It’s been quite a long since we’ve gotten ourselves used to the new normal. Though webinars were introduced long before the pandemic, it was during the covid we made efficient use of them. Organizations find webinars an excellent platform to promote their brand and expand their audience reach.
Similar to their physical counterparts, webinars are the lectures, presentations, and workshops conducted using a virtual event platform. Webinars are interactive events allowing one to share knowledge with the audience that can join in from any part of the world.
Owing to the innumerable benefits a webinar comes with, organizations prefer to conduct webinars frequently. Some of those advantages are-
- Webinars help you with expanding your database.
- Since webinars allow you to share valuable knowledge, they help organizations with setting an authority.
- Webinars are a cost-effective method of increasing your brand reach and connecting with your audience.
Hosting a webinar is not only about selecting a topic and conducting it over any webinar hosting service. It takes a lot of planning and brainstorming to execute the webinar of your ideas. If you are looking for an informative guide, scroll down and find the best ideas to create and host a successful webinar.
Choose the format and purpose of your webinar-
To begin with, decide the aim of your webinar. Are you planning on briefing your team about something, or is it going to educate a specific group? After selecting the purpose, decide the topic of your webinar. If you’re confused, research some topics that pull maximum audience engagement. You wouldn’t want the audience to get bored, so keep the session short and subject precisely. You can also go through the content of your site and see what engages your audience the most. After deciding the purpose and subject, select the format of your webinar.
Pick up an expert to speak at the webinar-
Now that you have decided the purpose of your webinar, pick up the speakers for your event. Make sure you decide to go with the person who has a defined knowledge of the subject, can address the public and its queries well, and perform well in stressful situations. It is all up to you if you want to have one or more speakers. The experts you’re going to have at your event would be the face of your event and will drive the audience to the webinar. Along with the speaker, choose a presenter for your audience. The presenter will keep the audience engaged and make sure the event runs smoothly. You should also hire a team that will take care of other factors required for the seamless execution of the event.
Select a suitable webinar platform-
After deciding the speakers and the presenter, it’s time to move on to the next and probably the most crucial factor of a webinar- the webinar platform. Don’t settle with any name just for the sake of saving a few bucks. Research and compare at least two-three platforms, and then select the one you find is the best. Platforms like Dreamcast provide various engaging features such as live polls, gamification features, Q&A sessions, and many more. These features will increase audience engagement and add value to their experience.
- Outline your webinar’s content-
Strategize the content you wish to deliver to the audience. Outlining the content will help you carry the entire proceedings smoothly. It is crucial as it makes sure your audience stays engaged till the end and everything is done without any chaos. To execute the webinar of your idea right, make sure you deliver the right amount and type of content that the audience doesn’t find boring. Prepare a list of the topics you would want to cover at your webinar. Follow the 80-20 rule for the content of your webinar. Deliver 80% solid content, and you can use the remaining 20% of the webinar to promote your content. Always start with welcoming your audience. Build up the engagement by interacting with a few of them and presenting the content in a storytelling way.
Keep the equipment ready-
Before the webinar, ensure you have adequate equipment and adequate internet supply with a suitable environment for the webinar. You can choose to run your virtual event from anywhere, living room or office, or any other place of your choice. Make sure the surroundings are peaceful and nobody disturbs you during the event. Even the slightest of disturbances will distract the audience, and they might lose interest in your webinar. Along with the environment, make sure to charge your laptop before the session begins. If the webinar requires you to share your screen, make sure your desktop doesn’t have any irrelevant files; nothing beats a clear desktop.
- Use efficient promotional strategy-
Now that you have planned everything, it’s time for the world to know about your webinar. Keep in mind that the success rate of your webinar depends on the number of attendees you manage to pull in. For people to know about your webinar, you need to follow a well-planned promotional strategy. You can build your event web page that will have all the details of your webinar. If there’s an announcement regarding your event, take it to your page and update it there so that people can know about it. Apart from your website, use social media for effective promotions of your webinar. You can also hire paid media specialists and use traditional media to promote your webinar.
Conduct a practice session-
Keep in mind that practicing can never go wrong. To make sure nothing goes wrong during the webinar, practice before the main event. Make yourself familiarized with the webinar platform a few days before the webinar. Log in a couple of times to make sure nothing goes wrong during the proceedings. You can also invite your presenter, speakers, and your tech team for a rehearsal session. Practice everything, right from taking polls, taking up questions, adding people to the sessions, and more. Take a quick run-through of your platform and acquaint yourself with the basic technicalities of your software.
Winding-up
Once an alien concept, webinar, has become one of the most sought-after concepts. Businesses are making webinars their go-to option these days and provided the advantages they come with, it is easier to select them. Before planning a webinar, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of the concept. Choose a popular and trustworthy online webinar platform like Dreamcast to host the webinar of your dreams.