Thinking of hosting a webinar? Whether you’re looking to generate leads, build brand awareness, or establish your company as an industry thought leader, a successful webinar can open doors to new opportunities. But where do you start? And how can you ensure that attendees actually show up, engage with your content, and leave impressed? With the right approach and a powerful tool like Contrast, you can quickly become a webinar pro.
In this guide, we’ll cover the essentials of host you webinar from planning and setup to audience engagement and follow-up.
Important Roles in Your Webinar
For a smooth and professional webinar, it’s essential to clearly define roles. Here’s a quick breakdown of who you need on your webinar team:
- Webinar Host: As the host, you’re responsible for guiding the webinar experience from start to finish. Introduce the agenda, manage transitions, and close out the session with a call to action.
- Moderator: Especially helpful for larger audiences, a moderator manages the chat, answers questions, and oversees polls.
- Speakers: These are the experts sharing valuable insights with your audience.
- Backup Host: Things happen. Having a backup host means you’re covered if the primary host has a last-minute conflict.
5 Tips for a Standout Webinar Host
1. Present as the Face of the Company
When hosting a webinar, attendees see you as the face of your company. This is your chance to reinforce brand values and make a memorable impression. Maintain professionalism, but also let your enthusiasm show. As the host, it’s your job to embody the brand’s tone and values while keeping the session engaging.
2. Welcome Attendees with Warmth
First impressions matter! Take a moment at the start of the webinar to greet attendees warmly, just like your grandma would if she welcomed you at the door. This helps set a friendly tone and relaxes your audience. Use Contrast’s chat feature to encourage participation early on and avoid any awkward silence as people join.
3. Empower the Less Tech-Savvy
Contrast is designed for ease of use, but it’s still a good idea to explain some basics for attendees who may be new to webinars. During your introduction, show them how to use the chat, participate in polls, and react with emojis. This ensures everyone knows how to engage, regardless of their technical ability.
4. Introduce Speakers Creatively
A powerful introduction can set the stage for an engaging session. When introducing your guest speaker, add a bit of fun:
- Fun Fact Quiz: Share a quirky fact about the speaker and have attendees guess if it’s true.
- Two Truths and a Lie: Have the speaker share three statements, and the audience can guess which one isn’t true.
- Quickfire Q&A: Start with a few rapid-fire questions to reveal their personality and background.
These icebreakers humanize your speakers and create a welcoming atmosphere that encourages participation.
5. Ask Engaging Questions
Prepare questions ahead of time to keep the conversation lively. If you’re discussing a topic that’s new to you, rely on the speakers to guide the conversation. However, ask questions that keep the flow natural, avoiding long monologues. A dynamic Q&A keeps attendees engaged and provides a lot more value.
Hosting a Successful Webinar on Contrast
1. Choose a Relevant Topic
Selecting the right topic is crucial. Think about your target audience’s pain points and tailor your content around solutions. For example, “How to Fill Your Content Calendar with AI” is timely and appeals to marketing teams interested in efficiency. Contrast’s AI tools can help you brainstorm topics that resonate with your audience and leverage trending keywords to maximize reach.
2. Set the Right Length
While 60-minute webinars are common, not every webinar needs to be an hour. Keep product demos around 30 minutes and allow panel discussions or in-depth explorations up to 90 minutes. By using Contrast, you can experiment with different lengths to find what works best, and our analytics will show you what length maximizes engagement.
3. Pick an Expert Speaker
Your speaker should ideally be someone whose insights add credibility to the topic. Whether you choose an industry influencer or an internal team member, the speaker should have a unique perspective and ideally a social following to help amplify the reach of your webinar.
4. Create a Team Environment
Webinars are best done as a team. With unlimited seats on Contrast, you can assign roles to team members without worrying about extra fees. A well-organized team keeps the webinar running smoothly, creating a better experience for everyone involved.
Optimizing Timing and Promotion
Choose the Right Day and Time
For B2B webinars, Thursday is generally the best day, with Wednesday and Friday as close seconds. Aim for 12 PM or 2 PM in the target time zone, or use AI to find the best cross-timezone option.
Countdown Registration Page
Countdowns can increase conversion rates on registration pages by creating urgency. Contrast’s registration pages come with countdowns and customizable branding options to capture your audience’s attention and excitement.
Making Your Webinar Work After It Ends
Your work doesn’t stop when the webinar ends. Repurposing content can help extend its value. Here are a few ideas:
- Turn Highlights into Social Media Clips: Edit short, impactful moments to post on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram.
- Create a Summary Blog Post: Recap the main points and link to the recorded webinar. This not only boosts SEO but also attracts people who may have missed the live session.
- Develop an FAQ or How-To Guide: Compile the most popular questions and create a downloadable PDF or blog post.
- Embed the Recording in Your Website: Keep the recording accessible for future visitors who might find it useful.
Webinars have become an essential tool for engaging a target audience, generating qualified leads, and building brand awareness. A successful webinar can drive significant value by offering relevant and valuable content to potential attendees and fostering connections that lead to future webinars and events. Here’s a comprehensive webinar checklist to guide you through the planning process from pre-webinar steps to post-event follow-up.
Pre-Webinar Planning Checklist
Here’s the pre-checklist for hosting a webinar
8 Weeks Before Your Webinar
- Set a Time and Date
Pick a date that aligns with the schedules of your target audience. Use webinar analytics and past event data to choose the best time for maximizing attendance rates. Thursdays around noon are often popular for B2B audiences. - Define Webinar Goals and KPIs
Establish your primary goals—whether they’re to generate high-quality leads, educate a broader audience, or engage current clients. Set measurable KPIs for attendance rates, engagement rates, conversion rates, and qualified leads to ensure you have clear metrics for success. - Choose a Webinar Platform
Look for a platform that offers essential features like screen sharing, high-quality video, interactive elements like polls, and chat features. Reliable webinar software with a user-friendly interface is critical for a smooth experience, so be sure to consider future webinars when selecting a platform. - Select the Webinar Format
Decide on a webinar format that aligns with your goals. Formats can include panel discussions, Q&A sessions, training webinars, or sales webinars. Interactive webinars with audience engagement elements like polls and live Q&A sessions typically have higher engagement rates. - Create a Webinar Content Outline
Map out the structure of your webinar, including the introduction, main topics, interactive segments, and key takeaways. Prepare a webinar slide deck to visually support your points and keep the audience’s attention. - Build a Webinar Landing Page
This is where attendees register, so make sure the landing page is engaging and clearly communicates the webinar topic, date, time, and key benefits. Include a short teaser video or webinar script that showcases what they can expect from the session. - Develop a Promotion Plan
Promote the webinar across social media platforms, your email list, and other social media channels. Social sharing, email marketing, and paid promotions on platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook can boost visibility and attract a wider audience.
Key Takeaways for a Successful Webinar Strategy
- Set Clear Goals and Plan Early
Define your webinar goals, KPIs, and strategy early in the planning process to set yourself up for a successful event. - Promote Effectively Across Channels
Use a multi-channel promotion strategy that includes email marketing, social media promotion, and partnerships to attract a wide audience. - Leverage Interactive Tools to Boost Engagement
Engaging elements like polls, chat features, and Q&A can significantly increase audience participation and make your webinar experience memorable. - Evaluate and Learn for Future Webinars
Post-webinar analytics, surveys, and feedback are essential tools for understanding what worked and continuously improving the quality of future webinars.
By following this Perfect webinar checklist, you’ll ensure that your online event not only meets your goals but also delivers a memorable experience that attendees look forward to again and again. With a well-planned approach and commitment to providing valuable content, your 2024 webinars will be set up for success!
