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Webinars have always been a good way to get information to a group in a quick, efficient manner. In fact, over 60% of marketers use webinars as part of their strategy for content marketing.* In the current atmosphere, webinars are even more crucial as in-person meetings and events have been cancelled, delayed, and postponed for the foreseeable future. Webinars are common among all industries, although professionals in certain industries tend to consume this type of content most often. The top three industries for webinars include financial services, software and technology, and education.

When your organization is planning a webinar, it’s helpful to follow a few key tips to improve the chances of a great result. You want to generate as much awareness as possible, provide helpful, engaging, and informative content, and drive strong thought leadership while boosting connections with those who attend. So, how do you achieve these goals?

Before the Webinar

When you want to host a webinar, the time before the big day is what you can use to prepare, get the word out, and make sure people want to attend. Driving registrations is a key part of your strategy, so you need to think about how you can get people to sign up and then actually attend. The recommended timeline is beginning to generate awareness starting six weeks before the event date, then launching a more intensive campaign four weeks prior. During the two weeks leading up to the event, look for ways to optimize and refresh your content and deliver last chance messaging to those who haven’t engaged.

Generating awareness is the first aspect of driving registrations. As you consider how you want to get the message out, make sure to include details that make it clear how to register and provide a quick and easy way to sign up. People like to feel like they’re getting in on something special, so making the webinar feel exclusive can help as well. Look for ways to tie in the fear of missing out – you could say something like, “all the thought leaders in the [insert your industry here] will be there!”

Planning Your Content

As you plan out what you will cover during the webinar, you can use this information to create engaging and appealing invitations, ads, and other communications for generating awareness. Highlight who will be presenting and what makes them qualified to talk about that particular topic. You can also review the content to identify a potential event hashtag to promote the event through social media and be part of the conversation around it.

After you have the content finalized, consider sharing bits of the slides or concepts being presented as teasers to get people excited. If you have hosted similar webinars in the past, consider including testimonials from previous attendees or even video highlights of the last events.

Scheduling a Time

The time you schedule your webinar for will ultimately play a role in whether people choose to attend. According to research conducted by GoToWebinar, the 11 a.m. time slot gets the highest number of registrants than any other time during the workday. Next up is 2 p.m. Since the number of webinars being offered has gone up in the recent past, it’s helpful to consider whether your selected date and time may conflict with any other online happenings in your industry. If you can’t get 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. to work with your schedule, it’s best to avoid scheduling a webinar anytime around the lunch hour.

During the Event

If you have outside presenters, take the time during the webinar to listen, take notes, and snap screenshots. Sharing a photo of a respected speaker with a pertinent quote is a great tool for social media and post-event marketing. You can also monitor the Q&A or chat function of your webinar software to make sure the attendees feel heard and get answers to their questions.

Post-Event Tips

Following the event, you have the chance to engage your audience one last time until the next webinar or campaign. Use this opportunity to provide relevant, informative, and interesting content to those who attended, as well as those who didn’t. If you got a lot of questions, consider putting together an FAQ sheet with answers, as members of your audience may have some of the same questions. Package slide decks, handouts, and other resources behind a gated form to drive leads and get more information about members of your target audience.

With the right approach, you can get more people on your webinars and increase the chances of success. Use these tips and tools to hone in on what makes your content so appealing and how to share that message with those you’re trying to reach.

*Source: B2B Content Marketing Trends

 

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