If you are going to use webinars to promote your business or products, you will need to know how to effectively market them. As you plan how to market your webinar, it is important to determine who your target audience is so you can increase the attendance. Because only about 40 to 60 percent of those who register will actually attend the event, you want to increase the number of people who respond, especially those who are most likely to attend.
Determine Your Target Audience
The most important thing you can do is consider your target audience. Because your company may target several different audiences, you may need to use more than one webinar. It is always best to tailor a webinar to one specific audience, rather than target it toward everyone. This will provide better results. When you can meet the needs of a specific group of people, you increase the chances of turning them into customers.
There are several ways you can locate your target audience:
- Send notifications out to those in your opt-in list
- Invite your current customers to attend
- Speak with business associates to gauge interest
- Make use of social networking and professional networking sites
Once you have your audience targeted, it is time to think about the marketing for your webinar. It is important to give people plenty of notice. However, some experts say two to three days is sufficient. If you want to give more time, start no more than a week or two in advance so people don’t forget to attend.
Marketing the Webinar
After you have determined who you will target and how far in advance you want to market your webinar, you can begin evaluating how to market the webinar. There are several ways you can effectively market to a wide audience:
- Social Networking – Social networking is a growing trend for businesses. More people are turning to social networking to find what they need. Use social networking to post related news and information, as well as invite your followers to your webinar.
- Online Forums – Join online forums that relate to your business. Monitor the posts and include a link to your webinar wherever it is relevant. Be careful not to spam forums.
- Press Releases – Online press releases are a great way to spread the word about your webinar. When you use online press releases, your information may be listed on major news sites.
- Use Freebies – If you can offer something to your attendees for free, you will increase the chances people will attend. It doesn’t need to be something physical, either. Offer a free e-book or whitepaper that will benefit your attendees.
- E-mails – Send e-mails to anyone who might be interested in your webinar, especially those already in your opt-in list. Include a link to your webinar registration page for easy access.
- Use YouTube – People love to watch videos on YouTube. Post a teaser for your webinar or something relevant to it. Include information about your webinar at the end and post it using tags people are likely to search for.
- Traditional Advertisements – If you have the budget, you can use more traditional forms of advertising to increase your reach, including television ads, radio spots and newspaper ads.
