11 Steps to Hosting an Effective Webinar in 2022 | Event Always

 

Have you ever wished that you could live in a Bill Murray movie. It sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it? It did, at least until 2020. The blockbuster "Groundhog Day" was a huge success. Murray's character was trapped in the exact same place every day.

Information sharing and gathering of information is a repetitive process. It's easy to share content online, but it's difficult to make it great.

Today, webinars or virtual seminars have become a popular way to deliver content and information. 64% of B2B marketers used webinars in the past 12 months. What is the secret to their popularity? The results are for businesses. B2B marketers surveyed said that webinars were their most valuable video asset.

Webinars are becoming increasingly popular and attendees have many options. How can you make your webinars stand out from the rest? For a step-by-step tutorial on creating webinars that get people off their phones and into your content, read on.

Step 1: Decide what outcome you want

Webinars can take six hours to create -- they are not quick projects. Before you invest your precious time and resources in creating one, you need to know what you want.

Webinars are typically set up to teach or sell something. However, to determine your desired outcome, it is worth digging a bit deeper. Begin by asking yourself some key questions:

• Who are you trying to reach?
• What does success look like?
• Why do you want to reach them (and why now?)?

Knowing the "who", "what, and why" will help you establish clear goals and objectives to improve the experience and communicate these goals effectively to key stakeholders. This will allow you to concentrate on the content and engage your audience.

Step #2: Define your target audience

Before you can create content, it is important to understand who the audience will be using it.

If you create an agenda that isn't relevant or interesting to your audience, it will be difficult to find the right content. These are just a few of the key steps that can help you avoid this trap.

Be specific about who you wish to reach

Although a halo effect can often be used to promote your experience, it's important that you have a clear understanding of the audience for your webinar. You don't want to make the content too broad. This will lead to diluted content and people not converting.

To help you focus, consider the following questions:

• What are you looking for in a business or an organization to network with?
• Who is the most likely to benefit from your webinar and who is it of interest to them?
• Are there any demographics, psychographic, or geographic segments you are targeting?
• Does the theme connect potential audience members?

Identify your pain points

Most people attend webinars to find solutions to problems they are having or to learn new things. Although they might not be able to see or care about how your business can solve the problem, they are likely acutely aware and sensitive to their needs.

You need to identify the pain points so that you can create a webinar to help your audience and offer potential solutions.

Step 3: Choose the right date, time, and length

Do you remember the multitude of webinar options available to attendees today? You're not only competing with other events; you have to contend with your work schedule and personal life. Your webinar time can also make or break attendance rates.

Therefore, you need to determine what is most effective for your company and your target audience. These are some of the considerations to make:

• Length - Most webinars last between 30-60 minutes, with 60 minutes the longest. They include both a presentation and a conversation or Q&A at the end. You can choose the length that suits your experience.
• Lunchtimes: If you have a group of people who are in the same time zone as you, it is a good idea to schedule your webinar for noon or at 1 p.m. Many people will be taking a lunch break around this time.
• Time zones - Consider the time zones that attendees will be attending and plan your schedule to allow for overlap. Remember, the Replay is available for Eventalways customers only.
• Weekend spillover - Aim for Midweek -- Thursday through Tuesday are the most popular days to host webinars.

Once you have determined the "when", it is time to establish the "where".

Step 4: Select the right platform

Poor webinar software can cause attendees to daydream, fall asleep, or lose interest in the experience.

These are some things that you might need in your webinar platform.

• Access to webinar data, analytics
• A guarantee that the registration process with the ability to directly sell tickets if required
• High-quality streaming, and branding capabilities
• Active engagement options for attendees
• A Drag-and-Drop webpage builder which provides a direct link to the registration

After you have chosen the right platform, think about what webinar content you want to present and who will do it. Your speakers will be the ones that either drive or hook your audience.

Step #5: Create an agenda and find speakers

Now it's time for you to build the house. That means you need to tackle your webinar content. Your webinar is an opportunity for you to offer value to your audience.

Your agenda should also be clear so that the audience doesn't get confused.

• Begin with a brief introduction that explains the purpose of the webinar.
• Focus on the core content and main presentation
• So that the audience can ask questions, slot in a Q&A session
• You might also consider an optional networking section

You want speakers who can connect with your audience and command the screen. They should also be able to drive passive engagement from attendees. Speakers must not only know the material but also know how to make it memorable and add drama.

Search for speakers Depending on your webinar goal, you should consider both internal and external candidates. These are some of the tactics you should use when searching for speakers.

• Send an email blast to your network and share a call for action on social media and via email blasts.
• A banner can be added to your website to let people know that you are looking for webinar speakers.
• You should look for someone who is already a respected authority in the area, as they will be able to drive registrations.
• Find a subject matter expert that your audience can relate to, and who can share valuable lessons and secrets on the topic.

After you have created your agenda and arranged for a speaker, it is time to market your experience.

Step 6: Create a user-friendly landing webpage

Your webinar webpage is the entrance to your experience. This is your audience's first glimpse at your experience, and you have to grab their attention quickly. A 2011 study showed that websites have 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) to persuade visitors to stay.

Your website must be attractive, but functional is the most important thing. Your webinar landing page should make it easy for attendees to register and, if applicable, purchase tickets.

Include:

• A strong headline, a description of the webinar, and what it will offer the audience.
• Date, time (including the time zone), length
• A striking image that grabs attention
• A short bio of the speaker
• Participants can use the call to action button to register
• If it is not listed on the landing page, it should be.

Step 7: Create a plan for attendee engagement

Successful webinars combine active and passive engagement to keep the audience engaged.

People came to the event because they were interested in learning more about the subject. First and foremost, you need to nail the content and get high-quality speakers who can deliver it. Also, make sure that you are delivering as much value in an hour or less. While participation elements may be useful, they don't really add value if the core content isn't good enough.

Interactive elements, networking and Q&As can strengthen the content and increase retention. They also help to prevent people from reaching for their smartphones mid-webinar.

These tactics can be used to encourage attendee engagement

• You can take on challenges, tasks, and games.
• Speaker slides should be reduced in text
• Make polls, surveys, or chat prompts
• Mix music, images, videos
• To kickstart the conversation, ask a few questions to the audience
• If your webinar tone is conversational, you can make content delivery more conversational.
• In a networking section, suggest topics for conversation

Once you have a solid engagement plan, it is time to open registration and promote, encourage, promote.

Step 8: Promote, promote and promote

How many times have you signed up for webinars only to forget about them? It's one thing that your target audience is interested in attending a webinar. But it's quite another to get them to show up.

Here are some strategies to increase webinar attendance and registration.

Establish an email sequence

You'll want a platform to create your email sequences rather than you having to use an external email system.

The following email sequence templates can be used to establish consistent pre-event touchpoints:

• Confirmation email to Participants receives this email right after they register for your webinar. You can make it easier for registrants by adding an "add to schedule" option with all details about your event.
• Send this email 24 hours prior to your event for a reminder. So attendees can remember the webinar and access it easily, including "add to calendar" and "click here for join" links.
• One-hour reminder This email is often the most important. Create a catchy subject line to signal that it is time to sign up for the event. Make sure to provide an easy-to-use "click here for join" button so that the webinar is easily accessible.

You can't leave any promotional stone unturned

Consider promoting a webinar on your website if it is available to the public.

These are other ways to promote your experience.

• Encourage people in your organization to include a link to the registration page or webinar landing page to their email signatures.
• Targeted social advertising: When hosted on the right platform, ads, especially on Instagram and LinkedIn, can be a great driver for webinar registrations.
• Speakers' Networks: Organizers may share media kits with webinar speakers to include details such as webinar hashtags, when and where to announce speaking opportunities, and other pertinent information. Encourage speakers to share the webinar on social media with their networks. Because people in a speaker's circle will want to support them, sharing is a powerful way to drive registrations.

Your promotions are increasing and your sequence of emails have been delivered, webinar day is quickly approaching. Now it's time for the final touches.

Step 9: Practice, practice, and practice

Practice makes perfect, right? Dry runs can help you avoid the pre-event horror stories about speakers joining your event only to face technical problems.

Make sure that speakers have the correct equipment. Send a tech packet to speakers before the event if it is possible. The pack may include A/V equipment, and usually outlines the steps that speakers must follow in order to prepare for webinar day.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Lighting and background: Make sure your speakers have adequate lighting and a suitable backdrop.
• Internet connection You can test your connection to ensure that you have a strong connection of 25 megabytes per sec (Mbps), download, and upload speeds of 5 Mbps.
• Tutorials Some people are more technical than others. Consider sending a screencast that explains how speakers can access webinar materials and test their equipment.

After the speakers have reviewed the instructions in their tech pack, they will schedule a time to go through the webinar with them. During the dry run, make sure that the following items work properly.

• Webcams
• Microphones
• Computer headsets or speakers
• Slide decks and presentation media
• Apps they are using

Now, it's showtime!

Step 10: Record your show

Webinars allow you to share your message with large audiences, but also offer the possibility to reach a larger audience after the event.

You can record your webinar so that it is available for those who couldn't attend live or want to revisit the content later.

Make sure your webinar recording is high quality.

• Make sure to use a high-quality headset and microphone
• You must ensure that your internet connection remains stable and strong.
• Before you start recording, test your equipment.
• Record in a quiet space
• After the live event, upload your recording immediately

Then it's over, right?

Almost.

Step 11: Follow up

Many attendees leave a webinar feeling more connected and knowledgeable. Send two follow-up emails to extend that feeling and keep you in the know.

Send this email to the attendees of the webinar. We thank them for attending and participating. Add a link to the webinar recording.

Send this follow-up email to those who did not attend the webinar and highlight their mistakes. Include a link to the recording of the webinar and inform them that it is available for viewing.

Everyone wins when they have access to the live webinar and on-demand content afterward. Your audience can watch the replays, regardless of whether they were able to attend the live event. Your company, product, or service and the speakers also gain exposure. It reduces friction by making the content easy to find.

Attend all of your webinars.

Webinars allow you to share your key messages and expertise with your audience. They are intimate and can be tailored to your specific needs.

These 11 steps will help you host a webinar that is unique and delivers results in 2022.

Register for a free account at Eventalways to test our platform for your next webinar.