One of the most effective strategies of getting a message across to a large audience is through a live webinar. You can reach many people virtually while cutting down on the time and costs involved in organizing face-to-face meetings. When it comes to marketing, webinars are a great way of boosting brand awareness, generating high quality leads and building strong relationships with customers and prospects. A recent research by the Content Marketing Institute revealed that 60% of marketers use webinars as part of their content marketing strategy.
However, hosting a webinar is not just about sitting in front of a camera and talking. There are several things you need to do for a successful webinar:
- Select an interesting topic
The topic that you choose can either make or break your webinar. If you select a topic that doesn’t excite with your audience, it will be very difficult to get them to sign up. Broad topics should be broken down into smaller sections that can be covered in-depth. Whether you are educating them on your product, service or a recent industry development, make sure your webinar offers value and gives actionable advice. You can get ideas for you webinar topic by looking at what stories are currently trending in your industry.
- Choose the right webinar platform
ClickMeeting, WebEx, Adobe Connect, GoToWebinar and brightTALK are some of the most popular webinar platforms in the market. Be sure to choose a platform that are user-friendly and support multiple ways of signing up. For instance, some people might want to sign up from their smartphones, while others will want to watch from their computers. Avoid platforms that have too many ads that could distract your attendees. Take time to read several online reviews and testimonials before making a final decision.
- Select the appropriate time and day
If you are targeting people from different geographical regions, choose a time and day that will be convenient for most attendees. Check your website analytics to find out where most of your traffic originates from and choose a time that favors people from those areas. The time chosen should also take into consideration people’s typical schedules. According to a recent poll by WhatCounts, the best days for hosting webinars are Wednesdays and Thursdays since Fridays and Mondays are usually occupied with last-minute and catch up tasks. Experiment with different times and days to find out what works best for you.
- Use the proper equipment
The equipment used is extremely crucial for the success of your webinar. Don’t make the mistake of depending on the built-in microphones of your computer or laptop. Instead, use headset microphones so that audience can hear your presentation clearly. It would also be advisable to have a backup computer and printed copies of your slides just in case you encounter technical hitches. Using proper equipment will enable you to host a professional webinar and give your participants a pleasant experience.
- Get the word out
To attract a good audience, take time to promote your webinar in advance. Build a landing page that has the details of the webinar and a call to action for people to register. You can then promote this page to your email list and social media followers. Write blog posts and create short videos that give a sneak peek into your webinar.
- Practice, practice, practice
It is very important to rehearse your presentation several times before the actual webinar. Check if all the equipment is working well and fix anything that might be faulty. Go through your content and make necessary adjustments. Eliminating all potential problems beforehand will build your confidence and boost the chances of hosting an excellent webinar.
Author Bio – Charles Mburugu is a HubSpot-certified content marketer with over eight years experience writing for various industries. Check out his portfolio and connect on LinkedIn.
