“73% of marketing and sales leaders say webinars are one of the best ways to generate quality leads.”
Over the years, B2B marketing has started leveraging webinars as a powerful tool for engaging prospects and generating valuable leads.
Webinars offer an affordable way of targeting a specific audience, with a higher return on investment (ROI) and lower cost per lead.
Given the current scenario, going virtual is the only way to be, and hence, marketers are scrambling to incorporate webinars in their overall sales strategy.
Executing a successful webinar requires B2B organizations to carefully plan and strategize the content, promotion, and other logistic requirements.
So to make your life easier, below we present the advantages of hosting a webinar and a few handy tips for your next tryst with it.
Why B2B Webinars Work Wonders: Understanding the Benefits
- Cost-effective – A webinar saves expenses like travel, hotel, etc. necessary for an in-person meeting. Moreover, it isn’t easy to coordinate the logistics and get time on peoples’ calendars for a face-to-face meeting. However, in the case of a webinar, the host only needs to spend on the webinar software and a few other requirements. Thus, the cost per lead is significantly low. Additionally, participants can attend the webinar from the comfort of their homes or office.
- Larger audience – A webinar is not limited by physical boundaries and can reach a wider audience, even those located in other countries. Attendees simply have to log in with the click of a button. By pitching to multiple organizations simultaneously, B2B marketers can streamline the purchase process and ensure every person receives identical information.
- Two-way conversation – Unlike emails and other printed material, webinars allow the opportunity to connect and engage with potential leads. A dedicated Q&A session enables attendees to participate and ask queries on-the-spot.
- Strengthen existing relationships and build brand image – Organizations use webinars to train customers or troubleshoot issues. Additionally, marketers can host webinars on a slew of the latest trends and topics, thus enabling companies to establish themselves as industry experts.
Tips for your next Webinar
As mentioned earlier, organizing a successful webinar requires marketers to prepare well in advance and pay attention to the minutest details.
So, here are a few tips or steps that you must follow to execute your next webinar seamlessly –
- Research well – Before you venture out to organize your webinar, it is prudent to watch how other people do it. The way they present themselves and their topics, the type of content they put out, etc. can help marketers get practical exposure to better their event.
- Select your topic – The first step to start organizing your webinar is to select the topic by carefully assessing the audiences’ attributes. Most importantly, the subject must closely relate to your product and should be capable of addressing the attendees’ needs.
- Develop great content and choose your speakers – Once you have zeroed in on the topic you will discuss, the next step is to build on your agenda and the accompanying content. Content can make or break your webinar. Therefore, marketers must develop stellar content supported by stunning visuals that capture the attendees’ attention. Webinars are meant to be educational – not “salesy.” So, the content should be original, compelling, and should pique the audiences’ interest. Marketers can conduct webinars for the following –
- Product Launches;
- Industry Events;
- Information regarding regulatory changes;
- Capability Promotions;
- Announcing Annual Reports
Naturally, the next step is to choose your speakers and decide whether you wish to invite a guest panel. Unlike an in-person event, virtual event marketing does not provide the possibility of gauging attendee sentiment through facial expressions. Therefore, the speakers must be capable of grabbing and retaining the participants’ attention from the very beginning.
- Arrange logistics – Besides the content, considerations like the date, time of day, duration of the webinar, etc. are also significant. Research has shown –
- Audiences prefer to attend webinars that are between 30 and 45 minutes long;
- Morning time, mostly 10 or 11 o’clock, is the best time to host a webinar;
- Tuesday is the most preferred day by the attendees, followed by Wednesday and Thursday.
Moreover, choose the most suitable software to host your meeting. Some hosting platforms are free, while others require a subscription. Ultimately, it all depends on the number of attendees and other requirements.
- Include a Q&A session at the end – Marketers must include Q&A sessions to answer the audiences’ queries, which provides an opportunity to engage with the audience and give further insight on the subject. Additionally, polls are a great way to understand the audiences’ level of interest.
- Promote your webinar – Effective promotion is the backbone of a successful B2B webinar. Make sure to begin your marketing efforts early and continue them up until the day of the event. B2B marketers must use the right gamut of marketing techniques – including social media pages, topic-centric blogs, email invites, registration landing pages, etc.
- Follow up on your leads – Last, but not least, don’t forget to have follow-up conversations with your leads. The entire purpose of a webinar is to identify and engage with your prospective customers. Hence, remember to follow up with every contact to keep the conversation going.
We, at The Smarketers, are helping clients to plan and execute every aspect of their webinars. So if you want to organize a webinar from scratch or need more information about the same, please contact us, and we will be glad to assist you with it.
Ready, Steady, Host!
Webinars add a powerful dimension to your marketing campaigns. They are relatively economical and bring valuable business to your organization.
To help you organize your next webinar, here is a quick refresher of the things you need to keep in mind –
- Research, come up with a suitable topic, and deliver content as promised;
- Deliver a multi-sensory experience to your attendees with eye-catching videos, graphics, and thought-provoking data;
- Choose the right date, time, duration, and hosting platform;
- Interact with the participants through Live Q&A and mid-session polls;
- Create awareness about upcoming webinars;
- Ensure post-event follow-up.
