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Combine the concepts of the Web with seminars and you get Webinars. Also called Webcasts or online seminars, Webinars are a great opportunity to generate qualified leads at a much lower cost than holding an on-site seminar.
Webinars fit right into the behavior of your target audience of engineers and technical professionals. According to the GlobalSpec 2005 Engineering Trends Survey, 31% of respondents reported attending at least one Webinar in the past 12 months. At the same time, 50% reported attending no trade shows. So while travel is down, online interaction is up.
This is good news for suppliers who host Webinars. If you haven't utilized Webinars as a marketing strategy, this article will help you get started. If you already use Webinars, you'll find some good advice on how to make your online events more successful.
Choosing Your Topic
The first thing you need to consider about a Webinar is what type of content you will present. You'll get more participation if your topic is educational and presented within a business context, rather than simply a self-promotional pitch. For instance, topics that focus on how to practically apply a new technology or solve an engineering problem will garner more interest than a Webinar on your product line.
This doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't have a message supporting your brand and products in the Webinar. But you shouldn't be out there leading with a hard sell or self-promotion.
Rather, try to make your product or company message the "conclusion" of the Webinar. Using the example above, you might conclude a presentation with how your product uses new technology important to your audience, or how it helps solve the engineering problem you just discussed.
About Your Presentation
PowerPoint is the most common tool for creating a Webinar presentation. While PowerPoint is a valuable communication tool, it is also widely misused. Common errors include too much text on slides, using fonts that are too small and simply reading the slide content while presenting.
Keep these points in mind to develop a strong presentation:
 Use an introductory slide to speak about the agenda for your Webinar. This helps your
audience know exactly what is to come.
Try to keep bullet points to a single line. The text you put on slides is a visual guide to
the content you are presenting — not a script to be read.
Use illustrations and diagrams to support your main points.
Use transition slides to create a bridge between topics.
Time and rehearse your presentation so you use the allotted time correctly.
Speak naturally in a conversational tone. Don't lecture or be preachy.
Keep Webinars to one hour or less, and leave time for participant questions at the end.
Choosing a Technology Vendor
There are many vendors offering Webcasting technology, from well-known leaders such as Microsoft, IBM and WebEx Communications to lesser known players such as WebDialogs and Arel Communications.
One of the first things to find out before evaluating vendors is whether other departments in your company such as training, support or development need this technology or are already using it.
If others need it, the vendor selection process may become a cross-departmental
project with shared costs. By understanding the needs within your company, you'll
also be able to determine whether you need features such as collaboration or dynamic
video support, or if simple broadcasting on a one-to-many basis is sufficient.
If your needs are primarily for marketing Webinars, the vendor you choose should provide at least the following capabilities:
The ability for all participants to view an online presentation that is under the control
of a presenter.
The ability for all participants to see the presenter's desktop, which is useful for
switching from presentation slides to showing an application demonstration.
The ability for all participants to engage in real-time text chat.
The ability for the presenter or participants to draw or type on a shared whiteboard, allowing
for annotations of on-screen material.
Integration with a telephone network, allowing participants to dial a phone number to
hear the speaker.
Beyond these functions, you might want to explore other advanced features such as real-time video, Voice over IP for the audio portion, audience polling, collaboration and more. Even if you don't need these features now, you may want to understand the full extent of a vendor's capabilities if you anticipate your company's needs will grow.
Inviting Customers and Prospects
E-mail is the most common tool for inviting prospects and customers to attend a Webinar. You'll want to provide a link to a registration form on your Web site. You can also place the invitation on your Web pages.
If participants are required to download software to their machines in order to view the presentation, you should send a separate e-mail with instructions on how to do so before the event takes place. Your vendor can help you with the technical details.
As with any event, not everyone who registers will attend. Drop off rates of 50% are not uncommon for Webinars. Therefore, it's important to keep track of who registered and attended versus who did not attend. That way you can follow up with each group appropriately.
For those who attended, send them a thank you note and offer next steps. For those who couldn't attend, express apologies for missing them at the event and offer them some alternatives. These might include downloading the event presentation, registering for the next Webinar, or linking to valuable content on your Web site.
Remember, the whole point of hosting a Webinar is to generate leads and business. Apply all your marketing processes and fundamentals to the entire Webinar process.
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