What is a webinar and how do I run one?

What is it?
A webinar is a seminar conducted over the web. You can present to a significant amount of people, in the 100s if you’re lucky. The general purpose is to generate leads or educate your audience in some way. They’re often a feature rich platform with slide shows or demonstrations, polls, Q&As, surveys and more.
Why host or tune into one?
They are a great way to reduce those pesky costs that often come with hosting a real-world event, such as venue hire, catering and travel. They also provide a fantastic opportunity to engage your audience through various forms of content and collect controlled customer feedback through polls, Q&As and surveys. Whether your aim is to generate new leads or to take some of the burden off HR with internal training, webinars are a cost-effective way to deliver exciting and engaging presentations.
If you are producing content that is beneficial to your audience, it’s likely they will tune in. This may be to learn about that awesome new product you’re launching, or you’re just flexing your brainpower on a certain topic. Either way, the people that sign-up to an online event are usually looking to learn something new.
How to run one?
The setup is a simple and seamless process that can be managed from one place via desktop, tablet or mobile. Users can choose a time and date that suits them, add presentation slides, choose a guest speaker and invite Guests with just a few clicks.
Once set up, making it as engaging as possible should be a priority. This could mean developing visually appealing presentation slides or choosing guest speakers that are experts on certain topics. Adding polls or Q&A sessions are also a great way to add an interactive element. Whichever method is used, just have some fun with it, if you’ve had fun producing it, it’s much more likely your audience will have fun viewing it. This will make them more likely to convert to a sale or leave positive feedback.
Are webinars boring?
No webinars are not boring but the content we associate with them can be. The issue is the middle-of-the-road online event often consists of unnecessarily lengthy slide decks that don’t exactly excite viewers. The platform encourages using a variety of content. You can upload slides, present curated videos, add polls, surveys and Q&As. If used properly webinars can be a fantastic tool for interacting and gaining valuable insights from your audience.
Our attention spans are decreasing, so the pressure to create stimulating content is increasing. The question is, what content works best? According to a recent report it’s content that features a compelling narrative combined with stimulating visuals and dialogue.[4] An online event is a great opportunity to showcase this form of content. Rather than viewing webinars as outdated, consider how you can evolve your content so that is resonates most with modern audiences.
Are webinars actually useful?
Online events provide a cost-effective solution to reach widespread audiences and gain valuable insights into what they want to hear from you as a company. A common mistake made on the platform is to hold events that come across as overtly promotional (hey look at this wicked new product we want you to buy). Save this sort of promotion for your advertising and use online events as a channel to educate your audience, showing them insights exclusive to your company as experts in your field. You’re much more likely to convert leads if you provide your customers with value beyond the products you offer. Using the platform to simply promote is an easy way to deter potential customers.
Again, ensure you make the most of the features and interact with your audience, an involved audience is an engaged audience. If you show your customers that you’re genuinely interested in what they have to say then hey ho, they’re much more likely to build a connection with your brand! Using the platform to keep your audience fresh and up to date with your company is a brilliant way to keep the platform relevant.
When should you promote a webinar?
One of the main concerns surrounding online events is what if we create all this fabulous content and no one shows up? A way to make sure that you get people tuning in to your event is to go big when promoting it beforehand. If you start promoting your event a couple of days before then you’re simply not giving enough notice. You need to plan your strategy weeks in advance and use all your channels as a way of highlighting the importance of your event. Whatever approach you decide to take make sure you lead with the benefits that your audience will receive by attending!

Want to find out more?

5 top tips for generating good quality leads from a webinar

WHAT IS A WEBINAR AND HOW TO HOLD ONE SUCCESSFULLY

What is it?

Why host or tune into one?

How to run one?

Are webinars boring?

Are webinars actually useful?

When should you promote a webinar?

Want to find out more?