The ability to attract, capture and nurture leads is the holy grail. Few mediums do it quite as well as the webinar. Why? Audiences are craving content, and webinars allow you to deliver it while tracking analytics.
Webinars also allow you to build an online community and connect and engage with formats such as panel discussions, fireside chats, and interactive interviews. When webinars are used as a thought leadership tool rather than a sales pitch, they can work wonders for your lead generation programs and cut through.
Webinars also allow you to build an online community and connect and engage with various formats.
Here are some tips on gaining maximum conversion from your Lead Generation Webinar programs.
Create relevant and exciting content: Your content needs to attract your desired audience, but it also needs to inspire and provide value. Remember, some attendees may be familiar with your brand, whereas others may be interacting for the first time.
The ideal topics may be right in front of you… take a look through your web analytics and your most viewed pages and blogs, or look into your most popular content or reports. Then, work backward and create content to encourage registrations. For example, if you’re selling software solutions to the government sector, consider hosting a webinar on trends within the industry and inviting a panel of experts to discuss.
Educate, and refrain from selling: It may seem tempting to showcase your product, and sales teams may also push for the ‘click to buy’ plug - but more often than not, it will alienate attendees and possibly give them the ‘ick.’
People are joining your webinar to learn, understand, and hopefully uncover something new that will help them - so make sure you provide that.
People are joining your webinar to learn, understand, and hopefully uncover something new - so make sure you provide that.
Lead Generation Webinars can be a bit of a slow burn, but with the right strategy, you can nurture prospects and eventually convert those interested. Consider providing links to gated content within your webinars, reinforcing your call to action, and continue to provide on-demand content and links to future events. And always make sure you follow up with attendees!
Encourage interaction to fuel engagement: Getting people to show up is half the job done - the other half is keeping them online and engaged. Consider using interactive tools within your chosen platform to initiate discussions, collect feedback, and respond to questions. One way to encourage questions is to ask people to post as they think of them throughout the event and to encourage people to comment and interact. You can then respond throughout the webinar to keep the conversation authentic.
Polls are also a great way to engage online audiences. Ask for responses to questions that will provide you with helpful information and poll often to maximise your time.
You've hosted your webinar, so how can you continue to provide your content?
Short answer: On-demand content libraries
There always has been, and always will be, a place for live content. But life happens, and that’s why global brands are realising the power of on-demand content. For example, how often have you registered for a webinar only to wait for the recording because an important meeting has come up, or you simply forgot?
On-demand webinars allow you to pre-record your content and host videos online in a content library. You’re essentially creating a corporate Netflix for your audience, and you’re reinforcing your brand and potentially generating leads at the same time. And as for the benefits, well, they’re pretty enticing:
Attract the speakers you want and eliminate time restraints
Give your attendees flexibility and freedom to watch when it suits them
Cross-promote a range of webinars and recommend ‘what to watch next.’
Generate leads with sign-up and feedback forms
Promote articles, blogs, and whitepapers
Use on-demand polling to engage and encourage interaction
Access insightful analytics that allows you to track and measure over time
So how are marketers creating content libraries? Here are some tips to get you started:
We recommend having at least five pieces of content pre-recorded before you launch your library - and plan for six months of content.
Record your sessions: Find a capable videographer and schedule your recordings close together to maximise the time (and budget) you have. Another advantage of pre-recording content is the ability to make edits, add logos, opening and closing slides, and lower thirds.
Create a Cadence: Knowing what and when you will record and upload your content is essential, but it has to work for your team and company. Understand how much time, budget, and resources you have, and always leave yourself room for changes or unexpected surprises.
Promote and Drip-Feed: Once you launch new content, ensure you promote it to your desired audience and across your main marketing channels. Encourage viewers to sign-up for new content from within your library so you can notify them of new videos.
There you have it - some useful tips on creating lead generation webinars that work, and advice on extending the life of your content so you can continue to generate leads.
For more information on how you can host impressive Lead Generation Webinars, get in touch with Streamlined Communications. And for more tips on hosting successful marketing webinars, take a look at our latest e-book: 6 Ways Marketers are Running Virtual Events in 2022.