Many companies conduct webinars for different reasons or purposes. For some, it’s an excellent approach to create brand awareness and client relationships to fuel the company’s growth and success. As for others, it’s an easy way to reach out and understand their target audience, from their challenges to their needs.
Organizing webinars are not merely about introducing new business concepts or products. But it’s also a chance to showcase your industry expertise and establish trust and authority. If you’re a growing company looking for an affordable and convenient event, a webinar is perfect. Let’s now go through the steps on how you can host a successful webinar for your company.
1. Choose the topic
Just like with hosting any conventional event, a topic is necessary to create a successful webinar. It should always be relevant to your industry and business. Choosing the main subject can be easy, but deciding on the specific area to discuss is quite a challenge. Use the feedback and comments of your customers to come up with a unique and interesting webinar. Look for valuable expertise, knowledge gaps, and current interests that your target market is into. For instance, if you’re a pet grooming business or running a pet restaurant, avoid broad and common topics like “Tips to Make Your Dogs Healthy.” Focus on more exciting and specific areas that they rarely read about. You can discuss things like “Are Peanuts Safe for My Dog” or “The Secret Language for Cats.”
2. Pick the suitable format
After selecting a topic, it’s time to decide on the proper webinar format to use. Most people consider their event’s aspirations and goals. But on top of that, it’s also crucial that you and your team are comfortable with the chosen format. You’re aiming for engagement, so pick which one you can present most effectively. If you’re planning for how-to workshops and educational presentations, a masterclass format is ideal. A panel discussion will be excellent if you want to have a lively discussion with multiple speakers providing topic-related insights and opinions. Or, if you’re planning a relaxed and casual event with unscripted discussions, you can host a coffee time talk. Other formats you can consider are a chat show, an interview, a product demo, or a live Q&A session.
3. Prep the webinar equipment
Usually, your company will readily have the complete set of equipment to run a smooth webinar. If it’s your first time organizing one, you need to start with your computer setup. Investing in rugged mini computers is a smart move for handling extensive webinars and multimedia presentations that often require higher professing systems. Mini PCs are also famous for creating better remote collaboration and productivity for businesses. Aside from that, you’d also need an HD webcam to connect to your PC for streaming purposes. You can invest in a 1080p or 4k cam with higher frames per second and good autofocus. Other things you’ll need include a microphone or headphones, lighting, and of course a fast internet connection.
4. Build your support team
Creating a successful company webinar isn’t a one-person job. It would be best if you had a good team. The first role to fill in is the head facilitator or organizer. This individual will be responsible for developing the topic, setting up the paperwork, locating the speakers, and promoting the event. They will need to commit around 10 to 20 hours per event. The next crucial role is the presenter. You can have more than one professional, if necessary. This person will handle aspects such as registration of the webinar and event software with a time commitment of about four to six hours. The third spot is for the assistants. They can help with almost anything related to event tasks, even managing logistical or technical matters.
5. Plan the promotion
Some companies skin the promotion part if the webinar is organized mainly for in-house staff only. However, a promotion can get you maximum participation if your audience involves clients, customers, or potential business partners. You can do this by creating an ad display or banner on your business website, spread the word on your social media pages, and build a dedicated landing page for the webinar topic. If you want to keep things more exclusive, sending emails to the selected attendees will be ideal.
Webinars are more affordable and simpler to organize than conventional corporate events. But they don’t go cheap on what they can offer. They can allow you to showcase your brand, forge more relevant future content and products, and personally connect you with your audience. Work with your trusted team now and plan out a successful webinar for your business.