Organize A Successful Webinar In 13 Essential Steps

In my 10+ years of experience in B2Bmarketing and sales, no other type of content has been able to move the needle in the sales process as much as a webinar.

 

So if you're wondering how to create a webinar, chances are you're already familiar with its ability to generate business and build relationships.

 

A webinar is an interactive online seminar that allows you to make a virtual presentation to anyone. 

 

You can invite people to participate in real-time and record the presentation and send the replay to those who registered but were unable to attend the live event.

 

During this time, you may collect information about registrants that you can use to conduct personalized marketing actions. 

 

You can incorporate a Q&A session into your webinar to directly address your audience's questions or concerns. 

 

Now that you know what I'm talking about, it's time to dive into the heart of the matter! Discover how to organize a successful webinar in 10 key steps. 

Organizing a webinar in 13 essential steps

Choose a specific topic. 

Your webinar can be on any topic, but it should be about something specific and relevant that your audience will find helpful. 

For example, if you're targeting people interested in e-commerce marketing, you can host a webinar on SEO for that particular industry.

To find out what's most likely to resonate with your target prospects, try one of these methods:

• Analyze your social media pages: Find posts and images shared the most. These will lead you to content that could convert nicely into a webinar. 
• Review your FAQs: are your customers and prospects always asking the same questions? Identify knowledge gaps that you could fill.
• Research your customer questions: Use a tool like AnswerThePublic to discover what people are asking. Review the results and choose the questions you could answer with your webinar.
• Once you have an idea of ​​your audience's interests, you're ready to finalize your webinar topic. Expertise is significant here, so pick a topic that matches your abilities and skills.

Choose your team

A webinar usually has three main actors. The success of your session depends on them, and I recommend that you carefully consider your options when choosing the following:

The organizer: this is the key person responsible for developing the webinar's content. He is also responsible for finding a suitable speaker and promoting the event. He is in charge of registrations and communication with participants at the beginning and end of the webinar.

Presenter(s): Presenters or subject matter experts should focus on the development and presentation of the event. They take care of the scheduling and troubleshooting, webinar registration, and other details to help them deliver an engaging presentation.

Assistant(s): Assistants help answer questions for which the presenter and moderator don't have much time. They help by answering technical questions. (For example, "Audio and video are out of sync" or "There is no sound"). Assistants are often needed for webinars with large audiences.

Decide on a webinar format.

I suggest you choose a format that will best convey your message while engaging your audience. You can consider the following four webinar formats:

Single Speaker: As the name suggests, this is a single speaker who communicates with attendees. The speaker will also demonstrate the webinar's content and answer any questions posed by attendees. I recommend this type of webinar if you have a small audience.

Interview format: The speaker assumes the role of an interviewer and poses a series of predetermined questions to the subject matter expert. This type of webinar can be exciting as participants watch experts answer questions. It also encourages them to ask questions, which makes it interesting.

Moderated Panel Discussion: Like a panel discussion, a panel discussion involves multiple speakers on a predetermined topic. A moderator will need to host this type of webinar.

Q&A: Similar to the interview format, this type of webinar also allows the speaker to answer questions, but this time the questions come directly from the audience. I recommend that you collect the questions in advance. This will allow you to stay on schedule and check questions from the audience. Q&A segments are usually added at the end of all webinar formats.

1. Plan the visuals 

Since this is an online seminar, webinars rely heavily on audio and visual aids to demonstrate their content. Slides full of text won't do.

The best webinars should be more like a face-to-face experience, and you should ask presenters to use their webcams while presenting.

I present a webinar for marketing experts wishing to automate specific actions thanks to a CRM (it's me at the bottom left).

The camera is activated, allowing the audience to see the speaker during the presentation, adding another layer of information like non-verbal cues.

However, this requires each presenter to have not only a decent camera (ideally better than their laptop) but also proper lighting.

In terms of slides, Including suggests you consider the following points

When preparing visuals for your next webinar:

Provide an introductory slide with information such as start time and points that will be covered. But make it fun!

Next, have a slide with a synopsis of the topics that will be covered.

Include a slide showcasing the tools and websites used in the process. I recommend using real-time tools and websites during the webinar to impact your audience better.

Choose your webinar platform.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself when choosing a webinar tool to invest in:

What are the objectives?

Before choosing a webinar service, you need to think about the objectives. If it's about launching a product or promoting your business, you're targeting a wider audience. In this case, you need a platform that will help you interact with a large number of participants.

Is the product easy to use?

Since webinars are time-limited, you must choose the right service tool to get the most out of them within the given time frame. If you're planning a webinar in a single speaker format, you'll want the most straightforward software possible so you can successfully present your company's content to attendees.

How much does it cost?

With so many tools available, it's easy to get confused. I find it best to consider the target audience when considering the cost. For example, you'll need an enterprise plan if you're targeting a large audience. On the other hand, you can easily opt for a premium edition with a medium or small size audience.

Once you have analyzed these parameters, you can now choose the solution that best suits your needs. 

There are many such as:

 

·         Teams

·         Zoom

·         Webikeo

·         GoToWebinar

 

They are all exciting platforms; it's up to you to choose which one will be the most relevant according to your criteria.

YouTube Live, which allows you to host webinars for free, live streaming platforms that will enable you to stream many types of video content. 

Create the registration page

 

Once you have chosen your platform, you can configure your registration page. It's a landing page that encourages people to sign up.

For the creation of this one, I recommend that you take into consideration these 5 points: 

• An impactful title that introduces the subject
• A clear and concise summary of the webinar
• An eye-catching visual
• A conversion form
• A call to action (CTA)
• A presentation of the speakers 

If you're using a paid tool, you should see an option to create a signup page. But if not, or if you're using a free tool, consider using a landing page builder like Hubspot.

Important: Don't forget to mention the date and time of your webinar on the registration page. If you target active professionals, it is best to choose an evening or weekend slot. Don't forget to mention the time zone if you expect participants from all over the world.

Choose space and equipment. 

It's best to record your webinar in a quiet room, as it will likely be free of outside noise and disturbances. 

Before recording, put your phone, tablet, and other devices in silent mode. You don't want notifications interfering while you're presenting.

Having the right equipment is another essential prerequisite. Although you don't need to invest in a lot of hardware, make sure you have access to the following:

• A camera: It is unnecessary to buy an external HD webcam directly. Test your computer's built-in camera first (in a well-lit area). You can also test your smartphone camera for recording.
• A microphone: Unlike the camera, I don't trust the quality of the microphones built into computers. This is why I recommend investing in an external unit. Blue Yeti and Samson are two good microphones for the organization. They are also easy to install, as you only need a USB cable to connect them to your laptop.

When doing the checklist of things to consider, avoid overlooking the equipment.

1. Produce content

This is where your hard work comes into its own.

As we saw earlier, your webinar can take several forms, such as a PowerPoint presentation, an interview format, or Q&A. 

Regardless of the format, there's one rule of thumb for how to host a webinar that achieves your goal: it must be engaging. Another way to look at it is to say it doesn't have to be boring!

So put on your creativity hat. How can you create something unique that will keep people interested and connected for the webinar duration?

Don't be afraid to break some expectations. Now is the time to stand out.

Even if your webinar is modest, there are a few best practices to keep in mind for your content:

• Create beautiful custom visuals to make your brand and mission stand out.
• Keep your slides short and straightforward, with one main idea per slide.
• Prioritize visuals over words: Include videos, GIFs, and animations when you can — to shake things up and keep people's attention.
• Don't type vast chunks of text: Instead, type a few keywords that participants can follow, then expand on them verbally.
• Run a poll in the middle of your presentation: This is another technique for shaking up the structure and flow while keeping your audience engaged.

The average length of a webinar is 45-60 minutes. I recommend sticking to this timeframe, especially if you want to add engagement opportunities like a poll and Q&A session.

Pro Tip: I recommend using Canva to design your slide deck. Canva offers a free plan while learning the ropes of making excellent webinar presentations. You can also choose from many presentation templates.

1. Advertise and promote your webinar
   
   

To ensure maximum participation, it is essential to promote as much as possible in advance. Here's how I suggest you do it:

• Start by creating a landing page that outlines the topic, speaker(s), date and time, and a call to action for people to register to attend the event.
• Create a banner or advertisement on your website's homepage to let visitors know about the upcoming event.
• Use social networks like Facebook and Twitter to spread the message. Create a dedicated and original hashtag to publicize the event. This hashtag will be helpful to you at the time of the event, as you will use it to interact with the participants.
• Send multiple reminder emails highlighting the countdown to your event. 45% of marketers say email is the most effective at driving signups (in my experience, that's true).

On the day of the event, be sure to send emails with the direct link to your webinar.

1. Choose the correct date and time.

It would help if you kept in mind that not all registrants will be in the same place. The webinar should be organized at a specific date and time to allow the most significant number of participants to attend. 

If your target audience is in Paris and Guadeloupe, launching a webinar at 3 p.m. local time is not necessarily good. It will be late for participants living in Paris.

The best time to host your webinar depends on the target audience, but a survey by GoToWebinar suggests the best day is Tuesday.

You can use Google Analytics to locate the world's regions where the majority of my online traffic comes from. You can also send out surveys to your potential attendees, asking them the best times to attend.

1. Keep practicing

I always practice for a webinar several days before going live to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Start doing dry runs, which will help everyone involved in the webinar feel for the whole webinar. Check all equipment to make sure it is working correctly. A final blank repetition two to three days before the D-Day live will achieve the following results:

• Confirm everyone is familiar with the platform and content
• Finalize presentation slides to avoid last-minute changes.
• Choose the methods of communication that work best for the team.
• Assign individuals activities that need to be monitored during the webinar, such as polls, Q&As, group discussions, etc.
• Review final entry based on details such as attendee names, respective industries, etc. The host should be fully aware of this information.
  
  

It's time to go live!

 

·         You made an excellent presentation. 

·         You have prepared your scene and created your slide deck. 

·         You promoted it to your network and beyond.

 

Let's go!

Once all is said and done, there's only one thing left to do: the webinar isn't over when your 60 minutes are up.

Your follow-up can make a huge difference in achieving the goals you were looking to accomplish in the first place, like getting more leads or sales.

Don't forget to send an email to all participants thanking them, with a link to the recording if you offer this option.

You can also send them a special offer or advance them through your sales funnel in this email. It would help if you continued nurturing these relationships regularly to grow and deepen.

That's the whole point, after all.

Participant follow-up

I've noticed that some marketers fail to follow up on their webinar attendees. This is a big mistake because you are missing an opportunity to continue engaging your audience.

Send them a thank you email with a survey asking them to share their feedback and rate their experience and a call to action for upcoming webinars. 

Be sure to send a follow-up email and a replay of the webinar to people who registered but were unable to attend. This follow-up will strongly encourage the public to participate in your future events or get involved in your company.

Once you've successfully hosted your webinar, start evaluating your efforts using the feedback provided by your attendees in follow-up emails. Take it into account and make adjustments so that the next ones will be even more successful.

Great webinars are well planned, organized, and executed by a tight-knit team. It would help if you spent enough time planning and testing the program to eliminate any flaws.