A webinar is a seminar that people listen to and watch on the web, through their computer, while a teleseminar involves just listening, through the phone or computer. A webinar is also sometimes called a webcast. When multiple presenters are involved in the same program, it may be called a web conference instead of a webinar or webcast. Many cost nothing to assist as they are designed to funnel leads into a sales process. Others are purely educational events, with attendance fees.
Whatever you call it and whether it’s free or paid, this is a multimedia format that involves watching and listening simultaneously. Because the images typically need to be created in advance and arranged in order, it requires more preparation than a teleseminar. Add more preparation time due to the need to become familiar with the technology.
However, on the plus side, it has the potential to engage and inform listeners not just with words but with images as well. So, let’s see how to make the most of the strengths of this means of communication. What can you do to keep participants engaged from the beginning to the end of your webinar program?
Six keys to livelier web presentations
1. Interactivity. Get the most out of the webinar interface by planning at least two audience polls during your talk. Have a confederate log in to verify the survey numbers for you and announce them to both you and the group. This keeps the communication two-way, to a degree, and the vibe spontaneous rather than canned.
2. Enough slides to keep things moving. A good rule of thumb is one slide per minute. If you have a series of points to make on a topic, present slides that represent one point at a time instead of keeping one slide containing all the points for many minutes.
3. Minimal bullet points. A lecture that is a succession of cartoons takes on a boring and predictable rhythm. Instead of filling slide after slide with bullet points, consider questions, charts, graphs, photos, or images that encapsulate your topic or suggest your point without directly summarizing it.
4. Suspense. Since people attend webinars on their computer, participants are always tempted to multitask or get carried away with the presentation. At least once during your chat, bring up something engaging that you’ll talk about later to help keep them on the same page.
5. Questions in reserve. Participants appreciate that you give them the opportunity to ask questions. But they don’t always jump when invited. Keep several questions in reserve, to avoid long silences and to help shy people work up the courage to speak. Introduce your mock questions by saying (truthfully) “I often get asked about…” or “Here’s a question…”
6. Unexpected beginning, strong ending. Start with a bold claim, startling statistic, eye-opening incident, or something else with impact. When the time is up, don’t be at a loss for words, but end with a forceful summary of your advice or your bold statement. Plan your finale to follow the question and answer period.
By using these tips to create a lively online presentation, your webinar has a much better chance of achieving its goals—participants have either learned as planned or have gotten closer to becoming your paying customers.