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Webinars have become the latest method of choice to reach out to people online effectively. However, hosting engaging and interactive webinars can be challenging, requiring careful attention to detail and a comprehensive approach. Every step in the process is crucial, and even the tiniest oversight can significantly impact the webinar's success.
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had planned a webinar but needed help figuring out what to do next? How do you effectively promote your event? Where can you find your potential participants, and how do you convince them to attend your live video? Don't worry - we've all been there. 32% of marketers think that webinar strategy will be important in their success in 2023. Setting up the webinar with our user-friendly software may be straightforward, but creating a robust webinar marketing strategy can be a more significant challenge.
We have developed a comprehensive webinar planning checklist to streamline this complex process and ensure a successful webinar. By following this guide, you can ensure that you incorporate all the essential elements and create a seamless and captivating experience for your attendees. Let's dive in and get started.
Before delving into the webinar checklist, it is essential to consider the broader perspective or overarching goals. Identifying your objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is necessary.
Begin by establishing your goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Ensure to include this step in your webinar planning checklist, as this will significantly enhance the success of your webinars. It is crucial to clearly understand the bigger picture before delving into the details of your webinar planning.
Identify the purpose of your webinar and what you aim to accomplish by hosting it. Consider the goal and objectives of your webinar. Ask yourself why you want to host a webinar. What are your desired outcomes for the webinar? Are you aiming to generate leads, promote a new product or service, or educate your audience?
Determine key performance indicators to track and measure the success of your webinars. By establishing measurable goals, you will have a framework for evaluating your event, drawing meaningful conclusions, and improving future webinars. These webinar KPIs can include metrics such as the number of registrations, attendee engagement, conversion rates, pipeline contribution, or any other relevant data points. 51% of marketers measure webinar success by demand metrics such as lead quality, pipeline conversion, and lead volume.
Read and Learn: How to Harness Webinars for a 2X Pipeline Boost
Webinar planning should ideally take around eight weeks to start from scratch.
Gain in-depth insights into your attendees by conducting thorough research and learning more about their interests and expectations. It is crucial to understand who will participate in your webinar and what they hope to gain from it. This knowledge will allow you to tailor your content to meet their needs effectively.
Determine the date and time for your webinar. Studies suggest that Thursday is a perfect day to host a webinar, followed by Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Finalize the webinar platform based on your specific goals. Look for a user-friendly webinar management platform that integrates seamlessly with your daily tools. Ensure the platform offers interactive features such as live polling, Q&A sessions, and reaction options to enhance audience engagement.
Webinars can take various formats, from "ask me anything" sessions to panel discussions or expert debates. Determine the webinar format that best aligns with your goals. Do you want the webinar to be an opportunity for your audience to share their thoughts, or do you intend to discuss the latest industry trends? Asking such questions will help you determine and finalize the appropriate format for your webinar.
Now is the time to select the topic of your webinar, ensuring it is relevant to the learning needs of your target audience. To identify their pain points and interests, consider conducting a pre-webinar feedback survey, analyzing website traffic, and gathering insights from your sales teams.
Based on the chosen webinar format, determine the number of guest speakers and hosts required. Have at least one host (who can also be a speaker) and an additional person to assist with webinar logistics, ensuring participants' smooth and engaging experience.
Once you have finalized the topic, speaker, and event date, create the webinar on your chosen webinar management platform. If it is a paid webinar, define the audience tiers and accurately set up the payment collection process. Make the registration process simple and user-friendly.
The webinar landing page serves as the primary interface between your target audience and your webinar content. Choose an appealing title, provide adequate spacing between lines, and craft messaging highlighting your webinar's key value proposition. It will help potential attendees determine whether your webinar is worth their time and encourage them to register.
Determine the registration flow for your webinar, including the number of follow-up emails you plan to send and the structure of your lead-scoring campaign. Implementing lead scoring will help you measure audience engagement and prioritize leads based on their potential buying intent, aligning with your marketing goals.
Develop engaging webinar email invitations, reminder emails, and social media copies that effectively communicate the value proposition of your webinar. Make the content catchy and consider offering incentives, such as raffle draws during the event, to encourage attendance.
Ensure that all your follow-up emails and the "thank you" page allow registrants to easily share your webinar with their peers who may also be interested in attending. It enables the promotion of your webinar to a broader audience within their network.
Create a Calendar file in Outlook or your preferred email/calendar program, including the webinar date, time, login details, and a brief description. Provide registrants with a link to this file on the registration thank-you page and follow-up emails, allowing them to easily add the event to their calendars.
Plan your webinar email sequence and configure it within your webinar management platform. Send webinar reminder emails at intervals like T - 8, T - 4, and T - 2 days before the webinar. Sending 2-3 reminders over 5-7 days helps maximize registrations from your email database.
Utilize your organization's social networks and those of webinar presenters and hosts to promote the webinar on social media like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other relevant channels. Craft concise, engaging messages, making the most of the limited character count. Incorporate URL tracking parameters when sharing the registration link to track the source of registrations later on accurately.
Engage your pre-sales team or utilize automated voicemail reminders to drive attendance and enhance engagement with potential leads.
Hosting the webinar is just the first step. Follow up promptly to convert leads into customers. Prepare the follow-up emails in advance, ensuring you can send them soon after the webinar concludes.
Create three email versions and customize the webinar follow-up emails for different segments—those who attended the webinar, those who missed it, and those who expressed interest but requested "slides only." Include the webinar recording, presentation slides, and additional information relevant to the webinar topic.
Now is the time to create the slides for your webinar. Remember to include your social media hashtags and a clear call to action on the final slide.
Utilize the webinar platform to create an interactive poll that aligns with your presentation. Incorporating a poll during the webinar enhances engagement and lets you gather valuable insights directly from your attendees.
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Increase your confidence and preparedness by creating a set of moderator notes. Include sample questions for the Q&A session in advance. Additionally, copy the opening and closing lines of the webinar script verbatim, as these are often the parts that can cause speakers the most anxiety.
Once you have finalized the webinar deck, upload it to the webinar management platform and review it for any necessary adjustments. Identify the appropriate moments to incorporate poll questions and ensure that you include those slides in the presentation.
Before the webinar, schedule a practice run to become familiar with the webinar technology. During this rehearsal, perform a sound check, review the slides, test the functionality of the poll, and practice communicating with the presentation team via chat. This rehearsal will help ensure a smooth and successful webinar experience.
Send a final webinar reminder email to individuals who still need to register for the webinar. 17% of webinar registration comes on the day of the webinar. Include all necessary details, such as the hashtag, date, time, and login information. The speaker or webinar host should send the email.
Ensure a high attendance rate by emailing those registered for the webinar. This email can serve as a reminder and reiterate the value of attending.
Using the designated hashtag, utilize social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn to promote your webinar. Additionally, schedule a social media update just minutes before the webinar, providing access to information to generate buzz. Assign a dedicated resource to monitor and engage with the audience from your official social media accounts throughout the webinar. It helps create an interactive and engaging atmosphere.
Opt for a wired internet connection instead of Wi-Fi to avoid potential connectivity issues. Conduct a quick sound check and dial-in to confirm everything functions as planned.
Once the webinar is live, remember to start recording. Your registrants will appreciate having access to the recorded session after it concludes.
Utilize the prepared notes and check off completed items as the webinar progresses.
Share meaningful content from the webinar on Twitter and LinkedIn. Pre-draft these posts while preparing your social media copies to ensure timely sharing.
Monitor and respond to questions from participants on Twitter, LinkedIn, and the webinar platform using the designated hashtag. Encourage attendees to utilize the chat feature to ask questions during the webinar.
Extend appreciation to all those who actively participated in the live webinar by giving them a shoutout. Utilize Twitter, LinkedIn, and other relevant social media platforms to acknowledge their presence and engagement.
Recognize that live events can be unpredictable, which adds to their excitement and engagement. However, it is essential to have a well-thought-out backup plan in place to mitigate any risks or last-minute glitches. It ensures that you can maximize the value of your investment in hosting the webinar.
Once the webinar session concludes, ensure you download the webinar recording. If necessary, edit the recording to enhance its quality or remove any unwanted sections. Then, share the recording link through email, your YouTube channel, and other relevant social media platforms.
If you have followed this webinar checklist, you would have already prepared follow-up emails for attendees and those who did not attend the webinar. Now is the time to send these emails promptly. The post-webinar email should include valuable content such as the webinar slides, recording, additional resources, and a clear call to action. Sending these follow-up emails improves your chances of engaging with your attendees and maximizing the impact of the webinar.
Suppose you organized a raffle or had participants who actively used the event hashtag and promoted your content on social media. In that case, it is essential to individually follow up with the prize winners and express your appreciation. Thank them for their interest and encourage them to share their award on social media. Similarly, engage with participants who amplified your content and reach out to them individually to express your gratitude.
Now is the opportune moment to gather feedback from your audience regarding their experience and satisfaction with the webinar content. Design the post-webinar survey to include closed-ended questions that provide insights into their preferences and areas for improvement. Additionally, allow participants to provide general comments and encourage those who leave testimonial-worthy feedback to follow up with you.
It is crucial to notice this step in your checklist. Configure redirects from your registration page to the on-demand event page. It ensures that people are directed to the on-demand webinar page when they search for your webinar or click on previously promoted links. It allows them to provide their details for viewing the webinar and ensures that your webinar listings are updated accordingly.
Utilize the same social media channels (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) that you used for webinar promotion to share updates about the recorded session. Craft engaging posts highlighting attendee questions, key topics covered, or other intriguing webinar content aspects.
While some results may take a few weeks or months to materialize (e.g., pipeline contribution) entirely, there are immediate metrics you can track:
Once these metrics are available, share them with your team and express gratitude for their contributions to the webinar's success.
Download our free Ultimate Webinar Planning Checklist!
When planning your webinar and setting goals for its performance, it's important to remember that not all members of your target audience will be accessing the webinar from a desktop computer.
While most of your audience may not use mobile devices to view the webinar, ensuring that those who do have a seamless and enjoyable experience is crucial.
Here are some steps to cater to mobile users in your webinar checklist:
By taking these steps, you can enhance the experience of mobile users and ensure that they can fully participate in and benefit from your webinar.
Congratulations! You have completed all the necessary steps from the webinar checklist. Now is the perfect time to embark on your first webinar journey. Webinar marketing offers numerous advantages over traditional marketing methods, making it highly effective and efficient. Planning, promoting, and executing a successful webinar can involve numerous tasks. Still, with this comprehensive checklist, you have everything you need to ensure a smooth and engaging experience for everyone involved.
With a well-organized checklist, you can confidently navigate the planning process and ensure nothing is overlooked, ultimately setting the stage for a successful webinar. With the right tools and platform at your disposal, hosting a webinar can be a manageable and rewarding experience. Planning and hosting a successful webinar with Hubilo can be streamlined and efficient. Hubilo is a webinar platform offering various features and integrations that simplify the webinar planning process. From creating engaging registration pages and managing attendee registrations to hosting interactive sessions and collecting valuable feedback, Hubilo provides a comprehensive platform for your webinar needs. With Hubilo's user-friendly interface and robust functionality, you can easily schedule your webinar, promote it across various channels, engage your audience through interactive features, and analyze post-webinar metrics for continuous improvement. Request a demo of Hubilo today to see how it can elevate your webinar experience. Start planning your next successful webinar with Hubilo and unlock the power of webinars to connect, engage, and inspire your audience.
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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