COVID-19 has opened our eyes to many ideas including the use of webinars. For business owners, the coronavirus has forced a new way of organizational thinking both internally and externally. Internally, employers must learn to communicate with employees remotely, making sure that workflow is kept stable and thriving. Externally, entrepreneurs must learn to communicate with customers and prospects effectively and regularly.

Small businesses, in particular, have been hit hard by the pandemic. They have been forced to find innovative ways to combat the massive changes that have come so unexpectedly. Those changes mean business owners must adopt new methods of conducting business, engaging clients, and generating leads. Naturally, the doors have opened for technologically to truly shine. Digital efforts have been relied upon heavily over the last several months.

So, what’s the best move for you and your business? How can you remain competitive and keep sales steady in a world where face-to-face contact rarely happens? The first step is to get really comfortable with webinars.

What is a webinar?

A webinar is a wonderful way to connect with clients and prospects. Either a live video or recorded video, a webinar allows for companies to educate viewers, promote their brand, and initiate a “soft sell” of their products and/or services. In addition, it is often an opportunity for a business owner to get in front of a ton of prospects, a rare opportunity in an in-person setting.

Now, it is important to keep in mind that simply recording a webinar is not enough. In order to produce a webinar that adds value to your company, you must properly promote it, collect data, and follow-up accordingly. Far too many companies launch a webinar and then cross their fingers that leads will appear. Like any marketing initiative, there are a number of critical steps to take to get it right.

Steps to Creating a Webinar

First and foremost, it is important to recognize that virtually every business across every industry can benefit from hosting a webinar. If you would like more eyeballs on your company’s brand, you want to sell a product/service, and you want to humanize your company in a time when human interaction is minimal, then a webinar is the right move for you.

The steps to creating a webinar are pretty simple:

1. Choose a topic and emphasize the “why”. It’s not enough to simply educate an audience on your company’s value proposition, you need to give them a reason open their wallets. That means educating them on the industry, the product/service, the unique value of your particular brand, and point to a case study that showcases real results.
2. Pick a platform. There are a ton of options when it comes to hosting a webinar. Once you plan out the details of what you would like to communicate, find a webinar platform that will meet your specific needs. Look for things like integration capabilities with your website and CRM program (customer relationship management), online and offline features, and any other relevant technical needs.
3. Promote your webinar before This is a critical piece of the puzzle. Far too many people start promoting their webinar once it is already available. The key to creating a successful webinar lies in garnering buzz and excitement prior to launch.
4. Collect customer/prospect data. Your webinar signup is one of the most crucial elements of the entire process. Make sure that you are collecting data that is important to your sales team.
5. Follow-up. Once the webinar is over, it is vital to reach out to attendees to schedule meetings, sales pitches, and the like. The ability to now communicate with qualified leads is paramount to turning attendees into clients.
6. Whether you host your webinar live or not is irrelevant, you must plan to reuse the content. You worked hard on creating an impressive presentation and the real value comes in promoting the webinar again and again via email marketing campaigns, social media ads, and beyond.

No matter what industry your business falls into, a webinar is a powerful untapped tool. People have grown more and more accustomed to consuming media digitally. The savviest entrepreneurs will take advantage of this new normal and launch a stellar webinar.

Are you looking to create a webinar that engages clients and attracts new leads? Don’t know where to start? We are here to help. Big Customer Network has mastered the art of digital communication. Contact us today to learn more.