Everyone knows that webinars are a great way to generate leads and spread information. It’s nearly impossible to find someone that’s never watched a TedTalk or similar webinar online. Although the hybrid format of webinars did change slightly during the pandemic, speaker-based events were less affected than most other forms of events. 

In fact, even as the pandemic comes to a close, it seems as though more and more businesses are committing to having webinars as a part of their permanent strategy. According to a study by Wyzowl, over 42% of businesses plan on hosting webinars in 2021 and 2022. That same study states that 83% of companies find webinars to be a solid marketing strategy. 

There is a huge opportunity for growing businesses through a webinar event. With that being said, there is also a lot of time and planning that goes into creating a successful webinar event.

What do you need to know to plan a successful webinar?

First, check out these quick stats that you can use to make your webinar as successful as possible:

• Host your event in the middle of the week. ReadTalk’s guide to making a great webinar states that the most well-attended webinars are the ones hosted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when people’s schedules are the most flexible.
• Keep your webinar under the 45-minute mark. A study by BigMarker showed that 44% of online seminar attendees say they prefer 45-minute webinars, while 41% say they prefer them to be 30 minutes. Only 10% of participants want webinars to last an hour or more. 
• Make your presentation slides downloadable. According to research done by Adobe, over 50% of your attendees are likely to download your presentation if they are given the option. 

None of these tips are necessarily make-or-break. We aren’t saying that If you host an hour-long webinar on a Friday, you’re doomed to fail. These are just a couple of statistics that may explain why attendance levels can be so indeterminate. 

Now that we’ve gone over some of the basics of hosting a webinar, let’s dive into how you can use webinars to generate more leads. 

How can you ensure that your webinar will attract leads?

1. Hype up your webinar

 

Getting your name out there is the first step towards gaining new leads. Before you can impress prospects with your content, you need to make sure that they make it to the event itself. Don’t be afraid to over-communicate with your potential attendees. Every time you send an email or post on social media, you’re increasing the likelihood that more people will attend your webinar. 

Digital marketing can be a difficult skill to master, especially when you’re trying to cut costs. Promoting yourself on social media, however, is a great start. If you can get enough people to share your content, you might be able to reach beyond your normal audience. 

Here’s an article that gives some more ideas on how to market your webinar on a budget. 

2. Keep your audience engaged

 

When hosting a webinar, audience engagement needs to be one of your top priorities. One of the main downsides to hosting an online event is that your viewers are often surrounded by distractions. The solution? Be the most entertaining thing in their living room. 

Give people a reason to listen to you by asking questions throughout your webinar or adding polls in the chat for your audience to interact with. Use icebreakers and other sociable tools to make your attendees more comfortable with one another. These are all great ways to keep your audience focused on what you have to say. 

Make sure you choose a webinar platform with plenty of engagement tools.

3. End with a clear call to action 

As we’ve established, you only have so much time to get through to your audience. Once you’ve finished your main segment, leave a little bit of time to give your attendees a call to action. You want your audience to continue to think about your webinar even after the event ends. 

Your call to action could be anything from a hard-hitting question to a pitch for why they need your newest product. No matter what it is, it needs to be clear, relevant, and urgent. Check out this list of the 15 best Call to Action examples for inspiration. 

4. Have a follow-up strategy

 

By far one of the most important aspects of hosting a webinar is how you follow up with your audience afterward. 

Make sure your follow-ups are personalized. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call your attendees to thank them for coming and ask if they have any questions for you. People like to feel special, so make sure they feel special!

If you’re going down the email route, send them links to more content that adds value to your webinar. You can also send exclusive offers or deals as a way of thanking them for their attendance. Not only does this give your audience an incentive to attend your webinars, but it also nurtures new leads in an authentic manner. 

Conclusion

Your content is the star of your webinar. If you’re passionate and knowledgeable about your topic, it should be obvious to your attendees. However, if you don’t put in the time and effort to encourage engagement and nurture new leads, it won’t matter how much of an expert you are. Attracting new potential customers requires persistence and ambition. 

With your content at the forefront and a purposeful focus on incentivizing your audience, you’ll start to gain more leads than ever before.