Webinar marketing is becoming increasingly popular and is a simple tool that you can use to attract new and retain existing customers.
Web conferencing is used to conduct live meetings, training, or presentations via the Internet. In a web conference, each participant sits at his or her own computer and is connected remotely to other participants. This can be either a downloaded application on each of the attendees’ computers or a web-based application where the attendees access the meeting by clicking on a specific link.
There are three key steps you need to understand when running an effective webinar.
Step 1: Prepare
Preparing for your webinar is an essential step. Many business owners and marketing managers get this first step wrong. Initially, you need to ensure you have the right software for you. There are many software packages on the marketplace at the moment, so be sure to compare and benchmark before choosing one.
Once you have selected the software, you have to become comfortable in using the software. This shouldn’t take too long, and most software providers allow you to practice your webinar before running it live.
One of the key elements when it comes to preparing a great webinar is to ensure you get into the shoes of your prospect when putting it together. What does your target market want? Many people who fail at webinars don’t spend enough time on this. Its vital that you are extremely clear on exactly who will be on that webinar. The more specific the crowd you are looking to attract to your webinar the better it will be.
Its also vital that you spend a good amount of time designing your headline for your webinar and then 5-7 bullet points outlining the key benefits your webinar will provide. This alone could increase the number of people joining your webinar by substantially numbers and is in fact , the number one key to an effective webinar – even higher than creating great content!
When you have designed a catchy headline (that gets the attention of your target market), you then need to set a date and time in the future to run your webinar. Give yourself sufficient time to allow you to get the numbers you need. The ideal length for a great webinar ranges from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours.
Step 2: Promote
You need to treat promoting a webinar like you would promoting any product or service. Its really important that you invest 2 to 3 hours creating a detailed marketing plan.
There are many ways you can promote a webinar. Here is a list of strategies
- Existing contacts
- Using existing contacts to refer others (its really easy to get an existing contact or friend to forward on an invitation to a catch webinar)
- Advertise on your website
- On other peoples websites
- Joint Ventures (other people to market to their list)
- Post card campaigns to existing lists or to cold lists
- PR
- Via your sales team
- Upsell after product sales on websites
- Blogging
- Email marketing
- Blogging to other peoples lists
- Advertising in newsletters that go out to your target market
- Online forums where you target market are hanging out
- Direct mail campaign
- Video blogging
- Ask for referrals when people register (eg free gift if you enter in someone’s name that would benefit from the webinar)
When you have a number of strategies working for you, don’t be surprised with the number of attendees you will get onto your webinar.
Its vital that you also have a ongoing campaign once people register for your webinar. Just because they register, doesn’t mean they will show up. Send at least 3-5 contacts to keep them engaged and build some excitement around your webinar.
Step 3: Present:
There is a formula that when followed correctly, will result in running a great webinar.
Remember – less is best. Don’t complicate it with complicating slides. Keep it simple. Also, learn the COUNTRY formula:
C: Create Connection. The first step on any webinar is to connect with the people on your webinar. Meet them at their level. Remember to smile while your presenting. People can hear a smile. Have fun and be confident. Ensure your standing up when you deliver it
O: Open your customer up to being ok that you will offer the next step to them. Simply ask your customer (at the start of the webinar) that will be discussing the next steps. This one thing alone could double your conversion rates
U: Understand your customer. Keep engaging your customer with their challenges and talking to their dreams and gaols.
N: Need for your solution. Its important to help your client see how your product or service can fix their problem and why they need to buy from you
T: Tension. Reveal your product and build tension. Don’t rush the close of a webinar. Be confident when you reveal your product or service
R: Reveal your offer. Ensure you have a great offer for people on the webinar to take advantage of. Remember – we want them to take ACTION
Y: Yield the results from your webinar. Ensure you invite people to take action. Explain to them exactly what you want to do. If you don’t get the results you were after, then a follow up campaign in the days following the webinar can double conversions.
Running a webinar is really exciting. Its also a very easy process to follow, and like anything – once you have done one you will be amazed with just how easy it really is.
Andrew Roberts is a renowned Business Entrepreneur helping other people grow their business. Andrew is an expert at time management and helping people get a big return for less effort. He dedicates his time to finding the ultimate niche that works for each individual business, and then works to establish a marketing and life plan that allows owners to achieve whatever dream they have.
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