{"id":565,"date":"2022-02-01T15:39:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T15:39:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=565"},"modified":"2023-10-18T17:35:26","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T17:35:26","slug":"how-to-host-a-webinar-that-gets-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/ca\/blog\/how-to-host-a-webinar-that-gets-results\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Host a Webinar that Gets Results"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The lead-up to the launch of a new product is a great time to host a webinar.<\/p>\n

So is the completion of a successful project with a customer who\u2019s willing to talk publicly about it. <\/p>\n

Webinars work well when you want to share market research you\u2019ve conducted about trends in your industry.<\/p>\n

You can also make strategic use of webinars to build credibility with your customers by hosting educational sessions that dive deep into their biggest pain points. <\/p>\n

Webinars, in other words, are one of the most versatile tools in a marketing team\u2019s arsenal. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s just one risk: that your customers are beginning to suffer virtual fatigue.<\/p>\n

Since the pandemic, there has been an obvious effort by brands of all kinds to use webinars as a way to maintain a high profile and offer experiences that make up for what they haven\u2019t been able to do in person. <\/p>\n

That means some webinars have been substituted for physical events and conferences. It also means that companies which hadn\u2019t traditionally hosted webinars have been leaning into them for the first time.<\/p>\n

Even in the largest sectors, there are only so many webinars the average person is willing to register for and attend. In fact, attendee drop-offs are one of the biggest challenges marketing teams have faced with webinars, and it may be even worse today. <\/p>\n

The only way to combat virtual fatigue and ensure your webinar gets results is to be laser-focused on the outcomes you want to achieve, mindful of how you handle the attendee journey and ensuring you offer plenty of choice in how the content is consumed. Let\u2019s walk through each of those areas in detail: <\/p>\n

1. Establish Crystal-Clear Webinar Marketing Objectives <\/b><\/h2>\n

Beyond all the occasions or catalysts for hosting webinars mentioned above, they all tend to ladder back to the same marketing goals. <\/p>\n

These are three examples, and you\u2019ll quickly see how settling on one will help fine-tune what you do next: <\/p>\n

Lead generation: <\/b>If you\u2019re trying to help the sales team fill their pipeline, webinars will often hone in on content that gives the audience practical steps or solutions to the challenges they face. This can include a walkthrough of your latest product, or simply advice from your subject matter experts that answers frequently asked questions. In this case, the registrations you attract will give sales reps a great reason to reach out afterwards to gauge their level of purchase intent. <\/p>\n

Lead nurture: <\/b>Some business sectors have a longer buying cycle or need to ensure they stay connected with customers in order to reduce churn and encourage renewals. Webinars can help here by bringing together your SMEs with their peers, industry analysts and other trusted sources. You can discuss best practices, industry regulations or other trends that your audience should be applying in their organization. These kinds of webinars may be part of an account based marketing (ABM) campaign that builds trust, or aligns with key moments in your customers\u2019 year. <\/p>\n

Prospecting: <\/b>There are always potential customers who have never taken the time to really get to know your brand, and a webinar can be a valuable introduction. They might sign up in order to hear thought leadership, new research findings or simply explainers on the products and services in your categories. These webinars can be cross-pollinated with efforts you\u2019re doing to drive brand awareness across social media, video platforms like YouTube or industry publications. <\/p>\n

2. Market The ROI Of Attending From The Outset<\/b><\/h2>\n

There are way too many webinar invitations landing in your customers\u2019 inboxes already. Teasing the value of your virtual event, or suggesting some kind of surprise element, risks being ignored by the people you want to attract. <\/p>\n

Instead, all your pre-event marketing \u2014 whether it\u2019s the webinar signup page, posts on social media, your blog or anything in between \u2014 needs to give a clear picture of the value they\u2019ll get by the end of the webinar. This could include: <\/p>\n