Webinars, or web-driven workshops, can help you generate leads, offer convenience for your sales reps and potential customers, be as effective as a live presentation, and shows that you're using technology to your advantage. Most importantly though, they will save money.

While Webinars can also take place in real time, one of their greatest advantages is that they can be recorded ahead of time, making your workshop or presentation available to a greater number of participants or potential customers.

The concept is simple. The participant calls a phone number you provide, enters a password (also provided by you) and is then able to hear the seminar. The presenter can direct the participant to certain web addresses so they are able to see, as well as have a record of your information.

Webinar Advantages

1. Convenience. Because Webinars occur over the Internet, no travel is involved for you or the participant.

2. Flexibility. Because Webinars can either occur in real time or be recorded, you can participate when you have the time, or prepare a recorded Webinar for times when you are unavailable.

3. Savings. Potential customers receive PDF versions of your materials, saving your company the cost of printing and copying while at the same time delivering your company information directly online to an interested audience.

4. Archiving. Because the content of a Webinar is digital, it is easily archived. You can review the archives for fine-tuning future Webinars and presentations, or keep them available to audiences to refer to again and again.

5. Greater Participation. Group discussion technology over the internet and by phone encourages audiences to engage and share knowledge with the speaker as well as one another.

6. Dynamic Content. Because Webinars use the internet as its platform, you can include links to live websites and the most current information, which is far more effective than static screen shots displayed as part of Powerpoint presentations.

Making Webinars Work

Webinars do work, but you have to do them well. Because the latest marketing research suggests that only 5-10% of attendees are "ready to purchase", it is a mistake to treat participants as leads. Avoid common pitfalls by following these three best ways to make webinars work for you:

1. Measure your Cost-per-Lead

Webinars provide a channel or vehicle to reach marketing goals. Don't expect sales to happen immediately after the Webinar, since it's early in the lead-generation process. Instead, like evaluating any other marketing program, determine whether Webinars would be cost-effective by measuring the cost-per-lead.

2. Create a Customer-Focused Webinar

Make your webinar customer-focused, not company-driven. Provide information attendees can actually use, not just more information about your products and services or a sales-pitch. Relevant content builds credibility! Because audiences look for meaningful content, find a relevant topic in which your target market is interested and create a Webinar around it. Obviously, the topic you pick can be an issue that your products or services solve.

3. Offer a recorded option with supporting materials and interactivity

Recorded webinars can be watched and listened to at a more convenient time for the viewer. If you make them interactive by using polling questions, you can post the findings in an email newsletter or a press release. Promote your archives, and collect feedback both during and after the event through online survey tools which will help you improve future events. Let your audience self-qualify with a "Have a sales person contact me" box on your post-event survey. Those who don't qualify yet need to be added to your lead nurturing program. Don't forget to provide a summary and key points of the Webinar in a text or Word file or HTML page. This helps attendees remember the important points, and also lets you reach those who prefer a written record of what they've learned.

Successful Webinars

Companies that produce successful Webinars know that they're best held early in the sales process. To increase the chances of getting a lead, make sure the cost-per-lead is worth the investment, ensure that the attendees get valuable information out of each Webinar, and record them to build an archive.

VIEW our short (under 2 minutes), recorded webinar online, which demonstrates their capabilities.
Mac users: please download the demo files. Install the WebEx Player (unstuffing it first if necessary), then double click the file entitled ED.wrf.

Enrico Design can help you in develop your Webinar from concept development to delivery and will be there every step of the way to ensure your success. Give us a call for more information or with questions at 781-631-2520.

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Enrico Design can help you get your message to your target audience with impact and memorability in print and on the web. Whatever your organizational goals, we keep you top-of-mind with your customers and prospects. Visit http://www.enricodesign.com, call 781-631-2520 or contact us by e-mail.

View the Enrico Design Webinar Demonstration (IE or Netscape required). Mac users: please download the demo files. Install the WebEx Player (unstuffing it first if necessary), then double click the file entitled ED.wrf.

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