Planning Your First Webinar 04 2010

Planning Your First WebinarPlanning Your First WebinarThe What & When to Make it a SuccessThe What & When to Make it a Success

What You Will Learn

• Each step in the webinar planning process

• Guidelines to evaluating vendor options

• Simple marketing tasks to drive webinar

attendance

Plan the Event

• Set the Date and Time

• Select Topic

• Select Speaker(s)

• Choose Technical Vendor

The Big Decision

• Do-It-Yourself

• Managed

Webinar Components

• choose speaker• market event• online registration• Payment processing• automated reminders• phone and web sharing tool• presenter prep/coordination• call facilitation and Q & A session• survey & reporting• follow-up

Vendor Selection

• All technology is (mostly) the same:– Functionality– Cost– Ease of use

• Caveat: video, animation, software demo

• Firewalls and Plug-Ins

Design the Event

• Create PowerPoint

• Decide how to market

• Determine methods to invite participants

• Determine registrationprocess

Audience Interaction

• Annotation tools

• Polling

• Chat

• Live Q & A

• Post webinar survey

Event Introduction

• Decide who will facilitate

• Script opening remarks

• Place presenter picture & short bio on first slide

Audio Requirements

• Audiocast or teleconferencecomputer speakers or conference call

• Record the webinar for replay– Send to non-attendees– Archive in a library

Market the Event

• Define target audience

• Select marketingchannels

• email• Social Media

• Assemble lists

Create Marketing Pieces

• Write content for email invitation, e-newsletters, blog

• Create registration confirmation notice

• Create email reminders

• Create attendee & non-attendee follow-up material

Prepare Communication Plan

Registration Page

• Complete title, subtitle and brief description of session

• Determine which information to collect from attendees

• Test registration process

• Assign unique URLs for marketing tracking (optional)

Event Invitation

• Test both HTML and text versions

• Send email invitations

• Market via social media

Create and Send Email Invitations

Prepare the Event

• Schedule speaker training

• Upload PowerPoint & polling questions

• Practice dry run with presenters

• Review presentation best practices

Continue Marketing

• One week before

• One day before

• Send reminders 24 hrs and 1 hour before presentation

Send Additional Email Invites & Reminders

Host the Event

• Presenters dial in to pre-conference 15 minutes before event

• Test chat

• Review script & call flow

• Discuss how Q&A will be conducted

Lights, Camera, Action!

• Start on time!

• Make sure attendees are muted and

speakers are not

• Conduct event intro

• Deliver presentation

• Conduct Q&A

• Close the call

Event Follow-Up

Immediately after event

send out post event survey

Within 24 hours

Email follow-up to attendees & non-attendees

Post and distribute recording of event

1 week after event

If lead generation, sales to follow-up via phone

Webinar Components

• choose speaker• market event

• online registration• automated reminders• phone and web sharing tool• presenter prep/coordination• call facilitation and Q & A session• survey & reporting• follow-up

If Using a Managed Service

Three Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Trying to appeal to a large audience with a broad topic

2. Failing to make your

invitation exciting

3. Having a Weak

Marketing Plan

Takeaway

Webinar e-KitWebinar e-Kit:: Planning a Successful WebinarPlanning a Successful Webinar

with timelines, checklistswith timelines, checklists and task worksheets and task worksheets

Press 7# on your phone to ask a question

Questions?

866-930-4500

[email protected]

Don CameronMarketing Strategist

Thank you!