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Webinars have been an established part of digital marketing almost since the entire concept began. Rather than being restricted by geography, you can show off your skills and engage with your customers – and your potential customers – from the comfort of your own home. A nice looking backdrop, a few slideshows and statistics to demonstrate what you’re talking about: job done. Leads generated, and sales will inevitably soon follow.
That’s the idea anyway.
The reality can be very different. What seemed like such a surefire marketing strategy can quickly begin to feel like a lot of effort for very little return. If you’re going to make sure your webinars are good – as you absolutely should – then it can be disillusioning to realize there’s few people availing, or even aware, of your efforts.
So what’s going wrong?
Webinar Woe #1: Lack Of Visibility
The movie Field Of Dreams popularized a saying that has entered into general usage: “if you build it, they will come”. While a nice idea – we can all just create something and sit back, waiting for the crowds – the simple fact is the idea is… well, it’s nonsense. It doesn’t work.
If you’re not spreading the word about your webinar effectively, then there’s no point in conducting a webinar. It really is that simple. You’re going to need to go back to basics; start with examining your SEO strategy, adding ideas from the ClickMinded SEO training course and other sources of expertise on the subject. Furthermore, if there’s an area of marketing you’re not doing, then you need to start. You have to be able to spread the word effectively, or you’re doomed.
Webinar Woe #1: Lack Of Expertise
Right now, you could – if you so desired – give a webinar about the problems facing humankind in trying to journey to Mars. You probably shouldn’t though; no one is going to particularly care, especially if you’re competing for views with an actual expert.
Webinars are a chance to share your knowledge, which means you have to be spot on about your knowledge to begin with. Do your research; list your credentials; make it clear you’ll take questions; have sources for any claims that you make. Standing up and proclaiming: “I know about this and you should trust me” just isn’t going to cut it.
Webinar Woe #3: Lack Of Return On (Time) Investment
This isn’t the return on investment for you, but for your viewers. What are they going to get out of your webinar?
So many people fall into a trap of assuming people will watch something because they – the creator – find it interesting. That’s nice, but rare. Few people have got the patience to sit down and be marketed to for half an hour, so you have to ensure they get something in return for their time. It could be tips you haven’t shared elsewhere, insights, discount codes; anything that is genuinely going to offer a benefit to your viewers. They’re not going to watch you advertise your company for a period of time; they can learn about your company, sure, but they’ll need something a little extra to stick around.
Webinars can be wonderful tools for digital marketing, so long as you understand the need for good promotion and the bargain with the viewer. By providing something for them, your business will get their eyes – and, in time, potentially their cash – in return. By underlining this essential, you should begin to see your viewers increase.
