Webinars and Social Media

Seminars are the bread and butter of the academic and business environment. They are fantastic learning and sales tools, but they do also have some disadvantages. Attendees must often travel-- sometimes long distances--to be able to participate. Seminars can only be attended by a finite number of participants.

However, technology has changed all that with the advent of the webinar. And, not only are webinars making seminars more affordable and accessible than ever, they are also becoming a key ingredient in social media platforms and Internet Marketing strategies.

Benefits & Advantages

So, what exactly is a webinar? Don’t just think of it as simply a seminar given online. Webinars are extremely cost-effective because participants can join in from literally anywhere in the world, and there’s no limit to how many people can participate. Webinars are also an opportunity to connect with current clients and potential customers in a social and interactive way. It is also an ideal means of presenting engaging, quality content that goes way beyond the simple sales pitch.

An effective webinar not only creates a connection with clients, but it also reinforces branding. During a webinar, potential customers can be given a “behind the scenes” view of a particular product or service as well as engage in live Q&A sessions with business owners and/or product developers. Webinars can be a creative showcase for tutorials and product demonstrations as well as promotional events, contests, and testimonials.

Making the Connection

By their very nature, webinars are a form of social media and, as such, create a natural fit in a social media platform. Webinars can be presented on YouTube, your company’s website and blog, and on social networks. It’s important to have a copy of your webinar available for convenient viewing by those who weren’t able to participate live. It’s also a good idea to have a written transcript of the webinar available. Archives of previous webinars and transcripts can be a potential resource for customers and, as a result, serve as an asset for your business.

A blog is an especially valuable tool for webinar promotion and success. Denise Wakeman, a business blogger and online marketing advisor, suggests using your blog to not only promote your webinar, but it can also be used to conceptualize webinar topics in the first place. Ask your readers what’s important to them and what they’d like to see in a webinar. Find out their concerns and use your webinar to demonstrate how your product or service can provide solutions. Be sure to promote your webinar not only on your blog, but also gain publicity for it through every appropriate social media outlet available. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, can help quickly spread the word by giving potential customers easy access to your webinar through a link.

Your Experience

How have you used webinars and social media in your marketing strategy? Please share your experiences in the comments below. Or, if you have questions on how you can incorporate it in your strategy, we’ll be glad to show you how it can work for you.