Harness the Power of a Webinar
Wyatt Caber
Many brands struggle to determine if and when they should use webinars as part of their digital marketing mix. One effective use of a webinar is for new product launches. The webinar provides a forum to demonstrate new product features, to explain competitive advantages and to answer questions from prospective customers. While often used in business-to-business marketing or by brands with a targeted consumer audience, COVID-19 allowed businesses to demonstrate the application of webinars in marketing to the masses. For example, Adobe substituted its annual in-person conference with a virtual event that included both live and pre-recorded presentations and an opportunity for attendees to engage with new products.
Webinars can also be used effectively in the service industry. For example, an accounting firm might conduct a tax filing season webinar to highlight new tax law and to position the company as experts. Webinar attendees could be rewarded with a discount on tax preparation services. Webinars for service-based brands should focus on problem solving. A company that creates dynamic websites may ask a registration question about attendees’ biggest problems with their current website and how they would like to see the website function. With permission, the company could use one of the websites as a real-world case study during the webinar and demonstrate potential improvements to solve the problems.
Webinars are useful tools for lead generation. Attendees have an established interest in the topic, and their registration for the webinar provides companies with contact information for follow-up. According to Waseem Bashir, CEO of Apexure, leads are maximized from educational webinars that position the company as a thought leader. A subtle, soft sales approach tends to be better received than hard selling strategies. Bashir says partnering with another company whose customers have similar interests can enhance additional viewers and leads. He further states that the webinar landing page should be eye-catching, use tools that build excitement for the webinar such as a countdown clock, and have a clear call to action. The call to action is typically a registration that collects contact information and asks questions to gauge the level of interest in a product or service.
In data gathered by Demandsage, a marketing analytics firm, 85% of businesses with a goal of generating leads consider webinars an essential part of their marketing strategy, citing the quality of leads generated to be superior to other marketing channels.
Webinars can also be useful when a new product or service is in development. A webinar can tease the market into getting excited about the launch. The ability for webinars to accommodate polls, questions, and live chat can provide valuable feedback that allows the company to fine-tune the product or service before the official launch. Webinars can improve brand image by allowing viewers to meet members of the team and feel a greater personal connection with the brand. Nike has used its annual Air Max Day to introduce the latest shoe in the line while allowing attendees to meet the designers and take a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of the company, demonstrating that even large companies can foster personal connections and brand loyalty. Webinars are unique in allowing for a global audience while still maintaining the feel of a personal conversation.
Webinars are useful marketing tools on their own, but they can also contribute to other parts of the marketing mix. Webinars can be recorded and clips of them used for future ads or social media posts. This provides for consistency of the brand’s message across multiple platforms. Webinars can be seen as a cost-effective infomercial. While they won’t likely be seen by the same size audience as a Superbowl commercial, they are far less expensive and, when promoted correctly, better at reaching a targeted audience.
Promoting a webinar is essential to its success. E-mail an invitation to existing customers or leads that have not yet been converted to sales. Promote the webinar on social media using snippets, teasers, and key points. Partner with influencers or other companies to promote the webinar to their audiences. Remember to include a strong call to action to urge people to register and send a reminder e-mail to all who have registered. At the conclusion of the webinar, direct viewers to a thank you page with links to your website and social media platforms.
Follow these strategies to make the webinar an effective part of your marketing mix!