How many times have you attended a Webinar, excited about the prospect of learning something new and vital, only to have your hopes dashed? It seems like these days too many companies take a “Field of Dreams” approach to Webinars—“if you build it, they will come.” The problem is, they may come but they may not like it. And if a Webinar falls way short of their expectations, they won’t come back. Still, the Webinar is increasingly becoming a popular way to reach an audience dispersed around the country or around the world. And why not? The Webinar represents a near face-to-face way to get a marketing message out to the masses, doesn’t require attendees to leave their desks much less their offices, and it is certainly more animated and interactive than a flat over-the-phone presentation. And they’re pretty easy to put together, right? Just throw an expert or two into the mix, invite a hoard of people, and let it rip. Wrong. While Webinars can be cheap and easy, they do take some effort to put together. Almost every Webinar attendee can tick off problems—from technical difficulties to lackluster content–that are not only frustrating but have obscured the true benefits of the event and possibly even soured them on the host company. To get the most out of what can be a powerful and easy-to-use marketing tool, we offer ten common, but often not obvious, mistakes that every marketing professional should avoid.
#1 - Letting the Horse Choose the Cart.
Akin to letting the tail wag the dog, companies often lose sight of just why they’re holding a Webinar to begin with. In fact, they let the wrong things, such as technology or past decisions, drive a Webinar. Often companies are tempted to let their technology decide what a Web event is going to do versus having the program decide what technology should be used. While marketers would never consider using a ballroom to present to 20 attendees for an on-site event, neither should technology determine the capacity and flow of a Webinar. Another problem: host companies often limit themselves to what they’ve done in the past—using a certain venue or spanning a certain scope—instead of considering more attractive alternatives. When building a Webinar, there are a few rules of thumb to follow:
* Keep the event’s goal in sharp focus
* Determine and understand the content to be presented
* Identify and understand the audience and their environment
* Accurately gauge audience size before determining the approach
* Determine the level of interaction required and desired
* Consider what visuals are important to your audience for success
#2 - Don’t assume an online event takes less effort than a traditional event.
Everyone knows the old axiom about “assume”, and it certainly holds true when planning a Webinar. Your behind-the-scenes machinations may not be as obvious as those that go into setting up a live event in a ballroom or some other meeting arena, but attendees sure will notice if you fail to put in the necessary effort to make a Webinar really sing. Attendees might not be leaving the comfort of their offices to participate in an online event, but they are giving up their time and putting in some effort to attend. A company must at least show that it values participants’ time, opinions and needs. Remember these are prospects and potential clients that have agreed to listen to you for a short time, and you need to make the best of it. You wouldn’t think of leaving live event participants standing in a meeting room because you forgot chairs or using stickie notes to make last-minute nametags, nor should you put off Webinars until the last minute and fail to deliver back-up materials or leave the pace and flow of the meeting to chance.
#3 - Don’t let a technology provider become the marketing consultant.
You wouldn’t let your hairstylist extract your wisdom teeth, so why would any company let technology determine the tone, format and content of a Webinar? Let’s face it. Tech providers don’t generally have degrees—or experience—in marketing, and they’re usually not known for their stellar people skills. However, the technology used, rather than content and the marketing message, determine the way a Webinar rolls out. You need to take a technology-independent approach to an online event, determining the technology that best meets your goals, not manipulate your goals to fit the technology. Remember that every vendor has its own agenda and is naturally going to push its own technology, regardless of what your program may require. Afterall, will a BMW dealer recommend a Cadillac if he thinks that’s what you’re really asking for? Would the Hilton say that the Marriott’s got a better room for your program? Or would a sales rep at Pfizer recommend a product from Merck? Probably not. So why do companies seem to believe that Webinar technology providers are going to tell you the best thing to do for your program? They won’t.
#4 – Take an oath – be prepared.
It’s amazing how many companies don’t put much effort into their Webinars—and don’t have a backup plan when something goes wrong, but simply operate on the notion of “a wing and a prayer”. To execute a successful program, you’ve got to be focused on the things that are going to go wrong or tend to go wrong, and today’s companies barely focus on what they want to go right. Too often, the expectations for a Webinar are so low—and the Internet’s shortcomings are so well documented—that people tend to shrug it off with “oh, it’s just a Webinar and things didn’t work out.” Time to think like a Boy Scout here: Be prepared. It will go a long way in making the Webinar a success and assuring nervous speakers that there’s a contingency plan in place to handle whatever problems might crop up. Take for instance a recent press conference we ran for Sony where there was no opportunity for a dry run before the event took place. Security on the network had changed since the company’s last “successful” event. Surprise—no connection. Being prepared for the inevitable glitches we ended up running the event remotely or, more recently, when we were forced to run another Webinar from a backup location using a wireless connection at the Seattle Convention Center because the primary location had troubles. Yes, we have earned our Webinar disaster recovery merit badge!
#5 - Don’t forget a phone call is cheap.
Oscar Wilde said it best, “a cheapskate knows the price of everything but the value of nothing.” Carefully consider not only where you want to spend your money and expend your effort, but also where you are expecting attendees to spend theirs. Many groups that attempt to do Webinars make people dial in long-distance because, quite frankly, they’re too cheap to get an 800 number or they’re too cheap to get a technology that supports newer technologies like VoIP. While cheap long distance rates means it might not cost participants much to dial in, it might cost your company its reputation—prospects just might get the impression that you are cheap. Likewise, if you put stock in a cheap conference call company you may save money but, in the long run, the poor quality and possible technical problems are likely to turn potential prospects off, which in the long run will cost your company much more.
#6 - Content, not you, is the king.
Think of a Webinar as a first date of sorts with potential prospects—you want participants to discover all those things that make you unique, but you really want to avoid droning on and on about your past—or worse yet, present a laundry list of items that make you unique. A very common mistake companies make is the old “Let me tell you a little bit about us and our company.” Mutter those words and watch participants eyes glaze over—although during a Webinar, you don’t have the luxury of picking up body language and other clues that your message is falling flat. Instead, take the time beforehand to figure out what you want participants to know and how you can add value to your message. Often, sponsors who are running a program feel that they have to be out front too much and sell themselves instead of getting to the meat of the program which may be providing the right expert, the best message or an understanding of potential prospects’ problems. Put more thought into the message—participants can always read your corporate dossier on your company Website later. If they want to. And maybe you’ll land a second date—or even better, a long-term commitment.
#7 - Dead air is the enemy.
It’s human nature to try to fill empty spaces and nothing invites awkwardness, deadly pauses, or unnecessary chatter during a Webinar like dead air. If technology problems are causing delays, then keep participants informed. At a live event, if a microphone won’t work and a speaker is standing on stage, everyone can see that and they can see it being fixed. If the presentation projector isn’t working and the AV tech is trying to fix it, everyone in the room knows that. But during a Webinar, participants can’t tell that you’re having a problem, they just suffer the dreaded silence. When dead air goes unexplained, it’s a bit like being in an airplane and hearing a loud pop or experiencing wild turbulence and having the cockpit remain silent when just a few words of explanation would soothe anxiety. Don’t ignore your audience. Keep talking to them, keep updating them, and keep them informed about what’s going on.
#8 - First impressions happen more than once.
Capturing potential prospects’ attention with a riveting, must-attend Webinar topic is essential, but once you’ve hooked them, you can’t afford to slack off. All of the correspondence leading up to a Webinar –or Websites that support your effort—should be just as stimulating and inviting as that first pitch. Remember that after your initial invitation to join a Webinar, all of your follow-up material—from Web pages to confirmation and reminder e-mails—make impressions on potential prospects. If any one of your communications tools falls short along the way, you’ve lost that opportunity to make a good impression. Every presentation, confirmation e-mail and Web page that describes the event has to maintain that same level of excellence that you start with. So be professional and provocative all along the way.
#9 – When “Wow” turns to “oops”.
Putting on an incredible Webinar means finding the right mix of message and razzle-dazzle. It’s tempting to apply the latest technology. Pyrotechnics can provide the pizzazz at a concert but overshadow the music—not a bad thing when you hear some bands these days. The same applies to the technology you use in a Webinar. Too much tech, while slick and cool, can defeat the purpose of a Webinar—to get the right message out to the right audience. Still, don’t skimp on the things that will make a Webinar really sing. Maybe a company has the budget, the know-how, and expertise, and the technology can handle a 10-minute video piece that’s going to play and stream and look beautiful on the screen, but invite people who don’t have high-speed connections. Ultimately, they’ll see none of that beautiful handiwork and quite often might get kicked off or worse, ticked off. It’s much better to have a presentation that is visually less appealing that can be seen and appreciated..
Instead of getting caught up in the fancy technology and gadgets, such as the latest craze like podcasts, determine what is just right for your audience, for your content, to maintain the interest and interactivity to have a successful Webinar. When in doubt, keep the three bears in mind—take a pass on tech that offers too little or too much, and look for that which is just right.
#10 - Seeking professional help.
Arguably, putting on an incredible Webinar requires a little self-discovery: you can’t do it properly without knowing who you are, what kind of message you want to put out, and how you’re perceived in the world. But forget about the self-help books and getting in touch with your inner Webinar planner, sometimes you have to turn things over to the professionals. With professional help, you can rely on the services that are to help you get through the ins and outs of putting on a Webinar, make those right decisions of how much to do, and determine what’s risky and what’s not. Just like top-notch ad and PR agencies can help you get in touch with your message and communicate it to the press and potential customers, Webinar experts can ensure that you don’t fall prey to the common mistakes that many companies make—and in the mean time create memorable online events that will ultimately grow your business and boost your bottom line!
Source: NGPharma
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
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