How to create successful webinar

What to do before, during and after the webinar to make your online event a success for you and your audience?

How to create successful webinar

What to do before, during and after the webinar to make your online event a success for you and your audience?

Today more than ever, with conferences and events becoming more and more virtual, webinars are proving to be a convenient and inexpensive tool to get in touch with a large scale audience.

But how to make a webinar effective? Here is a series of useful tips for successful webinars.

Before the webinar

1. Define your goals

Before you do anything else, think about what you want to achieve: collect qualified contacts, present a product, train your internal resources? Clearly identifying your goal will help you reach it more easily, but also monitor the results and evaluate the effectiveness of your webinar.

2. Choose a specific topic

A common mistake is to choose a generic topic that offers no real advantage to participants. Choose a specific topic and address the points in a concrete way. People participate in webinars to learn: avoid that your event is just a waste of time for your audience.

3. Know your audience

Who will participate? What challenges or problems are you facing? What are your goals? Only by answering these questions can you plan a webinar truly focused on the needs of your audience.

4. Write a title that catches your attention

Remember: the title of the webinar is your first interaction with the audience. In many cases, the title alone will influence the user's choice of whether or not to register for the event, because only after reading the title will you decide whether to go deeper into the program and the speakers.

Write an original and captivating title, but be careful not to be misleading and not to make promises that your webinar will not be able to keep.

5. Choose the format of your webinar

There are very different formats of webinars, each with its own characteristics that adapt to different content, objectives and audiences: presentation-style webinars, interviews, questions and answers, etc.. To find out which one is right for you, read " Webinars: how to choose the right format?" Based on the chosen format, then prepare the necessary content (slides, videos, tutorials, etc.).

6. Choose an excellent speaker

Regardless of the content, the key to a successful webinar is to ensure that the speaker has the knowledge and experience to conduct the event professionally. So make sure that he or she is prepared on the subject, but has excellent communication skills.

7. Prepare the set

It may seem trivial, but many webinars are lacking precisely because of the setting. Check the lighting, background, framing and any background noise. Do not underestimate the importance of the environment.

8. Define a structure

Each webinar should include a compelling introduction, a presentation of the main points that will be addressed, a motivating closing and, in some cases, an invitation to action.

9. Write an excellent script

The script is the tool that allows you to stay focused on the topic. This doesn't mean you'll have to follow it to the letter, but it will provide you with a guideline to keep your time under control and not digress. Remember: even if you know the subject very well, it's not easy to talk in public, or manage your time correctly.

10. Evaluate the duration of the webinar

Make sure your webinar does not exceed 60 minutes. If the webinar is too long, attention may wane and some participants may decide to abandon it before the end.

11. Choose the right platform

A webinar platform is a free or paid online software that allows you to share content with users in real time. Choose the one that best suits your needs and make sure it includes all the features you need.

DynDevice LMS, for example, has many specific features for the management and creation of webinars and includes several tools to encourage engagement and interaction with the public (chat, surveys, bulletin boards, etc.).

12. Do a final check

Do a dress rehearsal a few days before going live and make sure everything is working properly, that the slides are in order, that the speaker has everything he needs.

13. Find a technical assistant

During the webinar, the speaker should focus exclusively on the presentation. For this purpose, ask for the support of an assistant who can handle technical problems, moderate comments and perform all activities that might distract the presenter.

During the webinar...

1. Be on time

This applies to both the start time and the total duration. Remember that you are asking your audience to give you their time.

2. Encourage interaction

To ensure that your audience pays attention to the end, encourage them to participate. Try to be conversational, ask them questions and encourage them to intervene.

3. Keep your audience's attention high

Use a friendly and spontaneous tone, away from the academic lesson. Also, be concise and concrete, make your webinar fuffa-free!

4. Offer an invitation to action

Make sure the audience knows what action you want them to take after the webinar. For example, if you want them to download a form or sign up for a free trial, inform them and provide links in the webinar or follow-up email.

And, after the webinar...

1. Share content

After the event, follow the participants by sending them additional content: a summary email, webinar registration or presentation slides. Grow contacts and keep the relationship alive.

2. Track the results

Analyze the webinar metrics: how many people registered and how many actually participated? How much time did they spend watching the webinar? How was the follow-up activity (if any)?

Collect all the data needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the event and use it to prepare a list of good practices for your next webinar.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator 


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