During the past two years, Zoom has become a “go-to” mode of communication. I’m sure that some of you have a love/hate relationship with the world’s most popular video platform. But hosting webinars just might change your entire perspective.
In case you haven’t heard, webinars can be incredibly powerful.
So how do you host a lead-producing webinar of your own?
- Promote your webinars ahead of time
Obviously, if you want people to attend your webinar, you must tell them about it. So come up with an event marketing strategy! Post about your webinar on social media, blast it to your email list, write a promotional blog post and run social ads.
If you have co-hosts, guests, or influencers involved in the webinar, encourage them to do the same!
- Get the technical details down
Technical difficulties are always possible, but there are things you can do to prevent them:
- Pick a familiar platform (like Zoom)
- Ensure your sound is clear
- Prep your slides
- Decide on your background (if you’ll be on camera)
- Do a run-through or two
And on the actual day of the webinar, don’t forget to record it. The ability to send out replays increases the value of your presentation.
- Write your script
Create a script that aligns with your presentation (to stay on track and on time), but remember that sometimes, less is more. Don’t try to cover everything you know about your industry – just pick one topic and go in-depth. Aim for a 40-45-minute presentation, so you’ll have lots of time for questions at the end.
- Find ways to make it interactive
Want to add even more value to your webinar? Interactive elements can help turn a “lecture” into an actual experience for your attendees. Try a quick activity or ask your attendees to answer a few fun questions in the chat feature.
- Focus on your call to action
Include a call-to-action at the end of the webinar, like:
- “Sign up for our paid course”
- “Request a free one-on-one consultation”
- “Listen to our podcast”
Sure, it’s a free webinar – but it can also help you achieve your other marketing and business objectives. Whether you want to appeal to investors, share your organization’s key message, or increase sales, don’t forget you’re investing time in a small part of a full marketing strategy.
Also, make sure your call-to-action is relevant to the content in your presentation. Ideally, the webinar should serve as a teaser – leaving your attendees wanting more!
- Have a post-webinar plan
Once your webinar is over, have a strategy for staying top-of-mind with your attendees.
Try:
- Creating a drip marketing campaign for attendees
- Sending out more value add-ons like coupons or a whitepaper
- Invite them to attend more of your online events
While running a free webinar is a big task, the payoff could be huge. It’s worth adding one or two to your 2022 marketing game plan! And if you don’t have a marketing plan yet, no sweat, we can help!
Visit www.Maria-L-Novak.com
Maria L. Novak Dugan is president of Marketing Solutions & Business Development, a firm serving Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, offering creative marketing services and goal implementation for small businesses. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the Marketing & Sales Industry ... 13 of those as the sole sales representative for a Pennsylvania payroll company growing their client base by over 500%. Maria Novak Dugan is also the former Managing Director of the Delaware Chapter of eWomenNetwork. Creating, developing, and conducting this division of a national organization strengthened her knowledge of networking, event planning, fundraising, and small-business development.
For more information, contact Maria at 610-405-0633 or Maria@Maria-L-Novak.com or visit www.Maria-L-Novak.com
