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Webinar is an online seminar that people can take part in from any corner of the world via the Internet. It mostly takes place live, so participants can ask their questions to the presenter or an invited guest after the presentation. hose who could not make it on time can watch the recording later. The webinar format became especially popular in 2020, when the coronavirus made organizing physical meetings difficult or even impossible. In order not to lose contact with the audience, many events moved to the Internet, and the participants also discovered that participating from the couch at home is not as bad an idea as they had previously thought. This is also shown by the fact that webcasts are still popular, even though other life has more or less recovered. One of the ventures born out of the need to move to the Internet is the Marketing Laboratory created by Timo Porval. To date, Timo has spent hundreds of hours in the Marathon studio, broadcasting live and creating various forms of recorded video content. So Timo is our most experienced webmaster. We asked him for tips on how to prepare for the webinar and how to conduct it well. 1. Why webinar? There are many different ways to reach your target audience, but webcasting has several clear advantages over others: 2. How to plan the content of the webinar? Choose the right format (the possibilities are endless!) Some examples from the Marketing Lab (Turunduslabor): One of the most important features of live webinars is the interaction with the audience. If you give participants a chance to ask questions or ask them something themselves, they will be more engaged and get more out of the whole event. Think in advance how you will involve people. For example, draw a prize (related to your product or service) to the most active questioner. But, of course, you have to be prepared for the fact that the award will not make anyone ask. For such an occasion, prepare a few additional questions for the guest yourself. Think through the content As with everything else you do for your (potential) customers, the content has to have SUBSTANCE. It must help find solutions to their main problems. The goal is to make something so awesome for free that you can freely ask for money for it. Even if the purpose of your webinar is to directly sell your products or services, sales should not take up more than 10% of your time and focus. Tie the sale to prizes, so you can mention them at the beginning and make a separate appeal towards the end. The main content of the webinar should still be to provide the user with valuable knowledge, which you already promised in the marketing messages. It’s always a little easier to host a webinar with an interesting and smart guest, so choose carefully who you invite to go live with you. As mentioned above, the advantage of webcasting is that you can participate from any corner of the world, and this also applies to the guest. If you can’t think of a topic right away, it’s always good to explain HOW something is done in your field. It is also good to talk about the experiences acquired during the projects already completed (case studies). Some ideas: It is definitely worth thinking about how to make the beginning exciting right away and which hashtags could be used to get more attention on social media. Every little detail helps grow your audience. Webinar structure The most appropriate length of a live broadcast is usually 45-90 minutes, which must also include listeners’ questions. Such a time format also forces you to stay on your chosen topic and be as specific as possible. Think for yourself and consult with the guest whether you want to use slides and/or a whiteboard, because their organization should not be left to the last minute. This is especially important for slides, they must be in a format suitable for the technical team. Which one to be more precise, it is wise to ask them in advance. Test with your team and guests before starting the actual event with all the necessary screen sharing and other features you need to use. A webinar should not start with the first 10 minutes going over the presenters’ computer settings to get the sound working. More details to review: 3. Technical implementation of the website The most common and easiest channels for conducting webinars are: Facebook, Zoom and Youtube. The choice of the appropriate channel depends on how many people are expected to join your website, where you want to direct the traffic of your visitors and what feels most convenient to you. Based on Timo’s experience, the pros and cons of each channel are as follows. Webinar on Facebook PROS CONS At the beginning of the live broadcast, Facebook itself helps to spread the event. The viewer has a lot of distractions – friends are writing and messages are coming. There is no limit to the number of participants. The picture and sound quality is mediocre. People are often already on Facebook. The settings and configurations on the platform are constantly changing. If you rarely do, then you have a headache with them at the moment. Definitely the best platform in terms of viewer engagement, because people are used to commenting and liking there. If you want to do a very long live broadcast (like Timo’s “12 hours of marketing”), you have to consider that Facebook Live can last a maximum of 8 hours. “12 hours of marketing” was therefore interrupted halfway through and a new broadcast was started. Free of charge Webinar on Zoom PROS CONS The most intimate and personal, you can see people face to face. Paid. Participants can be divided into separate virtual rooms to discuss. A limited number of participants (maximum 1000 people). Allows you to make questionnaires. The picture and sound quality is mediocre.