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Webcasts and webinars are usually confused with one another, but they both have several different characteristics and serve different purposes.! By understanding the differences between the two, you can present your data to the correct audience based on your marketing goals.
A webinar is a seminar that takes place online! There is typically one host, but can also have several different hosts. These hosts can present information and data to all of the guests within the virtual room. Attendees can join the webinar from any location, all over the world. One of the biggest advantages to hosting a webinar is that the audience can interact with not only one another, but also the hosts in the form of live chats, polls or a Q&A session!
If you are looking to speak to your guests on a larger scale and still be able to interact with them one-on-one, then a webinar is the way to go! With the use of interactive tools like a shared whiteboard and a live chat feature, both webinar hosts and guests can share their thoughts and ideas with everyone! Webinars can also be used as a teaching tool, especially if you are presenting a new product or data! If a guest has a question, they are able to use the live chat feature to ask the question, and the webinar host can answer the question in real time!
A webcast is similar to a webinar, however, there is no opportunity for engagement from the audience. Much like a webinar, guests can attend from anywhere in the world, but there are no features like a live chat portion or shared whiteboards. If there are any questions from the audience, they will have to be saved for another time.
Webcasts can be used, for example, when a company wants to make a corporate announcement. The information can be presented, directly to the audience, without any interruptions. Webcasts can also be used for town hall meetings, music festivals, and more popularly, TED Talks. The speaker presents their data to the audience, either fully virtually or a hybrid audience, and they speak about their topic for a certain amount of time. If your marketing goal is just to present data and facts without any audience interaction, then a webcast is the best route to take!
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There are a few differences between webcasts and webinars, and knowing the differences can help event organizers choose the best way to present their information. This guide can help you choose the best course of action, so read on to learn about the differences between webcasts and webinars!
Webinars, as previously mentioned, are interactive for everyone involved! Guests can feel like they are truly a part of the webinar by asking questions, answering live polls and interacting with other guests. Real-time communication (RTC) plays a major role in webinars, as guests can speak directly to the webinar hosts and vice versa. Webinars also have the ability to have file sharing; if there are files that the webinar hosts want their guests to see, they can send out the file to every guest, and everyone will have immediate access to it. Webinars are typically educational, with the host educating the guests on the topics at hand.
Webcasts on the other hand, are more focused on the presentation itself, as opposed to webinars which are focused on guest interaction. Because of the lack of communication between everyone, the webcast host is able to continue with their presentation, without any interruptions of questions or concerns. Webcasts also typically use a PowerPoint presentation or a slideshow to show pictures, videos or information. Think along the lines of a TED Talk. There is one host, speaking to an audience, both in-person and virtually. They continue to speak for a certain amount of time, presenting as much information as possible.
Webinars have the audience engaged throughout the entire webinar, which creates a more in-depth user experience! And there is more than one way to have your guests interact with one another- through the use of live chats, emoji reactions and Q&A sessions, guests have a more hands-on learning experience as they retain the information being given. Keep in mind that when you allow your guests to be interactive, the conversation has the ability to be moved away from the original topic at hand.
Webcasts, because there is no guest interaction, have the ability to keep the information flowing in one direction. The guests can truly focus on what the presenter is saying as they listen and observe the information. By live streaming webcasts on social media, guests from all over the world can attend as they absorb the information being presented.
As mentioned before, webinars are interactive for the audience and hosts. Webinars can host up to 1,000 people, from all over the world, and they are virtual for everyone! Think of a webinar as an interactive discussion meeting, and a webcast as a giant conference. There are going to be fewer people at the meeting, and everyone can have a chance to speak, if they wish. A webcast can hold more people, like a conference, and the host is the main speaker.
Webcasts have the ability to host hundreds or even thousands of people, both in-person and virtually! Webcast hosts can present their findings in a one-way direction. There are no questions asked by the audience, and people from all over the world can join! Webcasts are usually live-streamed and shared on social media, which can be viewed by thousands more people, as opposed to a smaller webinar.
Webinars focus their attention on the interaction between the host and guest. The attendees are able to ask their questions to the hosts in real-time, and they can be answered in real-time as well. With the use of live chats and a Q&A session, guests can learn more about the event or the host themselves by asking questions to keep the audience engaged as well as informed. It’s estimated that 92% of webinar attendees appreciate and prefer a live questions and answers section.
With a webcast, the main focus of the event is for the host to speak about the selected topics, without any interaction from the audience. The interaction is one-sided, with the host doing all of the speaking. This allows for the speaker to have the most time allotted to fit in all of the facts and information they need to present.
Read and Learn: How to Add Energy, Impact, and Results at Every Stage of Your Webinar
Both webinars and webcasts are presented in real-time, but the duration is what separates the two! Webinars usually last anywhere between 30 - 45 minutes, with any additional time for questions or comments. According to SupplyGem, 41% of attendees prefer a 30-minute webinar, with 44% preferring a 40-45 minute webinar. This allows guests to listen to what the speaker has to say, then ask any questions they may have before they get too distracted by any outside forces. Webinars can also be recorded to use again for later use, such as training or a new product demonstration.
Webcasts, like webinars, are presented in real-time, and they usually have a longer duration. For example, a music festival can be broadcasted like a webcast, tuning in live from wherever the music festival is. Guests from all over the world can tune into the music festival, and share the link on their social media. If guests of a webcast wish to interact with others within the webcast, they can then take to their social media and use a hashtag to discuss with others!
As previously mentioned, webinars are able to engage their audience by way of live chats and polls, making engagement a great goal to strive for. Guests are able to connect with one another by asking questions, sharing thoughts, and even networking. Guests can also interact with the event host and ask any questions they may have. According to Founder Jar, 33% of marketers prioritize using interactive tools.
Webcasts, unlike webinars, have no interaction with anyone. These broadcasts can be shared on social media, and if there is a hashtag created for these broadcasts, guests can then use that hashtag on social media to chat about the webcast. The live stream can happen at any time of day, and guests from all over the world can attend in whatever time zone they’re in!
Depending on what your event goals are, you may choose one over the other. If you’re not sure where to begin with your planning, try reaching out to a virtual event hosting platform like Hubilo! They will help you plan the perfect webinar or webcast depending on what works best for your event goals. Whatever you choose, you can be sure your audience will receive the information you need to provide to them. If one of your main goals is to engage with your audience, then a webinar would be the right choice. If you need to provide information to your audience without any feedback or interruptions, then choosing a webcast is best for your company!
However you choose to relay your information to your attendees, they will benefit from either a webinar or a webcast. There are some event hosts that wish to engage with their audience, while others wish to have no engagement! Webinars engage the hosts with the attendees directly, by the use of a chat feature or a Q&A session. Webcasts are live streams of a single host, speaking about the topics at hand, without any audience engagement. No audience engagement can be for a multitude of things, such as the audience size or type of webcast. Whichever way you choose to send out your information, your audience will be full of the knowledge that you provide them.
Planning a webcast or webinar for your next event can be a powerful way to connect with your audience virtually. Hubilo, as an event management platform, offers a range of features that can significantly assist you in organizing and hosting a successful webcast or webinar.
With Hubilo, you can easily set up and customize your event registration page, create engaging event agendas, manage speaker profiles, and provide interactive networking opportunities for attendees. The platform also offers various engagement tools such as live polls, Q&A sessions, and chat functionalities, allowing you to involve your audience and enhance their overall experience actively.
To fully understand the capabilities and benefits of Hubilo for your specific event needs, request a demo today. By scheduling a demo with the Hubilo team, you can explore the platform's features in-depth, discuss your requirements, and get personalized guidance on making the most of Hubilo for your webcast or webinar.
Hubilo is the webinar platform built for marketers that helps you 2X your pipeline. Founded in 2015, Hubilo's powerful engagement features, dedicated client experience team, and custom branding tools have helped create over 12K virtual events & webinars, creating hundreds of millions of minutes of high-engagement experiences and counting. Headquartered in Bengaluru and San Francisco, Hubilo's 200+ employees are dedicated to enabling webinars & virtual events that convert.
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