a large-scale operation activity or a daily H5 activity, products and operations should work closely together:

First of all, we should thoroughly understand and analyze the event background, purpose, and core indicators. Then, in the process of sorting out the needs, we should not only serve the final form of the event. Each event has its own particularity and the final form is also different.

Secondly, when designing and developing products, we should pay attention to the key indicators after the launch, which is the experience we summarize and review;

Finally, anything that is not based on in-depth thinking and cooperation, and only pursues superficial "innovation" and "breakthrough" is an "empty activity."

If there is not even basic mutual cooperation, both the product and operation need to re-examine your professional attitude towards an operation event; if you have already achieved close cooperation, then there is still a long way to go if you want to create an event that has a great reputation.

Source: Jingtian