The views expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.
Webinars have grow to be a popular presentation tool for many businesses. They allow a business to educate customers and promote products or services to an online audience. However, some businesses do not take full advantage of webinars. Here are some suggestions for using webinars that might not be as widely known to help businesses build a popularity as experts and sell more value to customers.
Provide real value without having to sell directly
When people enroll for a webinar, they need to learn something, not feel like they’re being sold something. You need to focus your content on providing real value to your attendees through helpful suggestions, strategies, case studies, or data that they’ll find useful. You can do this without directly promoting your products or services. This will build credibility as an expert that folks want to learn from. Later in the webinar or in a follow-up, you possibly can discuss how your offering might help them implement what they’ve learned.
For example, if you’re a website design company, your webinar could provide suggestions on how to improve your site’s usability without having to make a sale. Then, you possibly can explain how your website design services can apply these usability best practices. Attendees shall be much more receptive to your solutions after using helpful content.
Ask interesting questions for discussion
One of the predominant things you possibly can do is pause your webinar to ask open-ended questions that encourage discussion and interaction in the chat box. Questions like “What challenges have you faced” or “How might these tips apply to your situation” engage people and get them pondering more deeply about the content. They make the webinar feel more like a conversation than a one-way presentation. Compelling questions also help reinforce key ideas because people have to process them in order to respond.
Share relevant case studies and examples
Nothing sells higher than real-world examples. Look for customer case studies or public case studies of how other firms have successfully used the strategies or tools related to your webinar topic. Discuss the challenges they faced, the steps they took, and the results they achieved. Attendees can more easily imagine applying the ideas to their very own situations when they are supported by concrete examples. Be sure to get permission to share customer stories or only share people who are publicly available.
Record your webinar and distribute it later
Many people enroll for a webinar with the intention of watching it live, but life gets in the way and they miss it. Others may discover worthwhile content after the live broadcast is over. By recording your webinar, you give it longer legs and the opportunity to reach a wider audience. You can upload the recording to your website, share it on social media, or send a link in follow-up emails. It becomes a part of the evergreen content that promotes your expertise for months.
Offer a worthwhile downloadable resource
In addition to sharing a recording of your webinar, provide attendees with a downloadable workbook, checklist, template, or other resource they’ll refer back to later. This might be a compilation of webinar discussion questions, shared key statistics, or a planning guide for implementing your strategy. By giving them something immediately useful that they’ll apply, you’re leaving them with a positive experience with your webinar and your brand.
Ask for interactions during live sessions
To keep people engaged during a live webinar, continuously ask polling questions or typed responses into the chat. Questions like “Type A if you’ve faced this challenge or B if you haven’t” or “Rate your confidence on a scale of 1 to 5” help people grow to be energetic participants reasonably than passive listeners. You may even ask everyone to introduce themselves in the chat to build connections. Interaction makes the webinar experience more engaging and impactful.
Consistently follow up after the event
Just because the session is over doesn’t mean that contact with attendees should end. You can send at least 3 emails in the following days thanking them for coming, summarizing key takeaways, and offering additional support or resources. You also can send a survey to gather feedback on their webinar experience. Consistent follow-up is key!
Promote your upcoming webinars in advance
Don’t post a webinar registration link on the day of the webinar. Promote your upcoming webinars well in advance, whether on your website, blog, emails, or social media. Using emails allows you to let your prospects know when your next session is coming. This is essential because you wish to give attendees time on their calendars and generate early interest and engagement with teasers about the topic and speaker. You may even offer an early bird discount to those that register a few weeks early to encourage it. This early promotion will spread the word and lead to more registrations.
Consider a webinar series
Instead of individual webinars, you possibly can even plan a series of webinars around a specific topic or set of related topics. This can work well—a monthly webinar series like “website optimization tips” or a multi-part series like “social media marketing mastery.” A series approach will allow you to dive into your content over time and build a community around your topic. It may also give your attendees a schedule to look forward to.
While getting began with webinars does require some planning and preparation up front, implementing these strategies can start to yield positive results for your bottom line over time. Good luck!