Are you currently using webinars as part of your content marketing strategy?
If not, you may have an outdated idea of exactly what a webinar is and just how powerful webinars can actually be.
In the past, webinars were used primarily for product demonstrations and to usher customers through a company’s sales funnel.
Today, webinars are being used for everything from list-building and panel discussions to interactive courses and mastermind groups.
The 21st-century webinar is all about engagement: allowing your customers to connect with you and your brand on a personal level in order to strengthen relationships and increase sales.
Here are the top 10 reasons to take a second look at webinars:
1. Webinars work
Webinars rank among the top 12 most frequently used marketing tactics because they work.
According to research conducted by the Content Marketing Institute, webinars are included among the top 3 most effective ways to attract new customers to your business.
In a study of over 1,700 marketers, those who regularly included webinars as part of their content marketing strategy experienced greater ROI, stronger customer engagement, and better brand awareness than those not using webinars.
2. Webinars are key to secure and convert leads
Webinars aren’t just for closing customers anymore. They can also be used to introduce prospective customers to your brand, reward loyal customers with exclusive content, and ensure brand integration “across the customer’s buying journey” (CMI, 2020).
3. Webinars do more than just capture leads
Gone are the days of sales-focused webinars where the only goal was to increase conversions. Today, webinars provide the opportunity to create, nurture, and strengthen customer relationships. They can be used to deliver education, training, demonstrations, masterminds, round tables, and to increase user engagement with your brand in creative ways.
4. Webinars are cost-effective
While you can certainly spend an arm and a leg producing a slick-looking webinar, there’s no need to break the bank when you’re first getting started.
It’s possible to create a simple PowerPoint presentation and host your webinar absolutely free using services like Google Hangouts and Zoom.
5. Webinars warm-up cold leads
Holding webinars gives cold leads a chance to get to know you and your brand. They get to hear your voice, see your face (if using video), and get a personal introduction to your company that no landing page or sales copy can duplicate.
6. Webinars work for both B2C and B2B marketing
Webinars can be tailored to any kind of sales or marketing situation. Depending on your business’s needs, you can create a webinar presentation that addresses your audience’s specific concerns on an individual (B2C) or company-wide (B2B) level.
7. Webinars appeal to all learning styles
Auditory learners learn best by listening to someone talk. Visual learners learn best by watching a video or looking at text on a screen. Kinesthetic learners learn best by doing, i.e. interacting with the information that’s being taught.
Only webinars let you appeal to all three learning styles simultaneously.
Text and images will appeal to visual learners, while voice over will help auditory learners connect with you quickly. Kinesthetic learners will benefit from click-through slides and the ability to download and comment on your webinar content.
8. Webinars can easily be repurposed
A completed webinar recording can be used again and again to capture leads, sell products, and drive traffic to your website. Webinars can also be repurposed into blog posts, podcasts, social media posts, eBooks, and all manner of different marketing materials.
9. Webinars increase clout and social proof
Webinars give you the opportunity to connect with thought leaders in your industry. You can produce an interview-style webinar, a panel discussion, or a Q&A webinar and invite industry experts to take part.
Having these types of “special guests” on your webinar will increase its popularity and associate your brand with those at the top of your field.
10. Webinars help build your tribe
Webinars aren’t a one-way form of communication; they are interactive. By taking questions at the end of your webinar, you’re providing a place where like-minded members of your community can interact. By acknowledging attendees and making them feel welcome, your webinars become a place for your brand’s tribe to gather.
Research proves that webinars are one of the most effective marketing tactics for both B2C and B2B companies. Webinars warm up cold leads, increase engagement, boost conversions, and allow you to connect with prospects on multiple levels throughout the sales process.
Are you ready to produce your first webinar?
Email Info@SmartSimpleMarketing or call 510.601.0470 to schedule a strategy session and together we’ll create and launch the perfect profit-producing virtual event for your brand.
Absolutely Syndi. I utilize this particular webinar https://soundcloud.com/lisascott28/remember-why-you-started-your-business-go-home-earlier-be-with-your-family, which has gotten rave reviews!
Certainly a paradigm shift from what I use to think webinars were for. Nice article!
Excellent information on webinars. Thanks for sharing.
Do you have webinar platforms that you recommend?