20 years ago, webinars were few and far between. Used only for the purpose of advertising, webinars were often boring and unimpressive. In 2021, however, webinars have started to gain traction in the digital marketing sphere. Most large businesses have hosted one, if not more – and those who haven’t likely have plans to. 

Webinars have slowly started to dominate the online content marketplace. But why is that? Looking from the outside in, you might find it easy to write webinars off as lengthy, overpriced advertisements. 

But if that’s the case, then why are so many businesses hosting them? 

In this blog, we’re going to conduct an in-depth investigation on why businesses are suddenly in favor of webinars. First, let’s figure out if hosting a webinar is really worth it based on statistics. 

Are webinars really worth your time?

The short answer is yes.

The long answer is still technically yes, but with a few more facts to back it up. To start off, check out these stats from marketing company OutGrow: 

• According to marketers, webinars are essential to online marketing. Almost 95% of professional marketers see webinars as an important part of their digital marketing strategy. 
• Webinars can be utilized to reach new, certified leads. 73% of B2B marketers say that webinars are the best way to generate high-quality leads. 
• People are excited to attend new events. 83% of people say they would like to attend one webinar per week. 

Now that we’ve got some hard facts, let’s dive a little deeper. We can see that marketing professionals recommend webinars and that many audience members are interested in attending, but what makes webinars so successful? 

How can webinars benefit your business?

1. Engage audience members

As always, your audience should be one of your top priorities – especially when hosting a webinar made just for them. The key to hosting a great webinar is to keep your audience focused and engaged. It’s your job as the host to entertain your guests. 

Though your content should always be at the forefront, remember to include games, trivia, or interactive activities for your audience to participate in. Not only will this make your attendees want to listen to what you’re saying, but it will also make their experience fun and memorable. By responding to customer questions, providing additional entertainment, and encouraging attendees to interact with one another, you can create a fun environment that your audience will be excited to take part in.  

Figure out which interactive tools are important for your event and find a webinar platform that can cater to your needs. 

2. Increase Leads

Lead generation is one of the most important parts of conducting business. Without new leads, your business has nowhere to grow and expand. 

Hosting a webinar is a great way to reach new potential customers. Just like everything else on the internet, all webinars have the potential to go viral, so you never know what might be your big break. One webinar could be the thing that ultimately skyrockets your business to become a Fortune 500 company. 

In order to gain new leads, you need to prove that your content is worthy of their attention. If your content is valuable and relevant, potential customers are going to be much more likely to enter in their email and register for your event. 

If you want to get a more in-depth feel for how webinars can help you generate new leads, take a look at one of our latest blogs. 

3. Enhance your online presence

In the 21st century, your online presence is an essential part of marketing your business. When people first hear about your company, one of the first things they’re going to do is hit up Google. A weak online presence makes your company look less professional and reputable. 

Webinars are a great way to enrich your online content and attract new audience members. The more quality content you put out, the more you’ll start to show up under people’s Google searches. Creating a webinar is an amazing way to utilize both digital marketing and SEO optimization.

To learn more about strengthening your online presence, check out this blog or just buy SEO for Dummies on Amazon. 

4. Cost-efficient communication 

Cost-effective communication can be hard to achieve in 2021. When coming up with an online marketing strategy, it’s important to cut costs where you can. 

By far one of the most attractive aspects of a webinar is the low cost that it requires to host one. Compared to other advertising campaigns, webinars are an inexpensive way to reach just as many, if not more, people. 

The average webinar costs anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000 to produce. Compare that to the average cost of $115,000 for a 30-second TV commercial. We know which one we would choose. 

5. Offer in-depth information 

Webinars open up an entirely new avenue of possibilities for communicating with your audience. Instead of hopelessly searching the internet for information on your company; your attendees are given the opportunity to take their questions straight to the source. 

Use your webinar as a way to show potential leads that you’re an expert in your field. Giving extra information and fully explaining your business is the best way to showcase your expertise. Allow your audience members to ask questions and be ready to answer just about anything. By showing your attendees that you are open and knowledgeable about your business, you’re establishing that you are a reliable authority within your industry. 

Conclusion

Now that our investigation has come to a close, one thing is clear: webinars are a great asset for businesses. Due to their low cost and long reach, it’s possible for you to gain hundreds of new leads without breaking the bank.