Webinars are all the rage these days, and now I know why. Recently, I participated in a webinar with a friend to share my Pinterest strategies. The webinar went really well and I was able to make some sales on a Pinterest training I produced. Here’s what I learned from the process to help you hold a successful webinar :
Discuss Something People Care About
This is so key. To get people to attend the webinar, they must be interested in the information that you’re sharing. Otherwise, they won’t sign up to join and they aren’t going to be interested in whatever product you’re selling.
The biggest mistake I’ve made myself and seen others make is creating products before customers express interest. You assume they need something without really asking. There has to be more research done. In my case, people were itching to learn more about Pinterest so it made sense to host a webinar about it.
Throw in Some Testimonials
My friend who hosted the webinar served as my testimonial. I had worked with her on her Pinterest profile and she had seen some great results.
Throughout the webinar as I was giving my tips, she was also showing how each one helped her. This was great for social proof and got people even more interested and excited in what Pinterest has to offer.
If you’re not doing a partnered webinar, you could include written testimonials within the slides or discuss results throughout the presentation.
Make It Worth Their While
Not everyone’s ready to actually buy something, and that’s perfectly okay. It’s still good to make the presentation worth watching because these people may come back around when they are ready to buy.
My preference for a webinar is to teach something and not be selling the entire time. People who didn’t buy still left with some basics about how Pinterest works and a few different tips they can start putting into practice to start growing their account.
Expect the Unexpected
Even the best webinar systems have glitches. Almost every webinar I’ve watched or tried to hold myself had some sort of issue. Get all of the tech set up in advanced or hold some sort of practice run.
Be prepared to be flexible during the presentation as well. During my recent webinar, the host got kicked out of the system and I had to pick up for a few minutes where she left off. Things happen, try not to get too frazzled.
Have Fun With It
I’m typically very nervous with video especially live video. Be prepared and be professional but also let your hair down a bit and have fun. People respond well when you share information and results with them in a conversational and engaging tone.
I was nervous about participating in the webinar, but it turned out to be a fun time sharing with people what I know and I made some sales. A live webinar is something I’ll definitely hold again.
