Webinars are slowly gaining popularity and notoriety for their ability to effectively draw traffic while increasing sales. In this day and age, time is in short supply. At the end of the day, individuals prefer listening to engaging content rather than reading about it. The value of a meaningful, and well-executed webinar is undeniable. In fact, a survey conducted recently found that over 60 % of content marketers are now seeking to include this medium within their marketing strategies.
The path has already been paved by many travelers which takes the guesswork out of creating success within your first attempt. You don’t need to be a seasoned professional to implement a successful webinar. All you need is a road-map to guide you on your way and to avoid the pitfalls and mistakes made by countless others before you.
Your journey to a successful webinar begins here today. Let’s examine the 4 major components of an effective webinar and how implementing a few successful strategies can yield immeasurable results.
THE 5 COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL WEBINAR
- HOW TO EFFECTIVELY REMIND PARTICIPANTS ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING WEBINAR
- EFFECTIVE INTRODUCTIONS
- FOLLOW A PROVEN CONTENT STRUCTURE
- HOW TO SPEAK IN AN ENGAGING TONE
Let’s begin!!
Reminding People of Your Upcoming Webinar
Timing and frequency are everything! Email reminders serve to keep your upcoming webinar foremost in the mind of your participants. However, there is a fine line between sending gentle reminders and overwhelming your attendees. Your webinar will be successful if you can attract a viewing audience so you must strike a balance that will guarantee a prosperous outcome.
TIMING:
Life is busy and your participants may get distracted and forget about your upcoming event. This is natural and to be expected. By taking this factor into account, you can determine just the right time to send your reminder emails.
- First and foremost, stick to sending reminders during the working day as there is an increased chance that they will garnish attention.
- A week before- Reminds participants that they have signed up for your webinar and gives them the opportunity to put it in their calendar for the upcoming week.
- A day before – Allows participants to plan for the upcoming day and remove any and all distractions
- An hour before – Serves to remind participants and make necessary adjustments so they are prepared to participate
FREQUENCY:
- Sending 3-6 email reminders is a good place to start
- On the day of your webinar, there is no harm in sending multiple emails which give your participants extra notice.
- The final email you send should highlight the education and knowledge that participants will attain within a bullet point format combined with the time. This will further entice attendance at your webinar and drive up the excitement factor of your audience.
DISCLAIMER:
- There is such a thing as too much. If you get emails requesting that you stop sending reminders than make sure you heed this demand. Rather than stopping all together, it’s advisable to merely cut back significantly and send out the occasional reminder closer to the date.
Introduction of Webinar
Developing trust and peaking the interest of your participants should be the main goal of your introduction. You’ve managed to attract their attendance. Now you must provide invaluable resources that truly speak to the needs of your participants.
The introduction is vital to the success of your webinar. It’s here where you entice your viewers and create a bond that will have them engaged and listening to what you have to say until the very end. Personality and qualifications go hand in hand in the creation of a successful webinar.
Making effective introductions involves establishing yourself as an expert and detailing what you have to offer. Your audience may or may not be familiar with your work. It’s a pre-emptive strike to take the time to establish credibility and to get your audience on the same page.
Introducing the topic in a fun and exciting manner is also crucial to establishing rapport with your participants. For them to remain engaged in your webinar they must truly understand the topic of discussion and the value that you will bring to the table. Your viewer’s knowledge of the subject at hand may vary extensively so therefore it is necessary to break down the topic in a clear and concise way. Don’t be afraid to use your personality as well as humor to make an impression on your audience. A good laugh goes a long way!
Follow a Proven Structure, and Strategy from Before
To ensure that your audience remains with you to the end, seek to be clear and to the point. Jumping from one topic to another only leads to confusion. Your content must be easily understood and the connections that you highlight need to be concise and practical.
In the case of webinars, its best to follow a well-laid out formula that guides you through the process. One that fits well with this format is termed the P.A.S.T.O.R. model
- Problem – Identify and Clarify the problem that you are hoping to solve
- Amplify – Delve deep into the problem at hand and provide intricate details that effectively illustrate how dire the situation is. You want viewers to understand the seriousness of the problem so that they can fully appreciate the solutions you have to offer. Keeping your audience motivated and paying attention is your ultimate goal. They will be more inclined to take action if they get a full and accurate picture of the scenario.
- Story/Solution – Describe your solutions to the problem at length. You’ll want to include how you came to your conclusions and often it’s a good idea to incorporate a funny story to illustrate your points.
- Testimonials –Reviews are extraordinary ways to validate your service. Ensure that your testimonials Include businesses as well as individuals who have experienced unparalleled success with your product or information.
- Offer –You’ve highlighted your value and provided creative solutions. Now the time has come to showcase your offer. Clearly explain how your solutions can improve their lives or businesses. You’ll want to demonstrate how your service is unique and how investing in your product or service can effectively solve even the most difficult dilemma.
- Response –Effectively you are asking your visitors to take immediate action. Your product and service is of great value to them and here you’ll impress on them the need to make solutions their reality by buying your product. Here you’ll need to be clear and explicit when directing your customers towards the exact steps they’ll need to take. (e.g. “go to this link” or “send me an email here”)
Speaking In An Engaging Tone
Engaged audiences are created through inspiring speakers. Even the dullest subject matter can elicit a favorable result when presented in a fun and exciting manner. There’s an old adage which states that your tone of voice communicates far more words ever could. How you present your content is just as valuable as the content you have to deliver.
It’s important to pay specific attention to inflection, rate of speech and familiarity of content when preparing your material. Your personality and the way you present your content can impact your overall effectiveness significantly so follow the below mentioned criteria and your webinar will be poised on the brink of success!
Tip#1 Rehearse, But Never Memorize
To truly establish a connection with your audience you must develop an authentic rapport. If you seek to practice and rehearse every single aspect of your presentation you may appear robotic at times and your audiences will have a hard time relating to you. There is also a chance that memorizing your presentation as a script can backfire if you lose your place and freeze up.
However, if you feel your extensive knowledge doesn’t warrant practice, there is a danger that your laziness will be felt by your viewers and you will lose their interest. It’s important to hit a happy medium.
You want your viewers to feel like you are engaged in a passionate conversation with them. Rehearse between one to three times prior to your presentation. When deciding what to say, create generic talking points that you’d like to cover rather than a word for word script. Adlibbing will create ease with your audience but still keep you on point. While practicing, mark down areas where you feel your confidence lagging and then re-do these sections.
Take the time to establish a connection with your audience through confidence and ease and let the conversation flow. Your webinar will thank you.
Tip #2 – Make Speech Interesting:
Inflection is your friend. If used wisely it can help keep things interesting and spice up your webinar. Changes in your speaking tone help to keep your audience engaged and entertained. This is easily done by emphasizing certain words while you’re speaking or slowing down in important sections and pronouncing words in an increased volume.
Inflection breaks up monotony and draws the interest of the listener. Webinars often last for up to 40 minutes. Due to the fact that you are the solitary presenter, you’ll need to employ methods of interest to retain the attention of your viewers.
Tip#3- Never Rush When Presenting
Rushing makes it harder to comprehend what’s being said. Nerves are often the culprit when you find yourself breezing through your presentation. It’s not a competition and getting to the end faster does not mean you’ve run the race. This is the fatal error that many presenters make. Learn from their mistakes and take your time.
The strategic placement of a pause here and there can have the desired effect of attracting the audience’s attention and allowing you to slow down the pace of your presentation. Pauses also create opportunities to vary the speaking tone and generate viewer interest.
Don’t underestimate the power of taking a well-placed breath from time to time. It will allow you to refocus on your content and settle your nerves. Your audience has the ability to pay attention for extended periods of time if the speech is captivating and the speaker is interesting and charismatic. Speed isn’t everything and if you take your time you’ll find your groove slowly but surely.
CONCLUSION:
Webinars are the wave of the future. Not only are they powerful tools to increase your conversion rates they also foster strong relationships with your clientele due to their personalized format. Follow the above steps to create your own unique webinar that will engage your audience and delight your audience. Your confidence will soar as your business prospers. Anyone can do it and if you honestly apply these principles you’ll begin to see how powerful a webinar can truly be!
