11 Steps to Make Sure Your Next Webinar Is a Total Flop

Posted: February 07, 2013

[caption id="attachment_11167" align="alignright" width="500"]image: HubSpot[/caption]This is one Biz Tip that we recommend you don't follow. Instead, do the opposite to ensure you pull off a seamless webinar each and every time. POMA's webinar series has been a great success, thanks to the yoeman efforts of Tammy Sapp. And, we're proud to say that we've not followed the tips below. If you have an idea for a webinar topic, let POMA know.

So, you’ve decided to host a webinar. Great idea! Webinars are fantastic for generating high quality leads, and they can also help you build stronger relationships with your current customers.

But hosting a successful webinar? That's a whole different ball game. If you want to host a kick-butt webinar, there are a ton of moving parts that you'll have to prepare for ... not to mention a host of things that could go wrong along the way.

Sound stressful? It can be, but you can alleviate a lot of that stress with advance preparation, and a checklist of sorts that will help you ensure you don't make any of the mistakes that make for a kind of, well, crappy webinar experience for attendees. So here you go, all of the things you absolutely should not do when preparing for and hosting a webinar. Unless, of course, you want to scare away leads and customer. Yeah, we didn't think so.

1) Pick a Lousy Topic

People won’t take time out of their day to listen to people drone on about a topic that stinks. If you choose a bland subject that your target audience has heard or read about hundreds of times, they’re not going to spend time attending your webinar. Remember, a webinar is a serious time commitment (which is why it's a great indicator of high quality leads). But if they could just as easily learn about your topic via a blog post that takes five minutes to read, why would they dedicate 30, 45, or 60 minutes to listening to an explanation?

When thinking about a webinar topic, try to think of something that's best explained as a presentation -- with the help of both visuals, and verbal explanation. Also consider the point of the webinar -- are you trying to attract net new leads, or nurture existing leads? Your topic will have to align with the point in the sales cycle you're targeting; remember, existing leads might be able to handle something a little meatier and product- or service-specific than someone who is just starting their research.

2) Host Your Webinar at an Inconvenient Time

Hosting your webinar at unsuitable time is a major no-no, but a detail that's so easily overlooked. Make the date and time convenient for the majority of your audience, keeping in mind that will differ based on who you are targeting. That means, for instance, that B2B marketers should consider when the slowest working hours are for their audience and probably want to host on a weekday, not a weekend. I mean, no matter how awesome your webinar, people aren't too keen on waking up at 7 a.m. on a Sunday to hear you talk about long tail keyword research techniques, know what I mean? (Although if you'd like to hear us talk about using Facebook for Business, like, right now, check out our on demand webinar with Facebook's own Chris Luo. We'd love to have you anytime. Even 7 a.m. on a Sunday.)

It's also important to keep time zones in mind when picking your webinar time. If you're targeting an international, or even a nationwide audience, figure out the time when the most people will be able to attend your event -- remember, East Coasters, your lunchtime is our West Coast brethren's coffee hour.

If you want to pick a specific time that works well for your audience and you're not sure how to figure that out, include a field in your signup form that asks people to confirm the best time slot, or even send a post-webinar feedback survey to see what days and times would work best for them in the future.

3) Choose an Unstable Webinar Platform

If people are encountering a ton of technical errors, it'll distract from the effectiveness of your webinar. Choosing a reliable webinar platform is well worth your time to research, especially if you're expecting a big turnout. If you’re looking for a free platform and don't need a ton of bells and whistles, Livestream and AnyMeeting.com offer free versions of their product ... just remember they won't offer as much as paid versions. Other affordable and reliable systems are GoToWebinar and WebEx, especially for larger webinars.

There's a chance that even with appropriate platform, you may run into a technical glitch. No technology is flawless, and hey, things happen. Anticipate problems that might occur and have some safeguards in case you run into a worst case scenario. Consider having the following handy:

Backup Computer - Log in on two computers, this way, if the primary machine crashes or the session window is accidentally closed out, the presenter can continue from the second computer.
Backup Telephone - Dial in on two telephones so if one disconnects, the presenter can continue from the second line without interruption.
Slide Printout - Make sure there is a printout of the slide presentation so if your screen cuts out or a program starts updating unexpectedly, the presenter can continue talking off of the printed slides.
Separate Networks - Moderators and presenters should be on separate networks so if one system drops, the other can continue to advance the slides for the audience and keep attendees up to date on any technical glitches occurring.

Read the entire article 11 Steps to Make Sure Your Next Webinar Is a Total Flop, at HubSpot.

Biz Tip Provided by Tony Bynum, Freelance Photographer, Photo Editor