While most businesses have continued to thrive during these uncertain times, there are many who have been heavily affected by the pandemic. For one thing, it has made it difficult to physically interact with customers the way we used to.
Given the current circumstances and this “new normal”, we can safely say it will be some time before things go back to the way they were, if they ever do at all. Now before your mouth begins to frown let us look at a cost effective way you can boost your business now and generate some leads!
The webinar is making a huge comeback right now and taking the digital marketing world by storm. Also known as web conferencing, webinars are services that allow real-time conferencing to be broadcast live to many participants at once. Participants can join live from any location in the globe, provided they have an internet connection, a working device and login details.
Marketers are realizing that webinars drive high quality leads and provide organizations with opportunities to offer value and knowledge to prospective clients and associates.
We have come up with a checklist to ensure the success of each webinar you run. Without further ado, let’s dive right into the 12 steps to holding a successful webinar:
//01 Topic:
Choose your topic and title carefully. Consult with members of your organization and concentrate on topics that will be of interest to your target audience. Make sure the subject matter can be explained in a short presentation.
//02 When to Run:
Tuesdays and Wednesdays have been recognized as the best days to host a webinar with the average highest attendance rates. Always remember to think about time-zones and where you expect your audience to be based. A 12pm EST start in New York will be 9am PST in Los Angeles and 5pm GMT in London.
//03 Use the right equipment:
Instead of relying on the built-in microphones on your laptop or desktop computer, use headset microphones to ensure that the audience can clearly hear your presentation. Prepare in advance for any possible technical difficulties. Using the right equipment will boost the quality of your webinar and ensure that participants have a great experience.
//04 Choose a reliable platform:
Reputable webinar platforms make it easy for people to register for your webinar, and they support multiple ways for people to join. WebinarJam is ranked as a good choice for someone with little to no technical knowledge on how to set up a webinar.
//05 Promotion:
A one week’s lead-in promotional campaign (email, social media, blogs, paid ads, news articles, etc.) with a final day-before reminder is best practice.
//06 Content & Presentation:
Keep words to a minimum on your presentation deck. Use images, graphs and infographics to highlight talking points. If possible use 2 presenters to alleviate the monotony of a single voice. A guest presenter of a happy client or partner can also be a great addition.
//07 Dry Run:
Dry run and practice, practice, practice… Always do a dry run a couple of days before the webinar is scheduled. Ask work colleagues to sit in and give feedback. Test all equipment, links, audience chat boxes, audio links and phone lines that will be used.
//08 Keep content engaging:
Try to introduce some humour or tell a customer success story.
//09 Duration:
Around 45 minutes of presentation with an additional 15 minutes at the end for Q&A is a good rule of thumb, but this will greatly depend on your content and target audience. Have someone take notes while you host, to ensure you are not missing any important questions from your audience.
//10 Audience participation:
It is wise to mute your audience during the main presentation, but actively encourage them to participate and ask questions at the end. Tell them at the start of the presentation that you will be opening up an on-screen chat box or phone line at the end. It makes sense to have a colleague ready to assist you who will read the questions as they come in while you answer them.
//11 Only smart selling:
Do not turn your presentation into a hard sell of your product or service. However, it is a smart idea to keep one call-to-action button and try to sell your primary product.
//12 Follow Up:
Always make sure to follow up with your audience the day immediately after the webinar was presented. Send them a thank you email and if possible a recording of the presentation or a copy of the slide deck. Add a call-to-action button in the follow up email as well. Lastly, you can also ask questions to open up future conversations.
Webinars are a useful and cost effective way to share helpful information with your target audience while also giving your business a boost and generating leads. Decide what you’re going to talk about, promote it in advance and then take advantage of this simple yet effective marketing tool. Best of luck!
If you’re having trouble coming up with a strategy for your website and want to generate and convert more leads contact us. Take advantage of our FREE website analysis and 20 minute consultation. Talk to one of our web experts and get real advice on how to make your website work for you.
