It wasn’t so long ago that many businesses provided educational seminars for their current clientele and prospective customers. It was common to book a meeting room, take reservations well in advance, then provide a series of small workshops that showed the company’s products, services, advantages, and uniqueness.
But that’s not the way it’s done in the age of Web 2.0 marketing. Today online webinars are extremely popular. They are very cheap to host and provide a way for people from all over the world to attend.
Here are some ways that you can use online webinar marketing to your advantage, along with tips and suggestions on how to make it happen.
What Type Of Webinar
First, define the goal of your webinar. Do you want to make a sales presentation to a large group of potential clients or perhaps just focus on gaining one big account? Do you want to host a live presentation, or record it for download availability? Is the event going to be free or will it be offered as an educational product for sale or a bonus to subscribers? Are you looking for qualified prospects?
The goals of the webinar will decide how, what, and where you host the event. Webex, Webinar, and GoToMeeting are all sites that provide an appropriate platform for creating and/or recording a webinar; there are many more available so do take the time to compare and contrast several.
Planning The Webinar
How to plan your webinar will depend largely on its goals. Will the webinar use video and audio? Will you allow a question and answer session at the end? If the event is not going to be live but offered for sale after recording, then the content needs to be very informative and interesting.
Either way, you need to have the text and verbiage pre-planned. Write down the key points and spend some time practicing delivery. Be prepared for any circumstance that may occur, such as problems dialling into the webinar or software that quits working. Hosting a webinar is much like a live television performance; you have to be able to professionally respond to any possible emergency.
Webinar Marketing – Marketing The Event
The only way webinar marketing will be successful as far as achieving any goal, is if you gain enough prospects/clients/buyers. Obviously you are going to have to put some thought and effort into marketing the event.
• Start with your current list of subscribers and send them an announcement email. If you are going to charge for the webinar, offer them an exclusive discount with a deadline. This will encourage them to sign on quickly.
• Add an opt-in window to your web page(s). This is a great way to get interested visitors to attend or buy the webinar as well as adding them to your mailing list by requiring a name and email address along with appropriate opt-in verbiage.
• Write a press release announcing the upcoming event and submit it to several aggregation sites.
• Announce the upcoming webinar via social media.
• An iTunes account can be used for syndication after the webinar has been produced. You can offer the content either for free or for a charge.
There are many ways that webinar marketing can be used to make money, establish your presence, and gain customers. This overview will get you started using this new type of event for internet marketing purposes.
About Sean Rasmussen
I think Webinars are great. The ‘connection’ that forms can go along way to building that all important relationship between you and your readers.
The major factors for newbie’s comes down to what the purpose of the webinar is and ROI. When you are new you don’t necessarily have a product or service you are offering, so conducting a webinar simply for the relationship building, you need to be careful on what you are trying to accomplish and the cost that you may incur.
Hi Sean,
I really enjoy attending the Webinars from the YOTA forum. I learn so much all from the comfort of my own home. It’s definitely a better way to learn.
I see more and more people offering Webinars all the time. It gives me many opportunities to learn from the best in every field. Also, I get to pick up some ideas about the best way to present information when it comes time for me to do my own presenting.
Glad you are enjoying the webinars Jazz, I certainly do
Make sure you send me an invitation when you start yours!
I have need been on the giving end of a webinar, only the receiving end.
I do know that at somepoint in the future I will need to use webinars in order to continue growing my business. I am nervous about that.
I have participated in many webinars and have learned much from them. I do beleive they are very useful in today’s global market. Like you Sean, I also think that listening to webinars gives me the opportunity to here how ideas are presented.
- Rick
When the time is right, I am sure you will give it a go and succeed with flying colours Rick. Once you have a few under your belt, the nervous feelings will disappear.
Hi Sean,
Would love to know which webinar platform you use and any feedback you could give on why you chose that platform over the others.
Thanks!
The platform I use is GoToWebinar Jemma. I initially gave it a try as it received good reviews from fellow associates and I continue to use it without problems.
Hi Sean,
the Webinars I have attended so far (most of the in the YOTA forum) were great and highly beneficial for me. So I know that it is a great tool to spread information and attract followers.
I guess I will first do some videos to get used to that funny feeling in my tummy before I do anything life
I love how webinar marketing is taking over group phone calls as you get a visual as well as an audio. Because I am a visual learner, webinars really suit me. I am yet to present one though and am not really sure what I would present but I’m sure in time I will feel comfortable. Webinars allow us to have a mini seminar in the comfort of our own home.
Hi Sean
Webinars are fantastic and I really enjoy them because they are both visual and auditory. I also like the fact that I can interact by typing in a question or remark and get a reply instantly.
Another wonderful aspect of webinars is that they can be recorded and listened to over and over again.
Later down the track I may be running training courses and using webinar marketing to my advantage.
Thank you for this great information.
Hi Sean
I love the webinar as a learning tool because they are visual and audio it makes it easier to lean, and if it is recorded can be used over and over till you get what the presenter was teaching.
I also like the idea of being able to ask questions if I need too.
Hi Sean,
This is a great article. I discovered it while doing a Google image search for “webinar marketing.”
This comes from my perspective as Webinar Marketing authority, having hosted more than 300 live webinars and 2,000 online meetings.
This excellent article led me to read several of your other articles on this blog, all of which I found to be quite good.
I am interested in hosting you on a webinar for my 2200+ followers titled “Using Webinar Marketing To Your Advantage.” Please let me know if you are willing to do this and if so the best way to contact you. Thanks.
Blessings,
Joseph