Learn How To Use Webinars And Live Streaming To Showcase Your Expertise Today!
Introduction
Webinars and live streaming are powerful online marketing tools that can help you showcase your expertise and sell your products to a large and engaged audience. Webinars are online presentations or workshops that are usually pre-recorded or live, while live streaming is the act of broadcasting video and audio content in real time over the internet. Both webinars and live streaming can help you:
- Educate and inform your potential customers about your products, services, or industry
- Demonstrate your authority, credibility, and value as an expert in your field
- Build trust and rapport with your audience by interacting with them and answering their questions
- Generate leads and sales by offering a clear and compelling call to action
However, to use webinars and live streaming effectively, you need to plan, prepare, and execute them properly. Here are some steps and tips to help you use webinars and live streaming to showcase your expertise and sell your products.
Choose a relevant and engaging topic
The first step is to choose a topic for your webinar or live stream that is relevant to your audience’s needs, interests, and goals. Your topic should also be related to your products or services, but not too salesy or promotional. Instead, focus on providing valuable information, insights, or solutions that can help your audience solve their problems or achieve their desired outcomes.
Related: Digital Marketing Ultimate Guide
Some examples of topics for webinars or live streams are:
- How to [solve a common problem] in [your industry or niche]
- The [number] best practices for [achieving a specific goal] in [your industry or niche]
- The [number] biggest mistakes to avoid when [doing something related to your industry or niche]
- How [your product or service] can help you [achieve a specific benefit or result]
- A case study or success story of how [your product or service] helped [a customer or client] [achieve a specific outcome]
To choose a topic that resonates with your audience, you can use various tools and methods to conduct market research, such as keyword research, competitor analysis, customer surveys, social media listening, or online forums1.
Prepare and host your webinar or live stream
The next step is to prepare and host your webinar or live stream using the right tools and equipment. You will need:
- A reliable internet connection
- A good webcam and microphone
- A suitable platform or software for hosting your webinar or live stream
- A presentation software for creating your slides (optional)
- A landing page for promoting and registering your webinar or live stream (optional)
There are different platforms and software available for hosting webinars or live streams, such as Zoom2, YouTube Live3, Facebook Live4, Podia5, or Thinkific6. Each platform may have its own features, benefits, limitations, and costs. You should choose the one that suits your needs, goals, preferences, and budget.
To prepare for your webinar or live stream, you should:
- Create an outline or script for your presentation
- Design attractive and informative slides (if applicable)
- Test your equipment and platform before going live
- Practice your presentation several times
- Prepare some questions or polls to engage your audience
To host your webinar or live stream, you should:
- Start on time and welcome your audience
- Introduce yourself and your topic
- Deliver your presentation with confidence and enthusiasm
- Interact with your audience by asking or answering questions, showing polls, or sharing stories
- Summarize your main points and offer a clear and compelling call to action
- Thank your audience for attending and provide them with any follow-up information
Promote and market your webinar or live stream
The final step is to promote and market your webinar or live stream to attract and convert attendees. You should start promoting your webinar or live stream at least two weeks before the event date. You can use various strategies and channels to promote your webinar or live stream, such as:
- Email marketing: You can send emails to your existing subscribers or leads inviting them to register for your webinar or live stream. You can also send reminder emails before the event date and follow-up emails after the event date.
- Social media marketing: You can post about your webinar or live stream on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. You can also create events, groups, hashtags, stories, ads, etc. to generate buzz and engagement.
- Content marketing: You can create blog posts, podcasts, videos, infographics, etc. related to your webinar or live stream topic. You can also guest post on other relevant blogs or websites. You should include a link to your landing page or registration page in your content.
- Influencer marketing: You can collaborate with influencers in your industry or niche who have a large and loyal following. You can ask them to promote your webinar or live stream to their audience or co-host it with you.
- Referral marketing: You can encourage your attendees to invite their friends, family, or colleagues to join your webinar or live stream. You can also offer incentives or rewards for referrals, such as discounts, bonuses, or freebies.
To measure and improve your marketing efforts, you should use various tools and methods to track and analyze your results, such as landing page conversions, email open rates, click-through rates, attendance rates, engagement rates, sales rates, etc7.
Conclusion
Webinars and live streaming are effective ways to showcase your expertise and sell your products online. By following the steps and tips in this article, you can use webinars and live streaming to educate, inform, demonstrate, build trust, and generate leads and sales for your business.
References
- Davis T., “9 Ways to Cultivate a Positive Mindset,” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/202105/9-ways-cultivate-positive-mindset.
- Zoom, “Zoom Video Webinars,” https://zoom.us/webinar.
- YouTube, “Live Streaming Guide,” https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2474026?hl=en.
- Facebook, “Facebook Live,” https://www.facebook.com/facebookmedia/solutions/facebook-live.
- Podia, “10 tips for how to launch, sell, and profit with webinars,” https://www.podia.com/articles/selling-with-webinars.
- Thinkific, “How To Use Webinars To Promote Your Courses (Complete Guide),” https://www.thinkific.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-selling-on-webinars/.
- McNulty P.J., “Self-Publishing Platforms – 12 Options for Authors,” https://selfpublishing.com/self-publishing-platforms/.
