Fast internet gives you additional opportunities to reach customers. At the same time, the amount of time spent online increases. This is the ground on which a new marketing tool, i.e. webinars, has grown up. Their essence is a live online meeting with current or potential customers of the brand. Webinars are held using a special program available via a web browser and in most cases without any additional software from the participants.
Inspirational ideas on how to use webinars in marketing
1. Building product knowledge, branding or positioning
In some industries, especially B2B, the knowledge and experience of the manufacturer or service provider are invaluable. Customers pay attention to them when making a decision about choosing a supplier.
If your company is an expert in any field – from medicine, through building materials and ending with soft training, then offer an hour online meeting with an expert from your company who will share the experience and knowledge about the latest trends or discoveries.
If you represent a company operating in the financial industry, the legislator himself gives you topics on webinars for your current and potential customers. Regulations change frequently, so make a webinar about changes in the law and say necessarily what they involve for the participants.
Imagine that you represent a company that offers language courses. Organize a webinar on how to learn foreign languages. Also think about the webinar, in which the lector will discuss an interesting article in a foreign language, paying attention to difficult words and phrases, and will also tell you how to learn from such texts.
2. Education of potential or current customers
Thanks to webinars, you can help potential customers understand the product or service offered and familiarize them with the measurable benefits of using them. All this so that some consumers will go to the next stage of the purchasing process.
Imagine that your company offers a CRM program, softstarts, inverters or other technical products. Some of them have a relatively short life cycle. New versions and improvements are introduced. So why not use the webinar as a meeting place with a company expert?
You can organize an online meeting with a company expert in two ways. The first simpler – show the product operation. The second is more advanced and more effective – educate current and potential customers, showing the benefits of using your products, but without intrusive advertising. Do you offer a CRM program? Tell the webinar why small and medium companies (of course, if they are your target group) should use such systems and what should be guided by their choice.
Are you a manufacturer of industrial automation components? Prepare a webinar about the proper servicing of such devices. Tell me how to do it, how often and what are the consequences of neglecting this activity.
You work in the marketing department of a company that produces building materials. You probably struggle with the “inventiveness” of Polish artists and home craftsmen. Show how to properly use products and what can happen when used contrary to the construction industry.
3. Encouraging potential customers to make a purchase or submit a request for quotation
These webinars are designed to help potential customers to make a purchase decision. In some industries at this stage of the sales process it will be necessary to use an online workshop of a training character or online meetings with, for example, a company expert.
Your company offers products, the purchase of which is decided by a larger group of decision makers? Make a webinar for them about the benefits of using products like yours. Show that you know the industry and issues, as well as your products.
An example of a webinar program in which you can implement your own logo and company colors
How to use webinars in marketing and organize them in 7 steps-illustration01
4. Webinar software offers a lot of interaction possibilities.
Most of these programs have built-in functions that allow not only for the presentation of content, but also for communicating participants with the speaker. The most important of them are:
audio transmission – participants hear the voice of the lecturer (leaders). The training organizer can also give the floor to the participants;
video transmission – the guide can show up not only in the form of a photo, but can also be seen through the camera. A good camera built into the computer case is enough here. The window with its preview is usually placed in the upper left corner of the virtual room;
presentation – Ms Office, Open Office and PDF files and graphic files are most commonly accepted. The presenter can “write” on the slides during the presentation, thus drawing the audience’s attention to important elements. The presentation window usually occupies the central part of the virtual room;
films – this functionality is implemented differently in programs available on the market. In some of them, the movie file can be loaded onto the server and presented in the presentation window. In the others there is a special feature that allows you to present films previously placed on YouTube;
chat – it is an important communication tool for participants with a speaker. They are used to ask questions to the leader of the meeting. There is an option to moderate the chat so that not all questions are visible to the participants;
surveys / tests – the lecturer can easily prepare and conduct a questionnaire or test. In the case of the first participant, after the vote, they will get acquainted with the result of the whole group;
interactive whiteboard – a kind of virtual flipchart equipped with virtual markers that allow the speaker (and participants) to write and draw on it;
screen sharing – allows you to present the meeting screen to the participants.
Summary
Webinar is a marketing tool for companies that conduct or plan a permanent two-way communication with clients and that implement a content marketing strategy.
Monthly licenses for webinar programs start from several dozen dollars. Of course, this should be added to the cost of own work or a company organizing webinars. Despite this, webinar is a cost-effective online marketing tool. In addition, it is easy to calculate the return on investment from this type of activities.