In the early months of 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic saw companies facing challenges in terms of continuity, marketing and growth.

It was at that time that most businesses were abruptly discovering the dynamics of a successful online conference.

Businesses needed to act fast. They needed to transition from in-person events to an online platform. Those who succeeded in transitioning have made breathtaking progress. 

The rest fell behind its competition. 

The FIX? Webinars.

Webinars were existing from the earliest time, but nobody understood its potential. Revisited in 2020, businesses and entrepreneurs realized that webinars are a vital aspect of marketing than never before. 

So, how do you create a Great Webinar?

Webinars have broken free from the meeting room to become an important tool for content marketing

The question of “how to create a great webinar” was one of the most searched topics on google from March to June.

Event organizers who could not host their physical events wanted in on webinars to take their conferences online. Universities wanted in to make the switch from in-person to online.

Two aspects will complete the execution of a successful online conference

1. Keeping up with the webinar trends
2. Having good webinar equipment

Today, going online is not just a person-to-person conversation. Especially in marketing, the customer that watches your online conference needs to feel a sense of motivation to make a decision.

With webinars being an alternative to hosting physical conferences, we take a look at four trends for successful online conferencing.  

1 – Well curated content

Regardless of having the best interface or the best webinar equipment, your content is going to be vital for success.

It is easy to find a bunch of speakers within two days and schedule a webinar or get them to host a series for an online conference.

But is it going to serve your purpose of hosting a conference?

If you want you to deliver value to the viewers and push your attendees to your call-to-action, it is essential to curate content. 

Content curated correctly will provide results exceeding expectations. 

Viewers want an experience and most importantly feel that they are trading their time in return for something valuable.

2 – Live conversational video

Educational and sales webinars are pre-recorded webinars available on-demand with a series of product demonstrations and presentations.

These webinars have little or less live video content of individuals presenting. Instead, visual content takes centre-stage.  

The same applies to online conferences where they tend to be more visual-oriented and lack personal representation.

Regardless of it being live or recorded, the viewers expect live interactions from the speakers that they would listen.

Presenting brings a little bit of a personal touch to the online conference and make users feel much more motivated to run the entire course. 

It can be the little things. The speakers can introduce themselves on video and then later make the switch to the visual content.

3 – A real conference feel

An online conference might also consist of a limited in-person audience. A successful conference provides a similar experience to both its audiences; on the floor and online.

Essentially, the virtual conference should mirror what takes place in a face-to-face event.

Thanks to webinar applications, you can have networking sessions, Q & As, keynote presentations in your itinerary for a virtual conference.

4 – Having good customer support

For most of us, webinars are new. Earlier, we used apps like Zoom or MS Teams, primarily for meetings.

But this dynamic is changing. More and more people are engaging with webinars. Sometimes not everyone who joins a webinar is tech-savvy.

If you are planning to host an online conference, it is best to provide every bit of information on schedules, workshops and other sessions on your page or your social media platform.

Essentially, it is a good practice to have a contact form with an email or a phone number for the viewers to contact a support representative.

Customer support will help out anyone needing support in accessing content or experiencing difficulties in joining the live feed. 

Having a dedicated representative will ensure that the drop-out rate reduces and technical difficulties are resolved.

Is Good Webinar Equipment Essential?

When we talk about webinar equipment, we are not talking about television grade video cameras or any fancy equipment of that sort.

 To create a great webinar, the speakers must convey their message correctly.

Even the brightest and the most entertaining presentation can turn out to be a disaster with distorted sound, unclear picture and other technical problems.

The webinar equipment that you use needs to serve its purpose; to convey your message to your audience. 

Here are a few tips that you can implement to make a lasting impression on your webinars. 

• You can host a webinar with any modern-day computer, laptop or smart device. It is essential to have a decent internet connection with a speed of at least 5mbps for good video & sound quality.
• Choose a webinar software based on your requirement. Ask yourself a few questions before deciding to go with one.
  • Do you require multiple speakers at one time?
  • What is your audience?
  • How can the audience interact?
• It is important to have good video quality. Usually, you find built-in webcams in laptops. If it is not good enough, you can invest in a webcam or use your phone to host the webinar.
• A good headphone with a microphone is must-have. Even if your video quality drops, if there is clarity in your voice, the webinar can be a success. Most laptops have built-in microphones, but they can often get distorted. A good headphone with a mic can go a long way.

Webinars are here to stay!

The exponential growth of webinars has influenced many forms of life. Today, webinars are an everyday norm.

The trends we discussed are going to be essential if you plan to use webinars for your online conferences. 

Creating a great webinar for an online conference is about combining the trends with good webinar equipment.

Get more information at Ultify