The Webcast Experience
Webcasts or Webinars are a great way to connect with an audience online and provide them with meaningful content. The main difference between the two is that webcasts tend to be presentation style events where webinars tend to be more collaborative so each platform will have features consistent with the use case. Whether you are hosting a product demonstration, training session, panel discussion, or investor update, setting up a successful live web presentation or event requires careful planning and attention to detail. Before you begin, it’s important to determine the goal of your webinar: do you want to educate attendees on a particular topic, generate leads, or promote something? Once you have a clear objective, you can begin to plan and prepare for your webinar.
Getting Started
With a dedicated Webcast Service Manager assigned to your event, you get end-to-end support every step of the way from a person you will know by name. In addition to the personal touch, should you decide to include a video feed, your webcast will be delivered through responsive HTML5 players which showcase high-quality HTTP Live Streaming. And with detailed reporting, you will be able to track registration and audience behavior before, during and after your event. Every event is assigned to a dedicated Webcast Service Manager who will provide personalized support to help schedule your webcast, configure your player, customize the registration page, liaise with event stakeholders (e.g., your IT team, corporate communications, external A/V provider, venue), provide training and provide best practices, monitor your webcast for any quality issues and provide support to ensure continuity. They will also provide a post-event debrief and reporting.
Initial Considerations
Defining upcoming webinar goals and target audience is essential to the success of a webinar. With this clarity, content will be relevant to the people you are trying to reach and your message will be communicated clearly with a singular focus. When defining your webinar goals, clearly understand what you want to achieve and why it is important. Do you want to impress the investment community, introduce a new product, educate attendees, or generate leads? Once this is established, you can begin to shape your content and marketing efforts accordingly. At this stage you’ll also want to identify necessary equipment and begin setting it up. Once your equipment is set up, it’s important to test the audio and video before the webinar begins. Not only will this ensure that everything works properly, but it also allows you to make any necessary adjustments or hold a “dress rehearsal” of the webinar with colleagues.
Making the Arrangements
Several factors must be considered to ensure it meets your needs. Features such as live streaming, slide/audio sync, video webinar recording, chat capabilities, and audience engagement. Webinar management features such as easy setup, registration management, and post-event email marketing are crucial. If you will have an international audience it is important to consider multi-language support and connection options. You’ll want to customize how you communicate the event to your audience to ensure they are engaged to join and are reminded of how to attend. Be sure to follow the important deadlines for deliverables like abstracts, handouts, surveys, polls, social media links, and other audience engagement tools. Also, don’t forget to practice. Rehearsing your webinar will help ensure a successful live event with a polished presentation. During the rehearsal process, practicing proper pacing and delivery and familiarizing yourself with the content and webinar slide deck is essential.
Sharing Content
Since having a visual aspect is the whole point of using webcast software, using it to it’s full potential when presenting becomes paramount. Webcasts can be an incredibly powerful tool to engage an connect with your audience. During the session, you can make the event more engaging by allowing for questions and comments from attendees. Additionally, consider including interactive elements such as polls or surveys to keep people engaged throughout the event. Once all the preparation is done, it’s time to host your webinar! We’ll bring the audience in and open the meeting. Content will be uploaded prior so you’ll have any presentations in order and at your fingertips. During the event, keep an eye on the chat and encourage audience engagement. Be open to questions or comments from attendees, and be prepared with clear answers. If you’re relatively inexperienced or would rather someone else handle the presenting you can either conduct the presentation pre-recorded (simul-live) or have one of our Virtual Event Hosts present on your behalf while you stick to the script.
Post-Event
Once the webcast concludes the Event Manager will join you for a post-event debrief. They will also ensure you have access to viewership and full engagement reporting whether the event is live or on- demand. Depending on the purpose of the event, giving out a certificate of completion or any other awards you may have planned is a good idea at the end. This will make the webinar more memorable and encourage attendees to return for future webinars. It is also useful to survey all attendees to gather feedback and identify areas for improvement for future events. This survey should allow attendees to offer honest opinions on their experiences during the webinar and the platform should allow you to gather immediate feedback. Additionally, consider incentivizing participants to encourage a more genuine review.
