Webinar – 5 Steps To Its Successful Planning

Want a way to promote your products, services, and offerings without actually being physically present?  Want to do away with the added costs of expensive flights, hotel rooms, and rental cars for sales presentations that need you physically there?  Well, here’s the answer to those questions – hosting and producing your own successful webinar!

The webinar industry has been booming.  A lot of people have been making huge profits from it.  Webinars that are conducted online are so effective that you and your attendees do not have to leave the comfort of your own homes.  You have the options to present it yourself LIVE, in person via video or via a PowerPoint presentation instead.  Your audience still gets the same valuable information of your presentation only now, from your webinar.  You can now personally choose the way the information gets delivered.

Before we get to the 5 Action Steps below, create an intention for yourself first.  This intention is your “vision” and should reflect the goals or outcomes you would like to see occur including how you present your webinar.  For example, “I will be presenting the ‘5 Steps to Planning a Successful Webinar’. This will come along with 4 of the top Webinar presenters in my field. We are presenting an exciting, information-packed webinar to a total of at least 50 registered attendees. We accept at least 5 last-minute registered guests.”  Now, on to the planning!

Here are the 5 Action Steps for planning and organizing your successful webinar:

1. Find an Interesting Webinar Topic

Create a bullet-pointed outline of the information you want to present and what your call to action should look like.  Think about your intention on how you want to present the information to your attendees.  Try to keep this information very simple for you and for your attendees to remember.

2. Presenters – Gather a list of presenters of at least 8 names

This is the chosen number as a few may not be available or may have other logistical problems. Make sure that all of them complement your webinar.  Inform your presenters the amount of time they are each allotted for. Work it out with all of them if you want them to pitch their product or service. You may also give their website information instead.  Give them enough time to prepare themselves ahead of time.  Check in with them to see if their information flows within your intention.

3. Technology – You’ll need the right web conferencing software

By right, we mean it will allow you to conduct your live presentations online. You will need to find a way to have your attendees and presenters log in securely to participate.  Here are a few popular ones that people are now using:

• Go to Meeting/Go To Webinar
• Skype
• Adobe Acrobat Connect
• WebEx
• Mega Meeting

4. Practice does make perfect!

Each web conferencing software is different. You want to be comfortable with the one you’ve decided upon.  It is best that you practice with the software as many times as possible before the day of the webinar.  This is to ensure that all contingencies have been planned for:

• sound or video problems
• causes due to wireless equipment or connections
• computer equipment from all of the presenters are in working order
• attendees are able to sign in
• which browser works best
• and all PowerPoint presentations have gone through the software without any major technical glitches

5. Marketing Channels

How and when you market is key to a successful webinar. Finding all of the avenues that will drive traffic to your webinar becomes important. You want to start marketing as early as possible. Now that you’ve chosen your web conferencing software, you want to get the word out. Then make sure that others can register easily.  You want to market through your own contact lists as well as your attendees’ and/or presenters’.  Here are some marketing options:

• Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, Instagram, G+, etc.)
• Email Lists
• Press Releases
• Article Marketing
• Pay Per Click
• Traditional Advertising

There’s a lot to plan and organize a successful webinar and market it just the right way.  If you plan for these steps, your webinar will be even more successful than your vision for the webinar!

If you don’t have time to plan for your own webinar, consider going to experts to assist you instead.  We would be happy to assist you or train you so that it can be a successful Win-Win situation for all!