According to the Content marketing Institute, 61% of B2B marketers rate Webinars as the most effective content marketing tactic. Webinars not only position you as a thought leader, they are also highly effective for generating new leads as well as a playing part in your lead nurture funnel.
But Webinars are not easy to do. Or should I say, not easy to do well. The first time is the hardest, when on top of developing the content, you face the hurdles of the Webinar setup, prepping your host, and setting up the Webinar promotion and invitations process. Here are a few tips that can make your Webinar successful –
1. Strategy first: answer the hard questions before you start on content development
– Is your Webinar purely educational or do you actively plan to promote your product?
– Is your Webinar free or paid? (if it is of high educational value, you can consider a paid Webinar – you will get less attendees)
– Is it a series or a one-time Webinar?
– What would you consider a success? What are your goals?
2. Build the database
If content is king, then the email database is queen. If you don’t have the email database to drive to Webinar registration, consider “riding” other email subscriber lists through partners or relevant newsletters.
3. Keep your content focus as narrow and as targeted as possible
It’s better to dive deeper into content that matters to your specific target audience then to go broad. People attend Webinar that provide high value on a specific topic, and that matters to their industry – content that they can’t easily find when skimming the internet. Ensure your speakers are prepared to go deep – check their presentation well in advance, and rehearse with them.
4. Create a Webinar promotion plan
Your Webinar’s promotion should be planned well ahead. For your database, prepare a series of emails. You might want to create a few different variations, depending on different target audiences. Don’t forget to prepare the Webinar follow up emails, including a leave-behind, if you plan to send one.
5. Create an on-demand recorded version of your Webinar
The beauty of a Webinar is that you can reuse it over and over again, if you have a recorded version. You can post it on your website, or you can use it to create another specific online event, that requires registration and possibly involved a live opening.
There is much more we can about Webinars – from establishing the right metrics, to presentation tips. If you have any questions, please contact us.
