And so we organised our first ever webinars. And because not everything that looks easy actually is, our key account managers have summarised their experiences in a few points. Here they are:
5 steps to a successful webinar
That is, one that:
- Captivates your target audience
- Generates new enquiries or leads
- Raise awareness of your company within your industry
It won’t work without preparation
An online blunder? You don’t want that! At first glance, it all seems simple – after all, the internet is full of webinars, covering everything from sewing to stock market investing. So it’s tempting to think that all you need to do is invite your audience, switch on the camera and talk for an hour. Wrong! Underestimating the preparation is a recipe for disaster during the live broadcast.
We must therefore prepare thoroughly:
- The technology, connection and the actual environment from which we’ll be broadcasting
- The duration and content of the webinar, including the presentation
- Speaking to an empty screen – especially if we’re using software that doesn’t let us see the audience
Especially if you’re hosting your first webinar, it’s worth running a full dry run and going over any weak spots several times. Make sure you can fit everything into the allotted time and that you know how to use all the features of the application you’re using. Screen sharing, muting the microphone, or recording, for example.
Hello. We’re going live in a week!
To ensure you’re not just broadcasting for your colleagues, you need to let the world know about the webinar. And, of course, choose a good topic beforehand. Take your time to think it through and find one that addresses a specific need of your customers. People like things like “5 tricks for…”, “3 tried-and-tested tips for…”, but also well-posed questions. For example, “How to feed hamsters?” or “How to invest in property and sort out your income once and for all?”.
Try to come up with topics that you haven’t seen covered in a webinar by your competitors and that offer real added value to your customers in their practical business lives.
Use social media and email marketing to promote the event and make the most of every participant. You never know which one might be your future client. We’ve found it works well to remind people about the webinar several times on Facebook, so that information about it reaches as many people as possible who might find it useful.
We’re starting… and moving forward
We’re live, people have logged in, and it’s time to begin. We may be staring at a blank screen, but on the other end there are dozens or hundreds of people. It’s worth making sure they can see and hear us clearly.
You’ll find webinars online that dive straight into the topic. No greeting and no instructions on how to record or listen. And the impression? Very impersonal. A good introduction helps the listener settle in, calmly stir the milk into their coffee and tune in to you.
And the content itself? It should have a well-thought-out structure that the viewer can follow. It should be divided into logical sections, with a brief recap of the main points at the end of each one. Just like at school, really :-).
So, like… actually, what we wanted to say was…
The webinar gets underway and the main challenge begins – holding the audience’s attention for several dozen minutes and conveying your message clearly. Many people train for years to do this, but that’s no reason why the rest of us can’t manage it with a bit of courage and practice.
To start with, just stick to a few basic rules when speaking:
- Watch out for filler words. Um… like… er… actually… try practising a coherent speech in front of the camera for a few days without them. Every time you feel like saying one, just stay silent. You can think in silence too :-).
- Speak naturally. As if you were explaining it all to a client during a face-to-face meeting over a cup of coffee. It’s not a speech at Oxford, but your own chat with your own customers.
- Don’t forget a sense of humour. Even complex matters can be explained with a smile and a light touch. Let’s have a bet on which part of the webinar customers will remember most after it’s finished :-).
The attention curve
Everyone’s attention span fluctuates. Up, down, up, down… No one takes in 100% of everything you say during the broadcast. However, you can ensure that listeners take in as much as possible. To keep their attention, it’s worth alternating between different activities as well as providing engaging content. Sprinkle the webinar with interesting elements, and the time spent with you will pass much more pleasantly. Try, for example:
- A poll with instant results
- Asking rhetorical questions
- Organising a Google search for competitors
- Asking participants to enter keywords related to their field into Google
- Giving as specific examples as possible from your own experience
Finally, it’s worth leaving plenty of time for questions. Give everyone who wants to ask something personally a chance to do so. You can also reinforce a positive impression of the webinar by sending all participants the full presentation after it ends, followed by a video recording within a few days. People can share it with colleagues or refer back to it in their own work.
A final tip? Keep a cool head! Fortune favours the brave, and you’ll do your presentation a favour by adding a touch of humour and a good mood.
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