STEPS FOR CREATING WEBINAR: It’s likely that you already know how to make a webinar and are aware of its relationship-building potential.
Here is a 30-second introduction if you aren’t.
A webinar is a live, interactive internet seminar that enables you to virtually address any audience.
You can send out real-time invitations, record the presentation, and distribute the replay to registrants who couldn’t make it to the live event.
While this is happening, you get to amass attendee data for use in tailored outreach.
To further address any questions or worries your audience may have, you might incorporate a Q&A session within your webinar.
Now tell me, how do you make a webinar? Learn how to set up a webinar by using these 10 steps, and start interacting with your audience right away.
how to make a webinar 1. Pick a focused subject
Your webinar can be about anything, but focus on one particular topic that is pertinent to and will be helpful to your audience.
For instance, if you want to reach people who are interested in e-commerce marketing, you can arrange a webinar on that topic specifically.
Try one of the following approaches to determine what would likely strike a chord with your audience:
Review your social media profiles. Look for content and photographs that have received the most shares. These will direct you to material that would work well as a webinar.
Check out your FAQs. Do your clients and potential clients frequently ask the same queries? Find any knowledge gaps that you might be able to fill.
Study the questions that your clients ask: Utilize a service like AnswerThePublic to discover what queries individuals are posing. Browse the questions you could address in your webinar by looking through the results.
answerthepublic’s webinar research
You can decide on the webinar topic once you have an understanding of your audience’s interests. Here, expertise is crucial, so make sure to select a task that fits your qualifications and abilities.
- Pick a webinar layout
Your webinar can be more effectively organized if you decide how to convey your topic. It all boils down to picking a format that goes with your personality and objectives. Here are a few well-liked formats:
Presentation
One of the most popular webinar formats is this one.
A single presenter delivers a PowerPoint presentation while audio or video plays in the background during presentation webinars.
If your audience is small, you may want to use this format.
To make your webinar more aesthetically appealing and keep your audience interested, add polls and Q&As.
Interview format for webinar
Another choice is to get a subject-matter specialist in your area to speak and respond to questions from attendees.
This could be a thought leader, an expert, or a small-time influencer.
Provide your expert with a list of questions beforehand and ask them to prepare responses in advance to make the most of this webinar style.
Product
You may show customers how to use your product or service effectively by hosting product webinars.
On camera, you can demonstrate a product’s use to the attendees. If the demonstration requires software, you can also use technologies like screen sharing.
After receiving an explanation, a potential customer may opt to buy your product if they were still unclear about how a specific feature operated.
- Select a platform for webinars
You can host your webinar using a variety of commercial and free technologies.
To give two examples of well-known platforms, WebinarJam and GoTo Webinar are available.
Additionally, YouTube Live enables you to host webinars without charge.
Then there are livestreaming websites that enable you to host several webinar formats.
Think about your needs when picking between alternatives. How many people are you anticipating attending? Is a record function necessary? How much can you spend? Can you live without branding and customization?
Choose a webinar software that makes sense for you based on the answers to these questions, then use it.
Use a free program to capture your first webinar, according to advice. By doing this, you’ll have a practical understanding of how webinars operate and what other features you might need to improve the attendance experience.
- Create the sign-up page.
You may create the registration page for your webinar once you’ve decided on your platform. In essence, this is a landing page that invites visitors to sign up.
Write a few bullet points outlining the webinar’s schedule first. Mention the hosts’ history and their accomplishments in a professional position next. After that, include a registration form with a clear call to action at the bottom so that participants may provide their contact information.
An option to construct a registration page should be available if you’re using a paid webinar tool. However, if you don’t or are utilizing a free webinar hosting platform, you might want to think about using a landing page builder like Leadpages.
You can choose from pre-made webinar layouts on Leadpages. Select the template you like, then use a drag-and-drop builder to personalize it.
leadpages webinar sign up
JotForm is a different tool. Up to five registration forms and one hundred registrations may be made without charge. This can be the best choice for you if you’re presenting a webinar for a small audience.
You need to be able to combine Leadpages or JotForm with your webinar solution whether you choose to use either of those services or not.
Important: Be sure to include the webinar’s date and time on the registration page. It could be advisable to select an evening or weekend time slot if you’re aiming to reach working professionals. If you anticipate having participants from all over the world, make sure to provide the timezone.
- Arrange the furniture and equipment.
It is advisable to record your webinar in a calm environment because it is less likely to be disturbed by noise from outside.
Inform your family members that you have work to complete and that you don’t want to be interrupted for the next few hours before the recording.
Set the volume to silence on your phone, tablet, and other devices. While you’re focused, you don’t want notifications to distract you.
Another crucial requirement for running webinars is having the appropriate tools. Although you don’t need to spend a lot of money on equipment, make sure you have access to the following:
Camera: Purchasing an external HD webcam is not required immediately for your webinar. First, test your computer’s built-in camera in a well-lit environment. You can also test recording webinars with your smartphone’s camera.
In contrast to the camera, I have no faith in the quality of the built-in computer microphones. That is why I advise purchasing an external device. Samson and Blue Yeti are two excellent microphones for running webinars. Additionally, they are simple to set up because all you need is a USB cord to link them to your laptop.
Make sure to include these necessities in the equipment section of your webinar planning checklist.
- Create your content This is where all of your hard work will pay off.
Your webinar can include a variety of formats, as we previously discussed, including a slide deck, a video of you using your product, or a video of you interviewing a guest.
No matter the format, there is one unbreakable rule for hosting a webinar that achieves your objective: It must be interesting. This cannot be uninteresting, to put it another way.
So put your thinking cap on. How can you create something unique that keeps viewers engaged and logged in throughout the webinar?
Break some expectations without hesitation. The time is here to stand out.
Even if your webinar is very subdued, there are several best practices for material that you should keep in mind:
Create stunning unique visuals if you can to make your brand and mission stand out.
One key theme each slide should be your goal while creating your presentation.
Prioritize images over words. Where you can, incorporate films, GIFs, and animations to mix things up and maintain readers’ attention.
Don’t type long passages of text. Instead, jot down a few important points for the audience to remember before expanding on them verbally.
In the midst of your presentation, include a poll. Another strategy to keep your audience interested is to change up the flow and structure.
A webinar typically lasts 45 to 60 minutes. I advise sticking to this time limit, especially if you want to include options for participation like a poll and a Q&A session.
I suggest using Canva to create your PowerPoint deck. In order to help you get started creating stunning webinar presentations, Canva offers a free plan. There are many different presentation templates available as well.
Canva webinar slides 7. Distribute invites
If no one knows about your webinar, you won’t have any attendees, right?
To inform your marketing list, send them an email.
Write this email with an emphasis on the advantages. What are their benefits? What justifies them going? Why ought they to give a damn?
In general, it will be much more beneficial to demonstrate the advantages to your audience than it will be to simply mention the webinar’s specifics.
Of course, you must provide them with the essential information, such as the title, the topics you’ll address, and the time and date. Include a prominent call-to-action (CTA) button that leads visitors to your landing page where they can register.
Here is a succinct illustration from the project management software Asana:
- Market the webinar to people not on your email list.
The best approach to increase attendance is through effective promotion, regardless of whether you have a sizable email list or not (and even if you have).
There are many digital marketing strategies you may employ to promote your webinar, just like you would for any event or transaction.
Let’s discuss some possibilities.
Social media channels
Post on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms frequently in the one to two weeks before to the webinar.
You can record yourself discussing the webinar using Canva and use it to generate promotional pictures.
Another choice is to set up a webinar event page on websites like Facebook and LinkedIn, where you can send out invitations to your followers directly and drive them to the registration page.
Don’t forget to develop a unique hashtag for your webinar and look into additional trending hashtags that may attract more attention.
Paid advertisements and promotions
Paid advertisements will help you reach a larger audience than your organic channels if you can afford the additional expense.
On websites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google, you may run advertisements.
Influencer marketing is a different choice, where you pay leaders in your sector to advertise the webinar and solicit registration from their own following.
Check out these useful tools if you’re unsure how to manage paid campaigns:
The Complete Manual for Facebook Advertising
How to Create Instagram Ads in 2023: Instagram Ads Made Simple
The Definitive Guide to LinkedIn Advertising: How to Launch Your First Campaign
How to Use Google Ads to Surpass Your Online Revenue Goals
- Perform a trial.
Never skipping your test run is a crucial best practice for webinars.
Even while it may seem like you have everything under control, even with the finest planning, unexpected things can happen.
Make your trial run as similar to the actual thing as you can. Invite your guest to join you as you practice your presentation, interview, or demo if you intend to have one.
Utilize the same technology and your presentation’s prepared materials.
Additionally, now is an excellent time to work out any little issues that you might have overlooked up to this point. For instance, how you’ll switch between two speakers or two themes, or the length of each speaker’s speaking portion.
Hold your dry run one to two days before to the actual presentation, depending on the amount of planning that remains. In this manner, you still have time to address any problems or last-minute changes while still being close to your live date.
trials before a webinar
Enter the fray!
You delivered a remarkable presentation. You prepared your slide presentation and set the stage. To your network and beyond, you spread the word.
Time for the show.
Launch a live webinar to maximize the impact of your knowledge.
And remember, the webinar doesn’t end when your allotted 60 minutes are done.
Your follow-up can significantly impact your ability to achieve the initial objectives you set for yourself, such as increasing leads or sales.
Don’t forget to thank each of your attendees in an email and include a link to the replay if you’re providing one.
Additionally, you can use that email to further guide them through your sales funnel by making them an exclusive offer. Regularly fostering these ties will help them develop and expand.
After all, it is the whole point.
Create a profitable webinar right now.
You now know how to prepare and carry out an excellent webinar in 10 easy stages.
Don’t worry if it seems overwhelming at first. An event of this scale requires a lot of work, but you’ll keep improving with each one you throw.
The most important thing to remember is to make sure you’re consistently giving your audience something unique they can use while also keeping them interested and delighted.
If you are successful in doing this, you will be able to captivate, develop, and convert them into a warm lead, then a paying customer, and eventually a devoted customer who keeps coming back for more.
