1. Set goals
How many people can you realistically expect to attend your webinar? Unlimited attendees are theoretically possible, but it’s best to aim for a concrete number. There are two different goals you should be thinking about:
2. Choose the topic wisely
The best webinar titles are ones that identify a pain point and offer a solution. The topics you choose for your webinars should provide high value to attendees while subtly positioning your brand as the solution they need. You can brainstorm ideas using data from:
3. Time it right
Yes, there is a best time to run a webinar. Certain hours of the day, days of the week, and parts of the month have been proven to result in higher attendance.
The best time for webinars to be presented to a U.S. audience is between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on the East Coast and between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on the West Coast. More than 50% of overall webinar attendees take part during these hours.
You can also increase webinar attendance by scheduling your presentation midweek. The best days for webinars are generally Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with three-quarters of all attendees choosing webinars held on these days.
4. Promote properly
Emails are one of the best ways to invite attendees to a webinar. Create a webinar email template for each stage of your pre-webinar promotion. Use the following timeline to increase webinar attendance:
While more than half of your registrants will come from email, don’t forget to promote adequately across all channels, including your website and social media. Match branding but customize for each platform. Sell the event, not your product or service, and highlight the value you will provide. Remember to clarify that your event has no cost.
5. Don’t give too much away in advance
Even if you plan to record your webinar and make the recording or a transcript available later, don’t publicize this beforehand — it can cut down on live attendance. Instead, pique interest with an incentive only available to live attendees.
6. How long are webinars, ideally?
Most people are more willing to devote blocks of time to a webinar than other types of visual and audio media. One survey showed that webinars between 45 and 60 minutes in length attracted more than two-thirds of registrants. For a webinar series with a standing weekly date, a twenty-minute webinar length might be more convenient and attract a larger return audience looking for quick, high-value content.
7. Follow up
Follow up after the event with two versions of a final webinar email. For live webinar attendees, include:
For people who registered but didn’t attend, send a follow-up webinar email that provides:
Following these guidelines can increase webinar attendance and lay the groundwork for return audiences when you provide high value in return for their time.
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