Carrying out a presentation or a demonstration online involves a lot of challenges, especially which comes in the form of difficulty in connecting with the virtual audience. The audience whom the presentation is targeted to might be multi-tasking as it goes on. Lack of in-person and real-time interaction makes it pretty difficult for the presenter to establish a liaison with the viewers.
What does Webinar stand for?
A ‘Webinar’ or a Web-based seminar is a presentation, workshop, or a demonstration that is aired to the viewers through the web. With right video-conferencing tools and web-based software, you can carry on with a webinar just like an actual seminar. You can share your slideshows, audio and video demonstrations with the audience. A multi-media, interactive webinar is way engaging than a regular seminar because, in a webinar, you can avail all the webinar tools at your disposal. Social media integrations and plenty of CTAs create the potency in webinars that are unbeatable.
Is there any benefit your business can get from Webinars?
Webinars are the most efficient way to build authority, reach your target audience and engage them, and get your message across faster and easier. And of course, webinars doesn’t come at high prices and are evident cost-cutters. You can get your job done by just a good quality webcam, that most of us have. And a professional looking lighting and backdrop. That’s it! You are ready to broadcast a professional webinar sitting at your home or office.
But if you are unsure of what kind of benefits your business can get exactly from hosting a series of webinars, then I must tell you, from generating good inbound leads to promoting your brand, webinars are worth it.
Check out how webinars can be used for all of the following:
- Brand and position your company
- Generate quality inbound leads
- Quality your leads
- Effectively bring your customers to the point of purchase
- Become thought leaders and subject matter expert
- Build your authority within your domain
- Train your employees, partners, and customers with a personal touch
- Retain your customers
Today we are going to discuss a few tips and tricks related to hosting a webinar and leveraging the optimum result out of it. Follow the tips, attract audiences and keep them engaged.
Before the Webinar
The tips below are all about the things you must do at least 2-3 weeks before your webinar. You must be pro-active, you must engage, you must reach out and create hype!
The very first thing that you should pay heed to before hosting your webinar is convincing your audience to sign up for your webinar. If there is no audience, your effort is a waste. Because it needs a good audience for a webinar to succeed.
You can start with a catchy headline or a dramatic topic that is sure to draw your audience’s attention. Because by seeing the headline or the topic, most of the people decide whether or not to attend a webinar. As a start, your headline should appeal to your audience’s attention. It should be short, clear and precise, but must also make people understand what the webinar is all about.
Use a realistic headline with a sense of urgency that compels your audience to check out your webinar. So instead of “Be A Millionaire In Two days,” try this – “Make Your Business A Winning One Within 6 Months.” The latter works more owing to it’s realistic, yet determined tone.
A landing page gives out all the information about an upcoming webinar, and the audience gets a clear insight which topics would be covered in the webinar, as well as the time and date. You can create a compelling landing page that gives all these details; you may also give some information about the speaker who will carry on the webinar. And if it is you who will run the webinar, then give some insights about yourself.
If you list down the topic areas that would be covered, it will help your audience to set their expectations and understanding of what they would gain from the session.
You can also include some good video clippings from the previous webinar session, which will, in turn, make your audience more interested. Short video clips serve as cool sneak peeks into the actual presentation.
You must reach out to your audience to help create engagement for your webinar session. The more you reach out, the wider you expand your target audience. Think about the channels and media you want to promote your webinar with. You can try various media, like Google ads, Facebook ads, blog posts, emails, etc. Engage your audience and make them look forward to the main event. On Twitter, you can create a hashtag campaign that will give more prominence to your webinar.
During the Webinar
Include slides in your webinar supported with appealing visual graphics, which will keep your audience engaged throughout the session. Texts induce boredom, so don’t rely fully on texts. Give bright images that bring out the message you want to convey. And since the human brain processes images faster than text, images will retain the interest of your audience. Keep your slides logical following the flow of the discussion in the webinar.
And if you need any help to create slide designs, you may want to try us.
Audience engagement can be generated significantly through Twitter. It can prove to be of great help to raise awareness and build a connection. Just as Twitter can help you create a buzz before your webinar starts, the same way it can raise awareness about it during the webinar session. A hashtag can be a good medium to interact with participants by asking questions and seeking feedback. Use Twitter, and add a personal touch to your event.
Check out video tutorials to make yourself ready for the webinar, because a successful webinar needs a lot of practice and confidence. Build up your confidence with regular practice, and try to be comfortable with your contents. Your attitude and energy must be such that keeps your audience remain engaged and interested.
Rehearse, and repeat!
After the Webinar
Send a ‘Thank You’ email to your audience for being there for your webinar. Your show of gratitude will make them feel special and valuable. Also, you can take advantage of the email and recapitulate some of your key take- aways from the webinar.
So these are the tips that you may consider while planning out your next webinar. Any help needed, feel free to get in touch. And if you have anything to add, please leave your valuable comment in the comment section below.
