There are scant few things that are universal to every single adult on the planet. The fact that we’re alive is the big one. We all need to eat, drink and breathe.
We know we’re going to call Olivia Pope if we need something “cleaned up”, Frasier if we need advice, and Ghostbusters (he he he – couldn’t resist) if we have paranormal activity.
Another universal truth, at least for the majority of business owners, is that at some point in our lives, we’ve all watched a webinar.
Webinars, and the live seminars that preceded them, are enticing to people because they promise a large volume of useful information targeted toward very specific interests.
Unlike books, the information contained in a webinar can be received passively. And unlike a video, viewers can ask questions and interact with the presenter.
Webinars have a high perceived value, so it’s relatively easy to generate interest. And the fact that they’re free means, for most people, the risk to reward ratio favors signing up, which makes webinars excellent for generating leads.
These are high-quality leads. People that sign up for a webinar are committing a sizeable portion of their day. Just the act of registering demonstrates a level of strong interest with the subject matter; much more so than what’s required to sign up for an email list or free download.
And if they attend and watch all the way through, they’ll perceive you as an authority on your subject, which is exactly how you want your prospects to see you.
Webinar attendees want to know what you have to share.
What Makes a Great Webinar?
It’s super important that you are offering strong, relevant content that speaks directly to the desires and concerns of your target audience.
Be sure to measure everything you include against that goal. If something seems off the mark, leave it out. It’s easy for people to disengage and close their web browser. Don’t give them a reason.
Make sure you include a dynamic slide deck presentation. Strong design bolsters your professionalism and adds credibility, and the accompanying text helps people follow along.
As good-looking as you might be, and we’re sure you’re super attractive, most people won’t want to just stare at your face for an hour. If they wanted a lecture they’d go back to college. Give them something else to engage with.
Also, and this can’t be stressed enough, thoroughly test your equipment prior to the start of your webinar. The last thing you want is for your audio to cut out halfway through, or for your network connection to drop. Major technical glitches can ruin your webinar.
Make Sure Your Webinar is Live
It’s becoming more common for webinars to be pre-recorded. This makes it easier for the presenter to offer multiple viewing opportunities. And while you should always record live webinars for “encore presentation” purposes, there’s quite a bit of value in performing your webinars live.
Viewers perceive live presenters as more credible, simply because the content can’t be edited. There’s no room for mistakes. Either you’re an expert, or it will be clear that you aren’t.
People emotionally connect more with live presenters. It’s the difference between talking on the phone to a loved one versus listening to a recorded message. They’re both just digital signals coming out of a speaker, but the live version feels more present and authentic.
Plus, viewers can interact with you, which makes the entire experience more immediate. They can ask pressing questions and request clarification. They also get a chance to see how you react to viewer input, which can be invaluable in building rapport with your audience.
But like cold pizza on a lazy Sunday morning, you shouldn’t let your recorded live webinars go to waste. They can be a great way to capture viewers that wanted to attend the live version but couldn’t make it. Once the recording is available, you can use it whenever the opportunity arises.
How Do You Get People to Attend?
Crickets. If you’re a creepy wooden puppet that wants to be a real boy, this could be your target audience. But for the rest of us, you want lots and lots of real people staring at their chosen screens. The last thing you want is low attendance while delivering the presentation you spent weeks creating, and even passed on your favorite aunt’s birthday party to finish writing.
According to GoToMeeting, 44% is the average attendance rate for webinars. Although marketers I know, typically say 30% is average, so take that for what’s worth. In order to give yourself the best chance to exceed this average, here are a few strategies to keep in mind.
- This bears mentioning again. You need to offer tangible value and relevant content and promote it thoroughly. If people get the sense that your webinar is nothing more than a sales presentation, they’ll stay far away.
- Make sure to host your live webinar at a time that works for the majority of your desired viewers, both nationally and internationally. For those in other areas, you can make the replay available afterward. The best time slots for attracting viewers are 10 and 11 a.m. PST.
- Offer a free gift as an enticement to come back for more. A short Free Guide or resource given upon registration helps establish your credibility and gives potential attendees a taste of what they’ll get from the webinar.
- Be consistent. Your first webinar might not pull many viewers. Or your second, third or fourth. But if you keep it up, word of mouth can build. Soon you may find yourself with a loyal following. A band of webinar groupies that sell everything they own to follow you around the country. I mean, it COULD happen.
If you’d like to discuss the finer points of lead generation using webinars, contact us today. We’re experts in creating high-quality presentations, and promoting them properly to maximize lead generation. And we’re all super attractive. ;)
