Thinking of Hosting a Webinar? Follow These 5 Simple Steps.

Are you running out of ways to spice up your stale content? Are you looking to build brand awareness and position yourself as a thought leader in your industry? Webinars have entered the chat. As we are well aware, all things virtual are the new normal. The pandemic has accelerated this movement, but we’ve been heading there for a while. Investing in new tactics is important to continue growing your audience, and webinars are an excellent place to start. I know what you’re thinking “ Are webinars really worth it?” and the truth is, it depends. Webinars can be a great tool to utilize if you want to expand your brand reach and can ultimately lead to the one thing we all want: generating more leads. 

We’ve all had the pleasure of attending one of many Zoom, or Microsoft Teams calls in our nice shirts and sweats or no pants (judgment-free zone). Why not capitalize on that? Now more than ever, people prefer to shop, communicate, and even network online, and investing in an innovative way of networking could be your business's next step.

But, the real question lies in where exactly to start. Anyone can set up a webcam and stream themselves live on the internet, but can they get the results? That’s why our team of experts has compiled best practices for preparing and hosting a successful webinar. 

Let’s dive in!

What Are the Benefits of Hosting a Webinar?

The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that we can connect with our audience no matter where they are. In fact, most people, especially the Millennial generation and younger, prefer a virtual environment for shopping, learning, and work. The past two years have caused us to grow closer to Zoom and other online meeting applications. 

Many businesses are finding great success in hosting webinars to bring awareness to their products and services. You can use many mediums to host a webinar, such as Zoom, Livestorm, Demio, etc. We’ll go into more detail about which platforms work best for your use case later. For now, let’s discuss the benefits of hosting a webinar. 

Chances are, you’ve attended a webinar before. If you’ve been on the receiving end, you may have noticed that the organization worked to engage and interact with the audience. At the core, webinars are not about making a sale; they are about providing VALUE to your audience. This can be done by focusing on relevant topics and engaging your audience. 

Webinars include three important pieces. Your first objective is to collect information from your audience, like email, phone number, and first and last names. Second, you want to establish reliability through your webinar. Your audience should view you as an expert in the topic you are discussing. Finally, after completing your webinar, you can use your collected information to market to your audience via email. This final step is critical because you want to engage further with your audience to build those lasting relationships. Some leads require more nurturing than others. It’s important to identify those in your audience who are further in the conversion funnel and those who need nudging.

Here are a few benefits of hosting a webinar: 

• Reach a larger audience
• Boost brand awareness 
• Generate new leads 
• Position yourself as the expert 
• Content can be repurposed across multiple channels 

Webinars come in all shapes and sizes, each with its benefits. The type of webinar you choose will depend on the kind of content you want to discuss and your audience preferences. Webinars can be live, pre-recorded, long-form, or mini. 

Live

Live webinars are done in front of a live virtual audience. It’s a great way to interact with your audience in real time and can create a more personal experience for viewers. Sometimes presenters will allow their audience to leave on their cameras; However, most webinars, especially live ones, will only show the cameras/faces of those presenting. One important aspect of live webinars is that you may risk technical issues or other mishaps. Make sure always to check your platform, connection, video, and microphone before you go live. Since live webinars are all about interacting with your audience, one solution is to enable a chat room instead where users can input questions or fun comments about your presentation. Read on to learn about best practices that’ll help you nail your live webinar.

Pre-Recorded

Pre-recorded webinars allow you to make edits before the audience views them, and you can make changes as you go removing the pressure of a live presentation. The downside? You may risk not actively engaging with your audience. Pre-recorded webinars are great if you’re starting out with webinars and want to give them a shot and test it with your target audience. The other benefit is reaching your audiences in multiple time zones. 

By having the webinar pre-recorded, users can view it at any time and can always refer back to it if they’d like.

Mini 

Mini webinars pack a lot of information in a short amount of time. Mini webinars allow you to educate your audience quickly; however, you may risk giving them information overload. Ensure the content is digestible for your audience, and check in with them throughout to see how they process the information.

Long-Form

Long-form webinars are typically over an hour long and are much more in-depth than mini webinars. They allow you to feature multiple speakers and topics and really dive into things. We’d recommend long-form if you’re confident that your audience is very receptive to a webinar experience. It’s best to start with a mini webinar, gauge interest, and move into long-form if needed. Be sure to consider that audiences may get bored or less engaged with long-form, so allow time for breaks and engage with them actively. Ever heard the phrase “death by PowerPoint”? No one wants to watch you present without engagement for an hour or more. You have to be willing to switch up the format throughout the event.

Tips for Hosting a Successful Webinar

Webinars are all about providing value to your audience. The more valuable your content, the more consumers will want to follow your brand. Of course, this is much easier said than done. Providing valuable content can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be. Let’s take a deep dive into tips, platforms, and best practices for webinars.

1. Practice, Practice, Practice

We’ve all heard the phrase “practice makes perfect,” and I know this may seem obvious, but it is important. Although your webinar may not always be “perfect,” it’s crucial to dial in a script and run through it a few times before pressing that “record” button. Practicing can help you define any potential pitfalls your webinar could have. Present your webinar to another person and let them poke holes in your performance and content. Here are some things to consider while practicing.

• Assign all participants a job: Your webinar will run much smoother if everyone has a job. For example, one important job is a moderator. The moderator is responsible for moderating the chat and audience during the webinar. They can assist if something goes wrong and vet questions the audience may have that way; that way, you avoid having multiple people trying to speak at once. 
  
  
• Make sure you have tested the platform beforehand: Once you have chosen the platform, test all the components you plan on using during your webinar. This will help avoid any mishaps that could happen during the presentation. 
  
  
• Record any dry run rehearsals: Recording your dry run rehearsals will allow you to see your webinar from the audience’s perspective. I know some of us don’t like hearing our voices or seeing ourselves on a recording, but I promise you it is important to do so. Recording can help you catch any filler words you may be using, such as “um,” “uh,” “like,” etc. 
  
  
• Create a script: I know some of you may want to wing it when speaking, but having a script is important and can help you stay on track when speaking. Make sure to practice your script multiple times to ensure it sounds conversational. You don’t want to sound like a robot to your audience. You don’t have to stick to the script. You want to throw in some audience interactions so it feels personal. Remember, people, connect with people.

2. Use a Platform that Not Only Benefits You, But Benefits Your Audience

• What is the anticipated size of my audience? 
• Which devices will my audiences be logging in from? 
• What is my budget? 
• What do I want the waiting room experience to be like?
• Will I have multiple presenters at one time? 
• Do I want my webinar to be live or pre-recorded?
• How do I want to promote my webinar?

Once you have answered these questions, you can narrow down your search. However, if you still need some ideas to get your search going, our experts have compiled a shortlist of webinar platforms to choose from. 

Riverside: 

Best For: Large businesses and streaming across multiple channels
$$$

Riverside is a webinar platform that is best used for larger businesses that want to host webinars. The platform allows streaming on multiple channels such as Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn and can record webinars. One fun feature is that your recordings will separate video and audio; that way, you can share the content on various channels. Lastly, up to eight guests can participate/present during the webinar. 

Pricing: New users can get a free trial to experience all features for up to one hour. Free trials are a great way to test multiple platforms to see which one you like the best. 

• Basic: up to two hours of recording monthly for $90 annually 
• Standard: up to five hours of recording as well as a live stream to Twitter/YouTube/Facebook for $108 annually 
• Pro: up to 15 hours of recording monthly, live stream to Twitter/YouTube/Facebook, accept live call-ins and include transcriptions for $288 annually

WebinarJam: 

Best For: Large audiences and simplicity 
$$

WebinarJam is an excellent webinar software tool for those with little to no technical knowledge about setting up a webinar. This platform is easy to use and allows you to stream to YouTube and other social media video channels. One great feature is that you can provide pop-ups to your audience during the webinar. The pop-ups can allow them to purchase a product or service while attending the webinar. Another great feature is that you can set up an email campaign where users are sent reminders about the upcoming webinar. You can even create a dedicated landing page to track the customer journey.

Pricing: Users automatically receive a 30-day money-back guarantee when purchasing and can cancel their membership anytime. Also, users can receive a 14-day trial for $1.

• Starter: $39 monthly for 100 attendees, unlimited webinars, one host, one-hour max duration, live chat, etc. 
• Basic: $79 monthly for 500 attendees, unlimited webinars, two hosts, two hours max duration, live chat, attendee spotlight, etc. 
• Professional: $229 monthly for 2,000 attendees, unlimited webinars, 4 hosts, 3 hours max duration, live chat, automated webinars, etc. 
• Enterprise: $379 monthly for 5,000 attendees, unlimited webinars, 6 hosts, 4 hours max duration, live chat, a control panel with stats, etc. 

LiveWebinar: 

Best For: Customization and collaboration
$

LiveWebinar is a cloud-based platform that allows users to host webinars, share screens, stream live videos, screen records, etc. One great feature is that the platform allows for integrating other marketing tools such as MailChimp, Slack, Moodle, etc. 

Pricing: New users can receive a 14-day trial to test all the features. 

• Free: $0 per month for up to 5 attendees, 2 hours of recordings, screen sharing,  polls/tests/surveys, etc.
• Pro: $11.99 monthly for up to 100 attendees, 6 hours of recordings, sub-accounts, YouTube & Vimeo player, chat translation, etc. 
• Business: $95.20 per month for up to 500 attendees, 8 hours of recordings, participant tracking, full HD recordings, ads, etc. 
• Custom: custom pricing for over 1,000 attendees, custom features and add-ons, live streaming, etc. 

Zoom: 

Chances are, you’ve probably heard of Zoom. Zoom is one of the most popular webinar platforms out there. Zoom offers users a cloud-based and user-friendly experience with HD video/audio, screen sharing, and other interactive features such as polls, breakout rooms, and whiteboards. One of our favorite features of Zoom is the amount of control over meetings. Users can schedule meetings and have private or public chats; this allows you to only speak with your team during the webinar rather than the whole audience. However, Zoom is lower on our list because it does not offer the marketing integration as the other platforms do. 

Pricing:

• Free: $0 annually for 100 attendees, unlimited group meetings for up to 40 minutes, private and group chat, etc. 
• Pro: $149.90 annually for 100 attendees, unlimited minutes for group meetings, social media streaming, 1 GB of cloud storage, etc. 
• Small Businesses: $199.90 annually for 300 attendees, single sign-on, recording transcripts, company branding, etc. 
• Large Enterprise-Ready: $240 annually for 500 attendees, unlimited cloud storage, recording transcripts, etc. 

3. Focus on Valuable Content Rather Than Selling

I know we’ve mentioned this multiple times, but we will say it again: webinars are not about getting a sale; they are about providing VALUE to your audience. Don't get me wrong; a successful webinar should generate new leads and hopefully lead to conversions. However, this should not be your primary focus. Your consumers want to know what problem you are solving for them. Lead with the problem.

When preparing your content, try to put yourself in your audience’s shoes and ask yourself, “Would I be interested in this?”. If the answer is no, try to think of a new topic or maybe pivot it to align with your audience. 

If you’re still struggling to find valuable content, ask your audience what they think. Before your next webinar, send out a survey or run a poll on social media with a few topics and have your audience vote on which would interest them the most. This can give you insight into what your audience values, and maybe they will even share a few ideas of their own. 

Check out Airmeet and Agora Plus for a great library of free webinars.

4. Pick the Right Time and Day for Your Audience 

You could have all the valuable content in the world, but it will not mean anything if no one sees it. Picking the right time and day for your audience will maximize the number of viewers and leads you can generate from a webinar. Your audience will likely have different schedules; some days may work better than others. ON24, a popular webinar platform, analyzes data on thousands of webinars to create an annual report. These metrics usually include the most popular tools, conversion stats, and the best days and times to run webinars. ON24 study found the following:

• Wednesday and Thursday are statistically the best days to host webinars 
• The best times range from 11 am PST to 2 pm 

It’s important to note that the best time and day will depend on your audience. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different days and times to figure out the perfect one for you. It may take a few tries to fully understand your audience and their needs. 

Also, don’t forget to take into account different time zones. Your audience may be logging on from all over the world, and you want to accommodate them in the best way possible. If you have users from different time zones, consider pre-recording your webinar so that anyone can view it at any time. Overall, finding the best time and day will depend on your audience and metrics, so don't be afraid to go against the norm. 

5. Interact With Your Audience During Your Webinar 

Have you ever attended a webinar where the presenter wasn't very engaging? This can be a common pitfall for some speakers because they find themselves talking at audiences rather than talking with audiences. Engaging with your audience during a webinar makes all the difference, but the real question is how to do it correctly. You can engage your audience in the following ways: 

• Run an interactive poll where the audience gets to discuss their viewpoints: this can help the viewers feel more involved and help further position you as the expert. Find poll topics that interest your viewers and throw in a few fun ones to keep your audience engaged.
  
  
• Make sure to pause throughout the webinar for questions: your viewers may have questions throughout, make sure to take time to address them so that your viewers feel heard. This also allows you to clarify further parts of your webinar that may confuse viewers. 
  
  
• Look at the camera when speaking: when we are on a webinar, it can be easy to look around or constantly look at our video rather than focusing on the audience. Remember to look at the camera while speaking to your audience. This will make you seem more personable and professional. 
  
  
• Have the audience engage in a fun activity: in-person seminars are there to help professionals within a certain field network, and webinars should feel the same way. Hosting a fun activity where the audience can work in groups or together can help them network without leaving the comfort of their own home.
  
  
• If you plan on hosting a more extended webinar, allow for breaks: taking a short break during your webinar allows you to refresh before the next session and allows viewers to do the same. If you want to put a fun spin on it, host a short yoga session or tell your viewers to find something near them that holds emotional value, that way, you could discuss it when they return after the break. 

Conclusion 

Now that you have the best tips and tricks, you’re ready to go out into the world and host an awesome webinar! Let’s recap what we talked about today. 

Don’t forget to practice, practice, practice! Practice might not always make “perfect,” but practice will help you feel more confident while speaking and can help establish any pitfalls that could occur. Also, make sure to have a co-worker peer view your presentation; the more eyes, the better! 

Don’t be afraid to engage with your audience. Engaging with your audience allows for a smooth presentation, and your audience gets a chance to network with others. As we mentioned, people attend in-person seminars to network with professionals in their fields; webinars should be no different. 

Finally, make sure you are providing valuable content to your audience. Webinars can generate new leads and profit, but remember to focus on creating valuable content. If your content is valuable to your audience, they will likely purchase and follow your brand.