Webinars are a great marketing tool. They can be used to engage with your prospects and give visuals on how your product can benefit them. In order for a webinar to be successful you need a great topic, engaging content, dynamic visuals and perhaps most importantly, heavy promotion. Just like any other event, there are several ways to reach potential attendees.
Blogs
Create a series of blogs that go into detail on what will be presented in your webinar. You may also consider adding a CTA to previous blogs that cover similar topics and redistributing them. This is an inbound marketing practice that works particularly well for online events. Proper distribution will be needed in order to maximize the effectiveness of your content.
Press Releases
Creating a press release that announces your event and is distributed to reputable media outlets can help your webinar generate a buzz. Ideally, you’ll want to create several that showcase a countdown to your event. Always include a CTA or link to your event sign-up page.
CTA’s and Landing Pages
You’ll want to create a few different calls to action that link to an event landing page. Make sure both the CTA’s and landing page are optimized to generate leads. Use contrasting colors for your CTA so that it stands out and give clear direction on how to sign up. These should be included on all of your digital content as well as your website’s homepage.
Social Media
Social media promotion has become an essential piece of any event marketing plan and webinars are no different. It represents a relatively inexpensive way to reach a large portion of your current followers and other targets within discussion groups. Be sure each post is unique but still conveys a sense of consistency. Remember to include a call to action or link to your landing page.
Paid Ads
Google AdWords and paid social media promotions can be a great way to reach a highly targeted audience. Narrow down your buyer persona and set a conservative budget to begin with. Sixty-four percent of webinar attendees sign up within a week prior to the live event, so your paid advertisements should be concentrated on that time frame.
Email Blasts and Workflows
Create several email pieces that announce your event and countdown to its launch. Include dates and times, guest speakers including credentials and what topics will be covered. Again, the most important feature of any of your digital promotions is a call to action that links to your event sign-up page. Reminder emails should be sent out to those who register in the weeks and days leading up to the event to ensure their attendance.
Teleprospecting
Teleprospecting efforts work hand-in-hand with your email campaigns. Follow up to any clicks or opens with a live conversation to answer questions and encourage them to attend. Network through companies to find others that may be involved in buying decisions and invite them to attend. Referrals generated from your contact’s colleagues tend to convert at a much higher rate than cold leads.
Video Teaser
A short video that can be posted on your website and social media pages can be a great draw for potential prospects. Visual content drives social media engagement and will help increase the reach of your promotion. Your videos should be upbeat and energetic as to get people excited about the topics you’ll be covering.
Countdown Graphics
Simple high-quality graphics that countdown the days until your webinar are a great way to remind your online audience about your event and encourage them to invite others. Very easily shared and with the ability to link to your landing page, countdown graphics are an easy way keep your event on the minds of your target audience.
Incentives
Incentives such as a free content download or branded merchandise will encourage those on the fence to attend. Useful items like flash drives and stress balls continue to promote your company through their use over time. If you decide to provide a physical incentive like this you will want to have a separate sign-up page to gather shipping information.
