These days, businesses have a staggeringly broad range of options at hand when it comes to reaching out to potential customers, clients and partners. The internet is one simple reason why, having ushered in the arrival of online event formats — including the webinar.
A webinar is basically a web-based meeting or seminar. However, more important than the technology you use is how exactly you use it. So, what can you do to make the most of promotional opportunities that webinars open up for you?
Cover a specialist subject with your webinar
This is a good strategy because it means that the people who do sign up for the webinar are likely to be especially attentive about what it has to say, since this is information probably not too readily available elsewhere.
Hence, these people could also be especially inclined to buy from you. According to one statistic posted by Search Engine Journal, 53% of marketers deem webinars the top-of-the-funnel format responsible for generating the most high-quality leads.
Invite people from all over the world to join in
Exactly how many people you invite to attend the webinar is up to you. According to figures shared by TechFunnel, the number of attendees for a webinar can range from a tally typical for a smaller meeting to a maximum of a few hundred people.
However, arguably more important than this is the fact that, as the above-mentioned website explains, a webinar “can take place over the internet without any geological boundaries or time zone”. So, be sure not to overlook the promotional benefit of this situation.
Search for cost-effective solutions
In an article for Entrepreneur, writer Candice Georgiadis enthuses: “The best part about webinars is that they don’t cost much to host and do the job pretty well when it comes to face-to-face interactions with your audience”.
She adds that “all you need is a reliable internet connection and a webcam or phone camera”. You will also need a webinar platform, but you shouldn’t have to look too far for a good one.
Actively engage with participants
Fortunately, webinars are built in such a way that they make initiating and sustaining conversations with members of your target audience much easier than can be the case on, say, social media.
That’s largely because, when someone posts a comment on a social media post made by your brand, you could too easily overlook this reply and so inadvertently leave it unanswered.
Conversely, with webinars, attendees can ask you questions directly — meaning that they can be noticed much more easily.
Endeavour to foster trust with your audience
Once you have used a webinar to help tackle problems faced by attendees, they could increasingly see you as a reliable authority on the subject covered by the webinar.
As this trust in you grows, these people could be open to coming along to other webinars you hold later down the line — meaning that, by applying a meticulous touch, you can help the promotional power of your webinar strategy to mushroom.