Download - How to Develop & Host a Webinar
How to Develop & Host a Webinar
30 Day plan to webinars that Engage, Entertain, Educate and motivate the attendees to act.
Heidi TobiasSr. Manager of Distance Learning
Constant Contacthtobias@constantcontact
Twitter: @htoby
Agenda
Day 1 to 5■ Is a webinar the right tool for your message?■ Do you have an audience that will attend?
Day 5 to 10■ Logistics and Tools
Day 10 to 15■ Promotion of your Webinar
Day 15 to 22■ Size up registrants profile■ Size up registrants interest
Day 23 & 24■ Mission ready check list
Day 25■ Broadcast day
Day 26■ Reporting and follow up starts
Day 27 to 30 ■ Complete follow up■ Plant seeds for future engagement
Day 1-5: Is a Webinar the right tool?
Is the topic right for a 45 minute webinar format?
■ Concepts & Higher Thinking-yes
■ Specific individual techniques- yes
■ Extremely detail and heavy data-No
Remember: This is not about you but about what you know and how the attendee can walk away with something tangible to apply today.
■ Be specific about the topic/content
■ Set realistic expectations for success
■ # of attendees■ Satisfaction with webinar■ Engagement after webinar
■ Typical this is a lead nurture and not a direct sales tool
Day 1-5: Is there an audience who will attend?
Who do you want to attend?■ Stage of sales cycle■ Model of current successful
customers■ Size does not always equal
success■ Are they willing to attend?
Why would that desired audience attend?
■ Hot topic■ Pain point/need to fix
something■ Research■ Easy way to get
information
Make your webinar objective match the audience motivation.
“Value is in the eye of the attendee.”
Day 5-10: Logistics of the webinar
Time and Date■ What is good for the audience, not
you■ No-Monday Mornings and Friday
afternoons■ How many time zones are you
reaching? (US only)■ #1: 2PM and 11AM Eastern■ #2: 3PM or 4PM
Cost per attendee■ Often as low as $.25 an attendee■ Varies depending on data and audio
choices
Audio- Phone, VoIP, or both■ Connection speed■ Comfort with technology
Registration or no registration
To charge or not to charge?
Day 5-10: Picking the right tool
■ How large is your audience?■ Cost per attendee/budget?■ Do you need a wait list option?■ Audio options-Flexibility■ Audience technology■ What functions do you need to keep the audience
engaged?■ Polls■ Q & A■ Share slides/documents■ Application/desktop■ Video■ Audience interaction■ Audience Control
Lots of choices, no right tool for everyone.
Day 10 to 15: Promoting your webinar
If you build it they will come.
Not with webinars, you must promote and motivate your advocates to promote for you.
Day 10 to 15: Promoting your webinar
Promotion starts with the right title and description
■ Be clear what the end result will be
■ Use power word■ Use bullets or short text
areas■ Bold to attract attention■ Optimize for SEO terms Examples of Power Words:
Learn, develop, hands on, real world, market proven, secret (little known) system, new, power, immediate, insider you , results discover
Day 10 to 15: Promoting your webinar
Foundation is your email readers- let them start the buzz!
Segment on those open to the message■ Batch and blast does not work■ Often will be more than one group
Design your invite for impact■ Less is more■ Basics of webinar■ Why I should care■ Clear call to action
Stage your sent in smart segments■ Most desirable attendees■ People who will talk about it■ Control your attendee volume
Day 10 to 15: Promoting your webinar
Design the invite for sharing
■ Ask the reader to share■ Saying Please does work:
“Please retweet”
■ Forward to a Friend■ Facebook Like■ Tweet an email■ Communities ■ Social Bookmarks
Do not forget to share in your own social media networks!
Day 15 to 22: Registration Results & Interest
Everyone who registered will not attend
Expect 30% to 50% attrition Varies:
■ Time of year■ Day of week■ Free or Pay webinar
Registrations not where you want?- ■ Look at those who did not open invite, try again with different
subject line
Day 15 to 22: Registration Results & Interest
Did you ask questions at registration?
■ Adjust content to meet audience expectations
■ Research trends from registration results and topics recently published on the content
■ RSS feed on Twitter■ Similar topic webinars
Note:Day 20 send out first reminder webinar is a week away.
Day 23 & 24: Mission ready check list
1. Do you have a quiet location to broadcast from?2. Have you tested your internet connection and the computer you
are going to broadcast with3. What is your audio choice? Do you have a back up?4. Do you have all of your presentation material ready to go?5. If you are showcasing a product, do you have public facing data
ready to go in the tool?6. Ensure that you have the conferencing tool help numbers available
for yourself and as well as attendees7. If you have a waiting list and cancelations, let those on the waiting
list that you have room. 8. Prep any polls or interaction tools that are to be used9. Pick the end URL for the webinar.
–Survey? Sign Up action? 10. Strong closing call to action11. Day 24 send out remind on day before.
Day 25: Webinar
1. Send reminder one hour before webinar.2. Plan on starting up the meeting 15 minutes before
start time. 3. Export attendee list and ID the important individuals
to call out as they enter the webinar. 4. Start the meeting and load the resources.5. Start as close to on time as possible. 6. Start recording if possible.7. Follow your outline but leave flexibility to address
needs of audience8. As for interaction and live questions. 9. Have a strong closing call to action 10. End recording and end meeting.
Day 26: Reporting & start follow up
Most tools take 24 hours to provide reporting■ Send email follow up to
both attendees and non attendees
■ Attendees-links to resources, feedback survey, and next logic step in relationship
■ Non Attendees- provide recording or slides, links to next webinar and other ways to engage.
■ Have a real person to contact with questions
■ Provide a link to join list for future webinars
Day 27 to 30: Learn and Engage
Close the loop with attendees and non attendees-People forget if you wait too long
Call attendees with highest value
■ Attendees with lots of questions
■ Attendees in the later stages of the sales cycle
■ Attendees who said they are ready to convert
Guideline: If they did not attend, calling is generally not a good idea. Unless it was a pay for webinar.
Day 27 to 30: Learn and Engage
Review feedback from the webinar.■ Survey■ Email reply■ Chat■ Twitter
Understand:■ What did they like and not
like■ What do they want more of■ Did it feel like it was worth
their time
Day 27 to 30: Learn and Engage
Understand you typical conversion behavior.
Did the attendees over time convert at a higher rate?
■ Yes: plan the next webinar■ No: Look at feedback, learn and try again or try on-
demand resources
“Do not fall in love with hammer”-Webinars are just a tool you can use to grow your business. For some of you it is the right tool and others it is not. Test it, watch the results, learn, try again or try another tool.
Want to learn more?
Attend a Constant Contact Distance Learning Webinar
Watch how the presenter works the crowd
Tips to share with your own customers
Send your prospects to learn more and experience higher conversions