If you hold them correctly, webinars are one of the most effective marketing tools. That is why it is so important to pay close attention to every step required to create a webinar that works.
Webinars that get results
Doing so means you can reap your efforts’ rewards by meeting your goals.
These goals can range from increasing brand awareness to growing your customer base. Let’s examine the steps you need to take to create your webinar and achieve your goals.
Step 1: Decide on your goals and audience
Before you begin to create a webinar, you need to understand what your goals are. For instance, you may aim to make people more aware of your brand. It would be best if you considered your business’s overall goals when deciding on your goals.
Then, you need to identify which of these goals you can work towards using webinar marketing. Once you have done this, you can start to determine the individual goals for each webinar.
You also need to understand your audience to create content likely to appeal to them and keep them engaged. Completing this preparation helps you attract people who are likely to be interested in your brand and what it offers.
Step 2: Choose a topic that engages your audience
Once you know your audience, you can ensure that your webinar covers a topic that gives them some value. Choosing the right topic makes it more likely that people will attend your webinar and that audience members will be more likely to engage with your brand after the webinar.
For instance, if your business is in the online marketing industry, you may want to create a webinar about the importance of display marketing and how it works. This content would appeal to business owners with limited marketing knowledge. They learn something useful, and they are more likely to come to you for help with their marketing later, having already seen what you can do.
Step 3: Select the best date and time for your webinar
There is no point in investing time and effort in creating a fantastic webinar if no one watches it. So, you must ensure that you schedule your event at a time that optimizes your audience participation possibilities.
Remember to consider factors such as the time zones your audience is in and what times of day they are most likely to be otherwise occupied. Of course, you will never be able to please everyone, but you can choose a time when most people are likely to be available.
When you choose this time, it helps to know that US audiences prefer time slots in the middle of the day, whereas European audiences prefer a slightly earlier start. Therefore, it would be best if you also thought about the day of the week that is more acceptable to your audience. Generally, attendance is strongest on the second and second-to-last days of the working week.
Step 4: Decide on the format and speakers for your webinar
These considerations are part of one step because they are partly dependent on each other. For instance, you may choose a sole presenter format or decide that a Q&A format with a panel is the best option. There are several different options regarding the structure of a webinar. Four of the most popular are:
- Panel discussion. It involves a panel of experts discussing a particular topic. You can also include questions from the audience as part of the event.
- Case study. A great way of bringing your brand to life. You can build one in many ways, and one of the most effective is interviewing clients during the webinar about their own experience.
- Expert debate. For this type of webinar, you must line up some experts willing to discuss a particular subject. It’s an exciting way of grabbing the attention of an audience.
- Online conference. When gathering people in one place is impractical, hosting the event as a webinar makes a great deal of sense. It allows potential customers to interact with your brand and have their questions answered.
The webinar speakers must suit the format that you decide to choose. You should also ensure that your speakers are comfortable in front of an audience and fully understand the topic.
Step 5: Find a reliable webinar platform that has the required features
Once you know your audience and the webinar format you want, you can choose a webinar platform that provides the parts you need.
Make sure you choose a platform that accommodates your audience’s size and the number of speakers you have chosen. It would be best if you also looked for other features that help to make your webinar more effective.
For instance, our reputable webinar software platform allows you to interact with your audience using features like screen sharing and a chat facility. It also lets you record your webinars, so that anyone who cannot attend live can watch later. When using MyOwnConference, you can customize your webinar to reflect your branding. It helps your audience to associate your webinar content with your brand.
Step 6: Create your webinar content
At this point, you can start to create your webinar content with your audience, aims, and the features of your chosen webinar platform in mind. There are several factors that you should pay close attention to, including:
- Create a slide deck that reinforces what you say without being wordy or distracting. Use images and graphics instead of endless blocks of text. It would be best if you always remembered that you must keep your audience engaged, so your slides’ content should be there to support hosts and presenters and not the other way around.
- Write a script that is strong, passionate, and engaging. If you do not take the time to produce an exciting and relevant one, your audience will switch off. Therefore, the content of the writing should be clear and concise. However, the speaker also needs to come across as approachable and personable.
- Use audience interaction to make the webinar land. Chat and poll questions both work. Doing this helps to keep the audience engaged with your webinar as they feel involved. It also helps to provide you with valuable insights as you can see first-hand the audience’s opinion of your content and brand.
Step 7: Promote your event
Put as much effort into promoting your webinar as into building it. That is the only way the audience grows. Start promoting two to three weeks before the date. That makes it far more likely your prospective audience has not already booked something else.
You can choose different promotion tools to advertise your event, depending on which is more likely to reach people. For instance, you can send an email invitation to people on your email lists. You can also advertise the event on your social media platforms and work with trusted partners who are happy to announce it for you.
Step 8: Have a practice run
A practice run of your webinar before the day of the event is essential. It helps you to iron out any problems. For instance, you can identify any Internet connection issues and ascertain if you need to use an external microphone to optimize audio quality.
The practice run also lets you make sure that you are comfortable using the software and enables you to set the room up in a way that looks good on camera and optimizes light use.
It’s a good idea to have your practice run at least a few days ahead of the planned date for your webinar. Doing this allows you to identify any weaknesses in the script or slides and make necessary amendments.
Step 9: Host your webinar
You should prepare yourself for problems on the day of the webinar, even if your practice runs well. For example, it helps to have access to a backup laptop and have a plan B if a speaker is unavailable at the last minute. You may also want to have a technical expert on hand to help to take some of the pressure off your shoulders.
Make sure you are free well before the start. That gives you room to adjust the setup and test the equipment. To have that time, prepare the day in advance: decide what you will wear, and if you are hosting from somewhere other than your desk, allow for the journey.
Step 10: Follow up with attendees
Hosting the webinar is not the end of the story. You should follow up with attendees afterward. The best time to do this is within 24 hours so that the webinar is still fresh in their minds.
You can ask for feedback and check if they have any questions. One of the best ways to do this is to send a follow-up email the day after the webinar. You may want to include a feedback form as part of this email.
Doing this keeps the audience engaged with your brand and can help you secure potential leads without seeming too sales-oriented. With this in mind, do not forget to take the opportunity to create an ongoing relationship with potential leads. For instance, you may want to provide them with a schedule for future webinars you plan to host.
Step 11: Allow people to watch a recording of your webinar
Not everyone will be able to attend your webinar live. So, it makes sense to record the event so that a wider audience can see it after the original date. Send the link to the recording both to the people who attended and to those who could not. It would be best if you also made it easy to view your recorded webinar content from your website.
Taking these steps gives you a webinar that meets your aims and holds your audience, which in turn raises awareness of your brand and brings in new leads.
Summary of creating a webinar
When you carefully define your goals and identify your target audience, you create a solid foundation for your webinar. After that, choose a topic that captures attention, schedule it at a convenient time, select the right format and speakers, and use a platform that offers all the tools your session requires. These steps help you stay fully prepared to engage your participants. Creating content that truly connects, promoting the event effectively, rehearsing your delivery, and hosting with confidence will bring your webinar to life. After the session, make sure to follow up quickly with attendees and share a recording for anyone who couldn’t join, so the energy continues. When you treat your webinar as an entire experience rather than a one-time event, you do more than share information because you strengthen your brand, build stronger relationships, and turn interest into real action.
FAQ
What should I define first when planning a webinar?
You should first clarify your goals and who your audience is. Understanding what you want to achieve and who you are speaking to makes it far more likely your webinar will reach the right people and meet your aims.
How do I choose a topic that will attract attendees?
Pick a topic that gives real value to your audience and links directly to your goals. If the topic speaks to what the audience cares about, they are more likely to join and engage with your brand afterwards.
When is a good time to schedule the webinar?
You should select a date and time that maximises your audience’s chances to attend. That means you should consider time zones, work-days and typical availability of your audience.
What format and speakers should I choose for a webinar?
You should choose a format and speakers that align with your topic, audience and goals. For example a panel discussion, case study session, expert debate or online conference are all common formats. The speakers must be comfortable and well prepared.
Why is a follow-up after the webinar important?
Because hosting the webinar is not the end of your engagement. You should follow up with attendees quickly, ask for feedback, and share a recording for those who missed it. That continues their interest and helps you build ongoing relations and leads.
