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ONLINE WEBINARS
The word ‘webinar’ is a blend of ‘web’ and ‘seminar’. A webinar is an event held on the internet which is attended exclusively by an online audience. This distinguishes it from a webcast, which also includes the presence of a physical audience. Other terms used as alternatives for webinar are web event, online seminar, webcast, web lecture and virtual event.
Online participation
Participants follow webinars via a PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone, and can see and hear the speaker(s) thanks to audio and video feeds. In addition to the video images, PowerPoint slides can be broadcast which run in sync with the rest of the presentation. You can also make use of the screen capture functionality which enables you to show your viewers an application or website.
Interactive
A webinar is a form of one-to-many communication: a presenter can reach a large and specific group of online viewers from a single location. Providing it is used effectively, interaction during a webinar can be powerful. In view of the large number of participants, smart tools are essential to channel that interaction. Hence, a webinar offers various interactive opportunities:
- Ask a question
- Chat
- Poll
- Survey
- Test
- Call to action
Webinar on location
With help and advice from our technicians, you create a professional studio setting at a location of your choice. You can make use of several cameras and professional sound and lighting equipment.
Growth of the webinar market
‘Less is more’ – but that does not hold true for webinars. Defying all the latest communication trends towards everything being shorter and quicker, the average viewing time for webinars is increasing year on year, and currently stands at an average of 56 minutes!
The webinar market is showing strong annual growth too. There are several reasons for this, not least that webinars are highly effective. They also generate significant cost savings. Plus, webinars are personal, live, and interactive.
From a teaching and educational perspective, webinars are interesting because of the remarkably high degree of interaction, helping participants to learn and understand more quickly.
To describe webinars as ‘effective’ is an understatement. It is more important to ask: ‘What benefits do webinars offer you?’ Read on for an overview of the key benefits.
Direct contact with your target group
Reach and engage a specific target group. Allow them to ask questions or pose questions of your own to the participants. Thanks to the interaction during a webinar you gain insight into your target group. You can really get to know your audience, unlike during lower-quality webinars or physical meetings and events where attendees often merely listen passively.
Reach your target group both live and afterwards
A webinar gives you the opportunity to continue to reach your target group when the broadcast is over, since each webinar can also be watched afterwards. This enables you to increase both the reach and the impact of your message. It is important that your webinar can be found easily via Google, which is why a well-designed webinar is search-engine optimised (SEO).
Interaction with your target group
Reach your audience and reinforce your message. Webinars enable you to utilise polls, chats, and calls to action, or to show your viewers PowerPoint slides or videos. The more interactive your webinar is, the greater the impact of your message will be.
Webinars save time and money
Long journeys involve travelling time and expense, but a webinar eliminates the need to travel. Make it easier and cheaper for your target group to be engaged by your message. There are advantages for you as the ‘sender’ too; the costs are much lower than organising a physical event and hiring a venue, for example.
When organising a professional webinar, there are more factors to consider than you might expect. Do you want to be well prepared when planning your webinar, and keep the costs to a minimum?
Webinar checklist
Here are several important tips which will help you to organise a successful webinar:
Plan your webinar event:
- Determine the objectives and expectations
- Choose a specific target group
- Determine the type(s) of interaction (polls, chat, calls to action, survey, etc.)
Decide on the webinar content and the webinar speakers:
- Choose valuable content
- Select the speaker(s) and presenter and keep them well informed
- Write a webinar script and practise it
Promote the webinar:
- Decide on the content of the email invitation
- Determine the right promotional mix (NB: primarily direct email for webinar registrations)
- Think about which notifications you will be sending (both before and after the webinar!)
The live webinar:
- A webinar should not last too long (30-60 minutes)
- Offer your viewers something extra (e.g. a checklist like this one)
- Ensure that an on-demand version is available immediately after the live broadcast finishes
Follow-up activities:
- Analyse the success against the predefined objectives
- Promote the on-demand version of the webinar
- Evaluate the webinar and identify points for improvement
Costs
Iinfo strives to keep the costs down to a minimum for you.
Select our full-service solution if you prefer to leave everything to us. In that case, IINFO takes full responsibility for your webinar production. Payment is per webinar and no further investment is necessary. The broadcast can take place in our studios, at your own premises or at another external location as preferred. As a price indication, IINFO charges 25% of the total income of the webinar if tickets are sold, and an agreed flat rate if the webinar is broadcasted free of charge.
Contact us today for an indication of the price. Our sales team is happy to answer any questions.
Procedure
Visit www.iinfo.co.za and book your webinar today!
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