Chances are, you’ve participated in a webinar. If not as a presenter, then certainly as an audience member. These live web-based video conferences are used by educational institutions, businesses and anyone else who wants to impart information to a group of people located far and wide. It’s a great way to connect if you manage to keep the material engaging and topical.
Webinar Types
Webinars leverage slideshows, streaming video, live feedback, polls, surveys and anything else that imparts information and maintains audience interest. Here are some of the webinars vying for your attention.
Educational. This is essentially a lecture that educates an audience on a subject. This could be a college course or a product sales pitch.
Audience-Driven Q&A. The goal of this webinar is to provide information and clarify questions. If your audience knows what you’re selling, it’s unnecessary to promote your services or products again. Just give viewers an opportunity to hear your expert opinion.
Panelist Discussion. This usually features a moderator and panelists who are experts in their field on or experts on a certain topic. Webinars such as this can use the influence and reputation of panelists to drive interest.
Workshop. Workshops capitalize on the shared screen aspect of a webinar. You can show a process step-by-step using a program like PowerPoint. The audience can follow along at home or enact the process as it’s explained.
Meeting/Corporate Communications. When your company is large or spread out, a webinar enables the CEO to address everyone. This kind of meeting can make a scattered group feel more unified through shared experience. It also means that everybody gets the same information at the same time.
Training/Product Demo. Show a customer how a product works or walk new customers through a service with this kind of webinar. It’s the adult version of show and tell.
Elearning. This is an extension of the classroom. It’s great for professions that need to update program content or satisfy knowledge and training mandates.
Recruiting. Your reach is so much greater with a webinar. Candidates who live too far away to make travel convenient or are working another job and need to be able to watch during off-hours are now reachable.
Advantages
Webinars come with a whole host of advantages and benefits. For starters, they bring a personal touch to your presentation and are more engaging than a pamphlet or brochure. A webinar lets you show off everything from your expertise and knowledge to your abilities, skills, products and services.
Use a webinar to gain insight into your target market. If you get the same question repeatedly, you’ve identified a pain point. You can also use the information gathered on your audience for lead generation; follow-up with viewers after the meeting. And if you’re speaking to return customers, this is your chance to keep them informed, answer their questions, and promote new products and services.
Concerning the bottom line, webinars are an inexpensive and efficient endeavor. There are no related travel expenses for the audience or your presenters. You also won’t need to pay for a conference facility, food and other costs associated with hosting an event. If you record your webinar, it can be made available as long as it’s relevant. People who missed the first presentation can catch up and people who would like to review the information can watch it again.
Tips
Follow these simple rules for a successful webinar.
- Focus. Choose a topic and stick to it. Don’t try to cover too much information or unrelated material.
- Speaker. Choose a strong speaker who is knowledgeable, charismatic and not camera shy.
- Format. Base your format (see webinar types above) on the topic, target market and message.
- Promotion. Don’t forget to tell people about your event. Use your email list or strong SEO words so everyone is aware and can attend.
There are two sides to a webinar: technical and content. When it comes to the technical, consider the type of presentation and pick the best option for you and the viewers.
Video Support for Webinars
Video is a strong webinar component. It can be used as an intro or to flesh out part of a presentation. Actually, it can be used to promote or illustrate any part of your webinar. If you’re looking for strong content to support your event, give Key West Video a call today.
