7 webinar marketing tips that no one is talking about

How do you properly set up a webinar?

This is a frequently asked question within the B2B sphere because it is very easy to fall prey to common webinar mistakes.

If you are reading this blog, then you know that webinar marketing is an effective tool that is great for cutting through all the noise – when leveraged correctly.

But are you running marketing webinars correctly?

Keep reading to learn 7 webinar tips that you can start implementing today in order to avoid some common mistakes.

1. Leverage An On-Demand Strategy

According to our benchmarks report, a third of all webinar attendees strictly watch on-demand content.

You are missing a whole new audience just by not leveraging an on-demand strategy.

If you are already leveraging this webinar marketing tactic, ensure that you are making it available within 24 hours of your live event. Notify all your registrants via email and include an accessible link to your content.

You can even take it one step further and repurpose your webinars on your website – transforming it into evergreen content.

Pro tip: Create snackable “quick hits” that your sales team can utilize during their prospecting.

2. Let’s Talk About Branding

Your landing pages, social media, and email marketing aren’t the only assets that require consistent branding. It also extends to your webinar presentation.

The end goal of your webinar strategy is to have prospects fully engaging with your content and further considering your product as a contender. That can mean watching up to an hour of content.

So make the webinar event visually engaging.

Your webinar marketing platform should be designed to include your corporate logo and key takeaway message. Ideally, you will have a wealth of valuable content for your webinar attendees to consume. However, if they remember nothing else, they should remember your key message after staring at it for the duration of your event. you repeat it throughout your event.

3. It’s A Presentation, Not An Essay

Leverage a visual presentation that highlights the key facts you discuss in your webinar.

Convey your content through imagery, not text-stuffed slide decks.

We are naturally drawn to read anything that is put out in front of us. So when presented with a wall of text, attendees will be more inclined to read what you have written rather than listen to your webinar – thus missing your points.

Utilize easy-to-read graphs, charts, and visually engaging imagery to supplement the valuable content you are providing.

4. Death By Terrible Audio

Poor audio quality will come off as unprofessional, and you will lose prospective leads who will not return.

Follow this audio checklist before your next webinar event:

  • Use a good-quality headset/handset
  • Present in a studio or a small room. Large rooms may result in echoes.
  • Make sure your phone is turned off so it doesn’t accidentally go off during your event.
  • On top of phones, turn off anything that may make unnecessary sounds, like the office air conditioner.
  • Ensure that you do a full sound check with your audio equipment to see if all is working well.

5. Not Optimizing Your Landing & Thank You Pages

Only 48% of potential registrants who click “Register Now” on your landing page will fully complete your event registration form ().

Translation: you are losing over half of your prospective registrants.

This can be caused by a variety of factors:

Long-tail registration forms

It may feel necessary to know everything about your prospective leads. But in the grand scheme of webinar marketing, you probably don’t need their Twitter handle. Put yourself in your prospects shoes. If you came across a long submission form during the middle of a busy workday, would you be inclined to fill it out?

Chances are, you won’t.

The solution: Create a short and simple form that requires only basic information. Generally, you will need their: first name, last name, and email. Depending on your industry and remarketing tactics, you may also want to inquire about their company name/website URL, job title, and other contact information if applicable but remember, every question is another reason not to engage.

Inconsistent visuals

Often times, there will be a visual mismatch between the promotional, registration, and live event marketing material.

The solution: Keep your branding consistent.

Create an accessible brand guide that includes specifics on your

  • Logo
  • Brand colours
  • Language
  • Acceptable imagery

This will help ensure that you are utilizing the same visual messaging across your social media campaigns, email marketing, and landing pages.

Lack Of A Calendar Tool

Your prospects lead busy lives. It is very likely that they might sign up for your webinar event and forget to add it to their calendar.

The solution: Simplify the process by embedding a calendar tool in your confirmation thank you page.

Take it one step further and add it to your follow-up email to ensure that they do not miss the event. In doing so, you are adding a sense of security when your leads receive a confirmation email after signing up.

6. Not All Leads Are The Same

Are your webinars fully integrated with your CRM?

If so, then a common mistake you might be guilty of is blindly exporting your webinar viewers into your sales CRM.

Your sales team needs to be able to differentiate which viewers are Market Qualified Leads (MQLs) and Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs).

The main difference is that MQLs are not ready to speak to a sales representative. They require some more nurturing. They should go back into the marketing funnel to be warmed into a hot lead.

SQLs are the viewers with a high engagement score and are ready to speak to your sales department.

How do you determine who your SQLs are?

Implement behavioural lead scoring coupled with basic registration data, such as:

  • Company size
  • Industry
  • Job Title
  • Revenue

Scoping out a client and analyzing how engaged they were during your webinar event will net your sales team a list of SQLs. Click here to learn the importance of lead scoring.

7. Zero Calls-To-Action (CTAs)

Planning a webinar is a lot of work. You need to be able to produce valuable content with engaging visuals for at least 30 minutes.

On top of that, you must ensure that you have good speakers who can discuss your webinar topic at length and hold a conversation (not just a moderator who asks the questions).

With all of the challenges, small details can slip through the cracks.

Be sure to include a clear CTA at the end of your webinar event.

It can be an ask to download a whitepaper or fill out an interactive survey. There should always be an end goal with your webinars. Implement the CTA to push your leads down the marketing funnel.

This also extends to anyone who could not attend your event. Everyone should be followed up with a link to your on-demand webinar and your direct CTA.

Let’s Recap

Keep these 7 webinar tips in mind when you are preparing for your next event:

  1. Leverage an on-demand strategy: Reach new audiences that are interested in your content.
  2. Branding: Ensure that all of your promotional marketing material from your emails to your webinar presentation remain consistent.
  3. Remember, it’s a presentation: Avoid filling up your slide decks with text and opt for visually engaging imagery that accurately conveys your content instead.
  4. Audio checks: Do a proper sound check before your live event to ensure that your equipment is working and that there are no background noises.
  5. Optimize your landing & thank you pages: Opt for shorter registration forms and utilize consistent visuals during your promotion cycle and embed a calendar tool.
  6. Not all leads are same: Know the difference between an MQL and a SQL.
  7. Clear and direct CTA: Include a strong CTA at the end of your webinar event.

Avoiding these common mistakes can lead to an increase in your webinar ROI as your attendees will gain valuable insights from your content and will want to return for more.

Want to get your webinar in front of more eyes? Download our guide to learn 7 Ways To Enhance Your Webinar Promotion now.

Matthew Ley

Matthew Ley

Matt Ley is the current President and co-founder of The Streaming Network. Starting his career in virtual events in 2007, Matt is an industry veteran that is passionate about helping customers stand out in their industry with compelling virtual events that people want to attend. The driving ambition for Matt is that virtual events are not a utility for information distribution but an opportunity for firms to create a competitive advantage. Matt is an accomplished speaker, moderator and a sought-after thought leader.

Join Us

Sign up to receive notifications on the latest in B2B Webinar and Podcast marketing, sales and growth. 

Subscribe our Podcast. The Webinar: Lessons from the Frontlines

© 2020 - The Streaming Network Webinar Software and Virtual Training Products. A Wish Collaboration company.