Webinars are an excellent tool for lead generation as well as marketing. They are highly effective in driving the collection of qualified leads—as the people who are really interested in your topic and businesses that are the ones most likely to buy from you. Here are just a few ideas for getting the word out about your latest webinar.
Pick the right topic. Your topic makes all the difference in generating outstanding response. This involves knowing your target audience, figuring out what keeps them awake at night, and designing your topic around their concerns and issues. A really good topic does half the work of selling your webinar for you.
Start promoting early. The week before is the latest you should be getting the word out about your webinar. Start as early as three weeks before the launch date to drive up registration. Most people will probably register the week before the event, but promoting early is still a good idea.
Use email as well as social media. Your email newsletter is your most potent tool in promoting your webinar; be sure to include a subject line that clearly demonstrates the payoff your audience members will receive by watching it. Start with an initial announcement that clearly states the benefits to the audience; then send a second email with a little more detail, including guest speakers. Lastly, send two emails the day of the event—one to those who registered already, reminding them, and one to prompt any last-minute registrations among those who haven’t signed up.
Make your webinar available after the event. Be sure your registrants are aware that they can see your webinar after the event if they can’t attend, or if they want to review the information later. This can boost the number of people who view it, as there may be more than a few who have strong interest but can’t make the schedule work.
Use the webinar to inspire other content. You can further promote the content in your webinar by having a blog post ready, having a staff member live-tweet your webinar or schedule tweets to be posted ahead of time, and including a dedicated hashtag that your audience can follow.
Host a giveaway. Get people to sign up by giving away something of value—free consultations, tickets to events, coupons for services or products related to your business, or other things your audience will want.
Reminding attendees early and often after they sign up can do a lot to boost attendance. Be sure to let your audience know they can access your webinar on demand after the event, and publicize it on your social media platforms as well as in email blasts. With these techniques, you should see a measurable boost in webinar attendance.
