Maximize the Impact of Your Webinars: A Step-by-Step Guide

In an increasingly digitalized world, it has become crucial for businesses to create engaging and interactive online events to deliver their message, strengthen customer relationships, and grow their operations. In this guide, we explore the potential of webinars, how they can be used as a marketing channel to drive growth, and the best practices businesses should consider to maximize the effectiveness of webinars. We'll share our top tips and reveal how you can create branded and interactive webinars in under 60 seconds.

What is a Webinar?

In this guide, we will refer to it as "webinar," but it goes by many names: streaming, webcast, online event, and so on. Whatever term you prefer, let's start by defining what a webinar means to us at Lyyti. A webinar is an interactive online event where participants can ask questions, take part in polls, and actively engage with the presentation. Unlike traditional live broadcasts, which are more like TV broadcasts where participants are passive, webinars offer two-way communication that provides a richer and more engaging experience.

Why should I use Webinars?

Webinars are a powerful tool for businesses, particularly in the B2B space. They enable efficient lead generation and knowledge sharing without the logistical challenges that often come with physical events. Webinars can help your business build relationships and establish expertise in your field, which is crucial for the long sales cycles typically seen in the B2B market.

Check out Jenny and Eric's webinar, where you'll receive expert tips on how to boost your business results with webinars. Watch on-demand below (the webinar is in Swedish, but you can watch it with English subtitles). 

How can webinars help us grow our business?

By regularly organizing webinars, your business can effectively educate existing and potential customers about different topics in your area. These events can also provide valuable insights through direct feedback from participants via chat, enabling you to refine your offerings and sharpen your marketing strategies. We also always send out an Experience Value Score (EVS) after each event to collect participants' experiences and feedback quickly and easily. This helps us develop our webinars further and provides a clear indicator of which events to continue and which not to.

What do other companies use Webinars for?

Many companies use webinars for product demos and educational purposes. It's a perfect tool for sharing valuable information that positions the company as a leader in its field. This type of content is not only informative but also engaging, encouraging participation and interaction. Webinars can also save you time. If multiple customers need to learn something about your product or service, you can consolidate it into a single educational session. Participants then have the opportunity to share their challenges or best practices via chat or polls - a win-win for everyone involved. The same applies to product demos: instead of having your sales team hold 10 separate demos, they can host a collective one and then follow up individually with potential buyers to answer specific questions.

Top 3 uses for Webinars:

1. Lead Generation: Attract and engage potential customers early in the buying process by hosting webinars where your company shares its expertise in your field.
2. Customer education: Provide customers with knowledge and information about your products or services.
3. Product Launches: Introduce new products or services to the market in an interactive way.
   
   

How do I get started?

To get started, you don't need much more than yourself, a computer with a camera, and a streaming platform. Here are our best tips for making it even more professional:

• Use Lyyti's integration with Univid: Create branded and interactive webinars in under 60 seconds. Learn more about the integration here.
• Invest in Technical Equipment: Purchase a light ring, external webcam, and microphone to produce high-quality webinars. This will improve the final product and allow you to reuse the material as on-demand content. There are many affordable options available.
• Practice, Practice, Practice: To effectively convey your message, practice your presentation skills. You can also find inspiration and tips from Anna Wallin's session at Future of Events 2024: AI Takes the Stage: Rhetorich, the Super Assistant for Future Speakers. During her session, Anna also provides a link that gives you access to a free trial of Rhetorich - this is something you don't want to miss! (The webinar is in Swedish, but you can watch it with English subtitles). 

How do I engage participants during the Webinar?

To keep participants engaged during a webinar, it's crucial to include interactive elements like these:

• Q&A: A Q&A session initiates dialogue and provides valuable insights to your participants. It serves as a communication channel where moderators or panelists answer questions from the audience. On Univid's streaming platform, you can choose whether the questions are visible or not.
• Polls: An excellent tool to activate the audience. Consider placing a poll early in the webinar to engage participants and gauge their knowledge of the topic. Use additional polls later on to keep their interest high.
• Reactions: If your webinar platform supports reactions, take advantage of it. Ask participants to send a reaction, like a thumbs up, to confirm they can hear and see you. It's disappointing to realize you've started the webinar without anyone being able to hear or see you.
• Chat: Encourage your participants to ask questions in the chat or share their thoughts on the topic. This creates a more rewarding and memorable experience for you and your participants than simply delivering a monologue.
  
  

Which 6 keys will help me take my Webinar to the next level?

1. Branding: A well-designed webinar that aligns with your brand is crucial for building brand awareness and encouraging participants to engage. Want to learn more about event design? Check out our Design Guide here!
2. Consider the Length: Engaging an online audience can be more challenging than a live audience. The optimal length for webinars is usually 15-30 minutes. If you need more time, consider splitting the content into several shorter sessions to maximize engagement.
3. Preparation: A successful webinar requires careful planning and organization, covering everything from technical setup to content creation and marketing. Use our webinar checklist to ensure you don't miss anything. Make sure to conduct a technical rehearsal to test interactive elements like polls and ensure that your presentation or screen sharing works flawlessly.
4. Interactivity: To keep participants engaged throughout the webinar, include multiple interactive elements. A great way is to ask the audience what they're most interested in learning about, offer three options, and then go with the most popular one. The two other options you can save for another webinar. This creates a sense of participation and anticipation.
5. Call to Action (CTA): Integrate clear CTAs in your webinar, either active throughout or activated at the end. This helps achieve the event's purpose, whether it be booking a demo or subscribing to your newsletter.
6. Analyze Results: Evaluate the webinar using feedback tools like EVS and analyze data from the webinar platform. Univid, for instance, provides insights into when participants were most active and when attendance declined during the session.

Summary

By following the strategies and advice presented in this guide, you can significantly improve the quality and efficiency of your webinars. From carefully considering design and branding to implementing interactivity and analyzing feedback, each step you take to enhance your webinars leads to greater engagement and better results. Remember, the digital world is constantly evolving, so keep experimenting and adapting your methods to stay ahead of the curve. Good luck with your next webinar!

Want to know more about our integration with the streaming platform Univid and how it can help you create better webinars?