10 Steps to a Great Webinar: What We Learned During the Pandemic
We’ve certainly all witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to webinars these past months. It’s been totally understandable that there has been variable quality as we all experienced the mad scramble to shift all TV industry events online.
But webinars have to work harder. Fully 70% of the over 300 virtual events that we tracked during April, May and June, now lead to expired event pages or dead links.
So we compiled some tips.
Here’s your Guide to Webinar Best Practice and what we learned during the pandemic.
Over the course of the last few months, since the start of the pandemic, Broadcast Projects been monitoring the vast number of TV industry webinars. During April, May and June, we collected data on over 300 webinars, virtual events and full day conferences.
We recently undertook an analysis of those events. As you would expect, the quality has been variable, since everyone has been getting their feet wet, switching to the new realm of everything being virtual. Broadcast Projects also hosted its own nine webinar events, so we had a bit of a baptism of fire ourselves.
Reflecting on all we have seen and learned so far, we compiled this list of 10 best practices to keep in mind for as you plan your next virtual event.
Strong concepts in a round table format work best
The best webinars are not just vendor or pundit-led events, but provide new information or food for thought. Don’t create events purely as a soapbox for selling your stuff. Those videos do, however, have a home on your website. The acid test: be sure that the event will be genuinely useful to attendees.
Strong promotion attracts sign-ups that convert to attendees
Be sure your webinar provider offers a wide range of attractive, shareable graphics, including ones that highlight individual speakers, as well as the whole group. First impressions count. As a sponsor or speaker, you should also receive corresponding tips for executing a social media plan so each panelist can share upcoming notices about the event. Can you get a press release out and/or editorial content published? If so, that´s a plus, too.
Platform choice and sign-up mechanisms are important
Pick the right platform and landing page mechanism. There are many options and combinations - and everyone has been experimenting. For a start, choose an event platform that supports recordings and statistics. No point having a webinar if you are not going to make the recording available after the event. It´s surprising how many have not done so. Being able to monitor your landing page statistics is also extremely useful. Early on it can be an indicator that your graphics and headlines are not working - so you have a chance to modify things.
Re-purpose the advertised webinar link
A dead link is a wasted opportunity. Check if the advertised registration link can be re-used to view the recording after the event. Fully, 70% of the events we monitored in Q2 2020 did not do this. Instead, you arrive to a dead or unclear link. For example, if you land back on a registration page after the event, you may still be prompted to register, but it is totally unclear if you will actually be sent to the recording, because the wording has not been changed. In some cases, if you do try to register (after the event) nothing happens at all, no auto-responder, nothing. Even if you sent out a separate reminder after the event (with a new link) - people may not have time to sift through a bunch of emails to find yours.
We noticed a few things. Those companies using platforms like On24 and Bright Talk had the best chance of re-purposing the landing page by sending visitors to the recording after the event. GoToWebinar and Zoom usually sends you to a dead page - where maybe you’ll find the name of the person to contact for further information about the event. For sign ups, we found EventBrite to be a poor choice, you just get the simple message - the event is over. For these options, it may be possible to modify the text post-event - but most have not done so.
Streamline and don´t be desperate with marketing emails
To those who carpet bomb the entire industry with emails from multiple addresses, we say no. The noisier the better? We don´t think so. People are smart. If your event is compelling, they are going to make a note of it and register or not. If not, no number of emails is going to change their mind. First impressions count. If they see it advertised in other outlets, and the concept is strong and it sounds really compelling, that’s the way to go.
Minimise reminders to those who have registered
Best practice is to send an automatic email when they sign up. Then, once a week if the event is several weeks ahead. Then, on the Friday before the week of the event, one day before, and then, one hour before the event happens. Each mail should be different and give a little bit more enticement of what’s to come. There are those who will disagree with this advice, but you want to make friends, do not clog your potential attendees inboxes with emails. You might just turn them off.
Arrange access to the list of attendees after the event
Arrange a way to email registrants and attendees in future with follow-ups specific to the event. GDPR requirements may prevent you from accessing contacts sitting on your webinar producer’s third-party database after the event. So discuss it in advance and agree on a plan.
Check in advance who controls the recording and how it will be made available.
Ask your webinar producer how you will get access to the video recording of the event. Specifically ask if it will available on a shareable link, or, on your webinar producer’s website, or on your own website. The practice varies greatly, and some examples are definitely not in the interests of those who paid for the webinar in the first place.
One of the worst examples we have seen is a single generic page with all the on-demand events from multiple TV technology companies embedded all together with no way to get a link to the individual video. It probably just wasn´t thought through very well, but if you paid for your place in that virtual event, and that’s the only place where the recording lives, it may not be in your best interests to have done it this way.
Arrange a copy of the webinar recording for your own use
For example, you might want to put the event recording it on your own website, or edit it for sound-bites that you can use in your own social media campaigns. We recommend creating an on-demand events page within your website so that you can continue to get value out of your virtual event investment. Offering clear navigation to previous events, or to product demos, helps orient your website visitor and enables them to get a clear sense of what you offer, before getting in touch with you. Think of how much time you can win by providing clear information through a well-thought out customer journey.
Fully vet the agenda, participants and…. rehearse!
And last but most important, be sure that the agenda is solid and genuinely interesting. We recommend, always, to have a full rehearsal to iron out any kinks, including a full transcript that can be reviewed by participants prior to the event. Having an expert, neutral moderator is also an important consideration. If your virtual event producer is offering a slot in a series of product presentations, try to be sure you’re not scheduled to present after the guy who gives the most punishing of demos. The fall-off in engagement before they get to your stellar presentation can really detract from the value.
“There is no doubt that the emergence of virtual events has totally democratised how TV technology companies promote themselves. ”
The rise of virtual events has leveled the playing field for the small to medium-sized companies who can now get visibility on an equal footing, rise above the din, and at a fraction of the cost.
But, just because a third party email list has tremendous reach, consider the wastage. If you are just trying to reinforce your brand identity, fine. But if it is sales you want, better to focus on the targets that fit, even if you have to do so one at a time. Personal contact never went out of style and marketing automation in the wrong hands is a real menace.
There is much to be gained from working smarter, more slowly and deliberately, than just relying on email blasts, whether it is via your own or someone else’s list.
We always recommend to reach out personally to prospects and those who are likely to have a genuine interest in your products and services. Webinars and virtual events are a great way to bolster those market outreach activities, especially when they can provide real value to targeted audiences.
If you have an upcoming event that you would like promoted, add it to the TV Events Hub a centralised resource we created for the industry, and, best of all, it is free.
Broadcast Projects can help you with independent market outreach and custom event support. Contact us today. We would be glad to have a chat.