Webinars have become increasingly popular in the last couple of years. Not sure if that’s because the cost to travel to live events has sky rocketed or if it’s because webinars can now be re-purposed into a variety of onDemand events that can have multiple uses and draws. The biggest challenge still exists though, regardless of the event being live or online - getting people to give up their time and actually show up.

At ReachForce we are gearing up for our own webinar series and have been doing a lot of research on best practices we want to be sure to implement. I’ve read a lot of great information so I thought I’d share what I’ve found and will be sure to implement…

Getting people “there” –

1. Get their attention from the beginning with an eye catching event title
It always amazes me how little time is spent on naming Webinars. The right Webinar title can immediately elevate your Webinar to a “must attend” event.

How do you decide on a Webinar title that stands out in the inbox?

Start with your Sales team/s. Find out what they are hearing out in the marketplace and ask them to help identify hot buttons you should consider for your title.

Other details - Be sure the Webinar titles run no longer than 30 characters, and consider using words like “Webcast” or “you’re invited”.

2. Format Invites for Maximum Engagement
People just don’t read anymore so you have to be sure to get to the point quickly. People seem to read the first sentence and then look for things like photos of your speaker/s, bullet points or other images included.

3. Make It Easy to Register
Seems like a given, right? We’ve all tried to sign up for Webinars that took us to multiple landing pages or asked us to fill out a form that was just too long and wanted too much information. Keep it simple and map out a plan to collect more information from registrants as you continue to follow up with event reminders.

4. Sell Your Event, Not your Products or Services
Remember to sell the benefits of your offering in the context of the event. Here’s an example – Instead of saying, “Our solutions accelerate sales cycles by 2X,” say, “Join us for a free webinar and learn how to accelerate your sales cycle by 2X”.

5. Call to Action: Front and center
Don’t wait until the end of your invite to ask people to register for your event. Remember lots of people scan/view emails in the preview pane. Include clickable links or buttons in the header or headline and in the body of the email at least twice. It may seem like overkill but your goal is to get them to register, don’t make them hunt for the right buttons to do so.

6. Remind them why they are there, on your landing page that is
Recent tests have shown tests that B2B prospects prefer more detailed information on Webinar landing pages. They want more information on what to expect from your webinar and what is going to be discussed before they commit. Don’t forget to include your speaker bios here too. People like to know more about who they are signing up to listen to.

7. Consider a personalized landing page (PURL) and pre-populated forms
In a recent test, more than 75% of Webinar registrations came from PURL recipients. People like the idea that the invite and information is being customized for them. Most marketing automation systems have this capability, be sure you’re using it.

8. Add links to additional information or content in your landing page
This specific webinar may not be of interest to your prospect but that doesn’t mean all of your offerings and/or content aren’t of interest to them. Offer additional information in different formats, maybe a previous webcast, a podcast, whitepapers or eBooks.

9. Offer an OnDemand Recording of the Presentation
Somewhere between 33% and 50% of the people who register for your Webinar will actually show up. So be sure to offer an onDemand recording of your event for those that can’t make it and remember to tell them it’s out there. This is a great excuse for follow up with those that didn’t attend and those that did. People that did attend may want to forward the onDemand version on to others in the decision making unit. That way, people can view your content at a time that works best for them.

10. Say Thank You
Don’t forget your common courtesy. Remember people took time out of their busy schedule to hear what you had to say. Follow up with a thank you and be sure to include links to more applicable information. Follow those click-throughs for laser targeting your next message.

Have we missed anything here? What has helped you drive more leads out of your webinars?