New Report Shows Engaging, Interactive Experiences Are Antidote to Digital Fatigue

Rhea-AI Summary

ON24 reports remarkable growth in digital engagement as B2B marketers have increased total digital experiences by 136% over the past two years. While industry concerns about digital fatigue rise, audience engagement metrics show no signs of decline, with CTAs soaring by 3,106% in 2021. Key findings indicate an 8% increase in average webinar attendance and a 31% rise in attendee interaction with engagement tools. This data underscores the effectiveness of engaging digital experiences in overcoming fatigue, providing crucial insights for marketers.

Positive

• Total digital experiences increased by 136% over two years.
• Audience engagement metrics reached all-time highs in 2021.
• Calls to Action engagement rose by 3,106% in 2021.
• Average length of webinar attendance improved by 8% from 49 to almost 53 minutes.
• Engagement with tools like polling and surveys grew by 31%.
• Conversion rates for curated content experiences rose by 15 percentage points year-over-year.

Negative

• Registration-to-attendance conversion decreased by over 4 percentage points.
• A rising percentage of registrations occurred closer to the event date, indicating potential promotional inadequacies.

Total number of digital experiences increased 136% over the past two years, while audience engagement reached an all-time high in 2021

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- As digital fatigue increases with video chat and online meeting applications, new data in The 2022 State of Digital Experiences report from ON24 (NYSE: ONTF) reveals this fatigue does not apply to digital experiences like webinars, curated content, and personalized experiences.

Over the past two years, B2B marketers increased the total number of digital experiences 136% to accelerate their digital-first strategies. Despite more experiences, audiences are showing no signs of fatigue. Engagement metrics such as length of attendance and interactions were higher again last year, with Calls to Action (CTA) engagement during personalized target experiences seeing the most dramatic increase – rising 3,106% in 2021.

“Audience attendance and engagement in digital experiences outpaced 2020 and reached an all-time high last year, despite growing discussion about digital fatigue,” said Cheri Hulse, vice president of strategy and research at ON24. “This is encouraging for B2B marketers, signaling that not all digital channels are created equal and that engaging digital experiences are the antidote to this fatigue.”

Webinars continue driving audience engagement and leads

Audience engagement during digital experiences is consistently increasing. Marketers are using more engagement tools and continuing to align experiences – and CTAs in these experiences – to meet prospects and customers where they are on their buying journey.

The average length of webinar attendance rose 8% last year from nearly 49 minutes to almost 53 minutes. Attendee engagement with tools such as polling, content, and surveys grew 31% in 2021. CTAs taken at the end of webinars also increased, as “Book a Meeting” grew 1,028%, an overwhelming indication that audiences are increasingly taking action during engaging experiences. For sales and marketing, the data shows webinars remain one of the most significant lead generation activities.

Conversion rates reveal opportunity to change promotional strategies

Conversion from registration to attending a live and on-demand webinar saw a modest decrease of just over 4 percentage points last year. In 2019, before the pandemic, 43% of registration occurred the day-of and week before the event, while in 2021 this rose to 66%.

This trend indicates an opportunity for marketers to better understand the registration cycle and change their promotional strategies to accommodate a shortened registration window. Tactics used for physical, in-person experiences, including stopping promotion the week of the event, don’t apply in the digital world. Marketers should continue promoting their digital experiences through the day of the event to increase conversion.

Curated content and personalized experiences show strong growth and conversion

The popularity of curated content experiences continues to grow, with total experiences increasing nearly 31% since 2020. As marketers share more content and find ways to repurpose it into new experiences, they drive higher audience engagement before an event and increase the likelihood of someone attending a digital experience. Conversion rates for curated content experiences increased year-over-year 15% points.

Marketers are also increasingly using personalized experiences to engage their target audiences. The rate in which audiences actively engaged in targeted experiences and attendee conversion was more than 18 percentage points higher in 2021. This indicates a trend emerging around personalized experiences, which can also be an effective way to lower issues with digital fatigue.

The 2022 State of Digital Experiences report reviews the quarterly and annual trends regarding digital experiences in 2021. The report discusses the overall digital experiences landscape based on customer use of ON24 webinars, curated content experiences, and personalized experiences. To download the full report, visit ON24.com/resources/asset/report-2022-state-of-digital-experiences/.

About ON24

ON24 provides a leading cloud-based hybrid engagement platform that makes it easy to create, scale, and personalize engaging experiences to drive measurable business growth. Today, we are helping over 2,000 companies worldwide, including 3 of the 5 largest global technology companies, 4 of the 5 largest US banks, 3 of the 5 largest global healthcare companies, and 3 of the 5 largest global industrial manufacturing companies, convert millions of prospects to buyers. Through interactive webinars, virtual events, and always-on multimedia experiences, ON24 provides a system of engagement, powered by AI, which enables businesses to scale engagement, conversions, and pipeline to drive revenue growth. The ON24 platform supports millions of professionals a month who are totaling billions of engagement minutes per year. ON24 is headquartered in San Francisco with global offices in North America, EMEA, and APAC. For more information, visit www.on24.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains “forward-looking statements” under applicable securities laws. In some cases, such statements can be identified by words such as: “expect,” “convert,” “believe,” “plan,” “future,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and similar references to future periods. Forward-looking statements include express or implied statements regarding our ability to achieve our business strategies, growth, or other future events or conditions. Such statements are based on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions about future events or conditions, which are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding market trends and the risks and uncertainties discussed in the filings we make from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on them. All statements herein are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any such statement.

© 2022 ON24, Inc. All rights reserved. ON24 and the ON24 logo are trademarks owned by ON24, Inc., and are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. The other referenced trademarks and service marks are also owned by ON24, Inc. and may be registered in some countries.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220208005105/en/

Media Contact:

Roger Villareal

press@on24.com

Investor Contact:

Nate Pollack

investorrelations@on24.com

Source: ON24

FAQ

What does the recent ON24 press release reveal about audience engagement for 2021?

The press release indicates that audience engagement metrics, such as the length of attendance and interactivity, reached all-time highs in 2021.

How much did digital experiences increase according to ON24's report?

Digital experiences increased by 136% over the past two years, according to ON24's recent report.

What significant change did ON24 report about Calls to Action engagement?

ON24 reported a dramatic increase of 3,106% in Calls to Action engagement during personalized experiences in 2021.

What does the ON24 report suggest about the effectiveness of webinars?

The ON24 report suggests that webinars remain a crucial lead generation activity, with increased average attendance and engagement metrics.

What opportunity does ON24 identify for marketers regarding registration strategies?

ON24 highlights the need for marketers to adapt their promotional strategies to the shortened registration cycle, as more registrations occur closer to the event date.