Originally posted on February 2, 2022 @ 10:41 am
Necessity is the mother of invention’. We are sure you have grown up hearing this famous saying. They say it is right; whenever humankind has found itself stuck in adversity, something new has been discovered. One such thing is webinars. Even though webinars came into existence long before the pandemic, it was during the pandemic they became popular.
What are Webinars?
One can define webinars as seminars that are conducted over the internet. To understand in simple terms, webinars are nothing but ‘web seminars’. Where the regular seminars are held physically, their web counterparts are organized over a webinar platform. The objective of webinars is to educate the audience about a certain topic. A webinar covers several elements such as workshops, presentations, keynote sessions, panel discussions, and more. There are plenty of reasons webinars have gained popularity in no time; one of them is the fact that they promote two-way communication. The attendees get to interact with the hosts and put across their queries, just like a regular seminar. It comes as a great advantage, and webinars witness high audience engagement rates as compared to other virtual formats of delivering content.
If you are also looking for a blog that will guide you through the process of hosting successful webinars, you are on the right page.
Here in this blog, we are talking about the steps to host a winning webinar. Have a look.
1. Form a Team of Professionals:
There is always a team of experts behind a successful event. Keep this in mind and start with selecting your team of experts for your webinar. While you are looking for a responsible manager and organizer, make sure you know the roles and responsibilities of an organizer. An organizer or manager is a person who looks after every aspect of the event; hence, get someone aboard who has enough skills to tackle multiple tasks at a time. Other professionals you need to look for are the speakers and the assistants. While you are looking for suitable candidates, ensure they have all the qualities that a professional must have. Always remember, if you want to win the match, you must have a team that can win you the match.
2. Pick Your Webinar’s Format:
Moving onto the next step, select the format you would want to execute your webinar in. One thing that you should keep in mind is to select a format that will help you manage your audience easily, and help you meet your objective seamlessly. Here are a few formats you can select from:
Single Speaker: As you might have understood by the name, this webinar will have a single speaker who will interact with the audience and respond to their queries. These webinars are best suited for a small audience since a single speaker will be able to manage a small group more effectively.
Q&A Session: In these types of webinars, the audience asks questions from the speaker. If you are looking forward to hosting this webinar, we will recommend you collect all the questions beforehand. It will help you avoid chaos as well as stick to the schedule.
Interview-Based: You might have understood it by the name; in an interview-based webinar, the interviewer asks the speakers a few questions based on the webinar subject. Generally, these questions are already decided.
Panel Discussion: In a panel discussion, all the speakers talk and discuss the subject. These webinars have a moderator who conducts the webinar effectively.
3. Schedule Your Webinar Carefully:
The next step you need to take is scheduling your webinar. Now when it comes to scheduling the webinar, there are a few things you should consider. Since it is a virtual session, you should bear in mind that all your attendees won’t be at the same place. Hence, you should consider different time zones while selecting the date and time for your webinar. Various analytics and research show that the two best days for hosting a webinar are Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
4. Plan Your Webinar’s Elements:
Some might think that since a webinar is conducted over the internet, one can use slideshows to deliver the webinar. However, we need to tell you that a slideshow can indeed help you sail through the process; it won’t make you stand apart. We would recommend you encourage your speakers to use their webcams. Not only this, the speakers can use music, GIFs, videos, and other effective elements to make your attendees’ learning process efficient.
5. Choose Your Webinar Platform:
Probably the most crucial step; getting your hands on an effective webinar platform. We would recommend you not compromise with the quality of the platform just for the sake of a few bucks. There are several features that you should keep in mind while selecting your Live Streaming Service; a few of them are:
- Security of the platform
- Accessibility
- Customizing Option
- Audience Engagement Tools
- Networking Opportunities
- Budget
6. Select Your Equipment:
Now that you have decided the platform you would host your webinar on, it is time to select the equipment for your webinar. Though virtual events don’t require much preparation, you should still have a few pieces of equipment to ensure the high quality of your webinar. Some things to consider include:
- A Laptop
- LAN connection or Wi-Fi
- Microphone
- Tripod
- Lighting Equipment
- Standalone webcam for higher quality videos
7. Spread the Word About Your Webinar:
Promoting your webinar is as crucial as creating it. Why? No matter how precisely you plan your event, if you don’t have enough audience, nothing will make any sense. Hence, when it comes to marketing your upcoming webinar, leave no stone unturned. Use paid media strategies, social media, traditional media for spreading your message.
8. Practice:
They say, ‘Practice makes a man perfect, and they say it right. It doesn’t matter how many webinars or other virtual events you have hosted to date, it is always recommended to host a practice session before the main event. It won’t only help you understand the technicalities of the Live Streaming Service but also avoid mishaps in the main event.
9. Take a Follow-Up:
Once the event is over, make sure you send feedback forms to the attendees. It is a great way to know the shortcomings of your event and measure the success of your webinar. Along with it, this practice can help you connect with your audience.
We hope this guide will help you know the importance of every single step in hosting an efficient and unique webinar.
