How to set up your first successful webinar

Many companies have started to introduce webinars as part of their marketing strategies. Whether they are free or paid, they are a tool for customer acquisition, loyalty and promotion. We will show you how to set up your first webinar successfully by answering all the questions you may have: What does it consist of? Why should you consider doing it? What platforms are there? When should it be paid and when should it be free?

What is a webinar

It is a web seminar or videoconference, hence its name (web+seminar=webinar). Delivered in real time, on any topic and with as many online resources as you want, since this format allows you to show the person conducting the seminar and share the screen they use. You can also receive live questions.

Setting up a webinar is as simple as choosing a platform, testing that it works correctly between 2 or 3 computers, checking that its functionalities fit with the outline of the conference you want to give and… get down to it. There can be a single speaker, speaker + presenter or even several speakers and they don’t even have to be in the same physical place but simply connected.

Why do webinars as part of a strategy?

You gain customers and presence in your field

A webinar is a guaranteed way to get and retain customers. Those who already know you will add points and good references and maybe you will surprise them with services they did not know your company could offer. On the other hand, by seeing in action how all the know-how your company has accumulated is used, you will surely give them more confidence in your work.

New customers will come to you thanks to the dissemination and promotion of the webinar, and after the webinar. Think that they do not know you, but if they are interested in your webinar, it is because they need knowledge about the topic, knowledge that you master, that is, they are potential customers. If what they learn for free is useful to them, they will come back to you because they know that by hiring you they will get even more.

You will be able to capture qualified leads or contacts for subsequent marketing campaigns through e-mail marketing, social networks and even face-to-face events.

You save costs

Another advantage is that since it is online, it is not necessary to spend all the money that would be necessary to do it in person. You do not need to rent a space, the technical equipment, catering for the break in case it is an extensive seminar, travel costs, ticket control… For your webinar tall you need is an Internet connection, a computer and the platform of your choice. Much less expensive, don’t you think?

You get very clear data

You will know how many people have connected, how long they have stayed in the webinar and even if they have been attentive or browsing other websites while you were speaking, for example. And something very interesting that happens when you do a second webinar: you will know who repeats! If this data increases webinar after webinar, you are doing very well (unless you touch on very different topics, in which case don’t get frustrated).

When should it be free and when should it be paid?

If what you intend is to promote or launch a service or product, and thus manage to sell, you should do it for free and in the form of an informative talk -and reserving some time for doubts and questions-. In this case you can allow the contents to be more “light” and deal with the topics above, giving little tricks or tips, information pills that attendees can expand on by coming to you. So that you don’t get discouraged on the day of the webinar, we must warn you that it is very common that out of every 10 people who sign up, 4 will fail. But don’t worry, those who watch it are very interested.

The webinars that are paid are much more extensive, with examples, case studies and going in depth on the topics in question. They are ideal for workshops and conferences. Users will demand quality content and the resolution of all their doubts and problems thanks to the material they are taught. Think that, in this case, they have paid and want to amortize it 100%, not as in free webinars where it is understood that the information is not in detail.

Webinar Tools

Although the most important thing in webinars is the content you provide, the platform must also be ideal, since poor image or sound quality, or a too long registration process, etc. can be major handicaps. Try several, compare, and choose the one that best suits your needs:

1. Go To Webinar: allows access from 100 to 1000 attendees at various rates. It is very well equipped and the image it offers is in HD. It allows to record and save the webinar to be able to make use of it later and facilitates interactivity with the connected attendees through its chat, polls and surveys. And it is very well prepared with audio, video, screen sharing, etc. options. Another of the facilities is that from this same platform you can create the webinar registration page and send it to the contacts you want. To access as an organizer you just have to open an account and download a small file, allow the installation and that’s it! It is the most used for its high quality and reliability (especially at the time of the live). And yes, it is a responsive platform, so your webinar attendees will be able to watch it from their tablet or mobile if they wish. 
2. ClassOnLive: has a free, professional and advanced version and, between these last 2, there is a big difference in price. Even so, all 3 offer unlimited webinars, webinar sign-up pages, automatic reminder messages to those who sign up, no need to download anything as long as the number of attendees is less than 150, several payment options for those who sign up to your conferences (and PayPal to receive that money in your account), discussion forums, etc.
3. Google Hangouts on Air: this is Google’s video calls for groups, so it is 100% free (which means that webinars are also free) although of lower quality than the previous one. It allows you to broadcast live via YouTube, as well as upload recordings directly to your channel and/or record them; you can add moderators, share the screen, use chat and even broadcast previously recorded webinars. It also makes it easy to create a webinar sign-up page and gives you the option to send it to all your contacts.
4. Easy Webinar: if you use WordPress, this tool is designed to integrate seamlessly with your website. One advantage is that with the same account you can make webinars for several different pages. It uses Google technology, so its free option is not a bad resource, although you can pay to set up paid webinars. In terms of design it offers something that others do not have: the ability to customize your webinar using templates. It is accessible from cell phones and offers very visual statistics.
5. Webinars OnAir: offers the same facilities as Google Hangouts but with the option to organize paid webinars. They have 3 rates and are very economical. Something we love: it offers automatic registration to the webinar, so users can sign up with a single click and you can make them recurring. If your idea is to host one a week, you don’t have to repeat the setup process!
6. WebcaStudio: it does not have a free option but there are four different rates of use, each one offering more advantages than the previous one. Paying is very complete, since it even offers a technical support team at your disposal, post-production tools or integration with CRM and Marketing Automation tools via API and Webhooks.
7. AnyMeeting: to create webinars or online meetings for free. Just create an account and register. Free to use for up to 200 attendees.
8. Webex: Available without any inconvenience to view the webinar on mobile devices. However, it is only compatible with Windows 2000, Solaris 10/11, Mac Os X 10.4, 10.5, 10.6; Hp-UX 11.11.
9. ZipCast: it is the webinar version of Slideshare and it is free. To start using it you must first upload the PowerPoint presentation on SlideShare and at the time of the webinar it will appear and a window with the speaker on the screen. There is no registration page and it is not a private connection, but anyone who wants to can access it (of course, if they have a SlideShare account) and you can’t pay or record the presentation.

And then?

Choose a platform after having done some tests with the free modalities, register the webinar, launch the call, make the contents (this is undoubtedly the most complicated and laborious part) and prepare what is going to be said.

It is also necessary to consider the place from where you will broadcast. If you are going to be seen on screen, it is important the light and even the background that will be seen and if there is any decorative element. And, whether you can be seen or not, make sure that the room does not produce an echo, something you can avoid by using a microphone (which you should test beforehand, of course), and that the minimum noise from outside enters.

How is your Internet connection working? We know that WiFi likes to “drop” at the most inopportune moments, so we recommend connecting with a network cable to avoid possible “micro-cuts” during your broadcast.