Creating a compelling, effective webinar is an important first step to your success. If no one attends the event or you have low attendance numbers, you suffer from a reduced value for your event. With effective webinar marketing, though, you can naturally increase your attendance. By following these webinar best practices for publicizing your event, including using your current contact list and social media, you will host a more effective event using Onstream Media.
Mailing Lists
If your company has collected contact information from potential and current customers, you can use this list when publicizing your webinar. Send out emails to everyone on your list to announce your event. In some cases, you may wish to send out more than one notice, such as two weeks before, one week before and even the day before the event. In most cases, three well-spaced emails are the most effective.
Pick up the Phone
If you have collected phone numbers, part of your Onstream Webinar marketing plan should be to call some of your prospective clients and talk to someone in person. When you are really excited about the information you will share through your event, the best way to share that enthusiasm is through your own voice. This also allows you to address any concerns potential attendees may have, allowing you to more easily convince them to attend.
Use Your Own Sites
Whether you only have a website or you also have a blog, publicizing your webinar through your own sites can be extremely effective. People who already trust you are visiting your site every day. Make sure you place the information about your event in a prominent place where everyone can see it. Creating an exciting press release can also be a great way to reach out to potential attendees through the Internet.
Add It to Your Signature
You likely send out a great number of emails every day. Include a link to information about your event or even the page to sign up. This link will appear at the bottom of every email you send, attracting the attention of more people who may not receive your email notifications, especially if recipients forward the email. Make sure you highlight it in a different color so it really stands out. Remove this link as soon as the webinar is over.
Start Advertising Early
There is a delicate balance between advertising too early and waiting too long. The best time to begin your webinar marketing campaign is about two weeks prior to the event. You can continue your marketing efforts up to 24 hours before the event begins. However, you can still send reminders to attendees who signed up as little as a couple hours before to ensure they don’t forget to attend.
Sometimes a lower audience level doesn’t mean your webinar wasn’t successful. Even when you follow these best webinar practices, some people may sign up and not attend or may not sign up because of scheduling conflicts. As long as you have their contact information, though, you can send them a link to watch your Onstream Media event on-demand to increase your viewing audience and improve your levels of success. You can even make a little money by charging a small fee to watch the webinar, though you may wish to offer it for free for a limited time.