A webinar is a fantastic tool for training staff, sharing information and generating new leads. Because they’re not restricted to particular locations, webinars have the power to reach people in their own times and places. Attendees can log in from their homes or workplaces instead of having to pack themselves into conference venues. A webinar is a cost-effective option, and the fact that it can be recorded means even those who can’t make it at a specific time can absorb its insights later. 91% of B2B professionals say webinars are their preferred form of content.
Of course, plenty of expense and planning still goes into running webinars: sourcing and paying the speakers, creating fresh content, and dealing with the logistics. Of course, you want your hard work to yield fruitful results. While hoping for organic discovery may be enough for you to recoup your expenses, a well-executed webinar marketing strategy can make your event even more successful.
For best results, you’ll want to promote your webinar in the same place that your guests will be attending: online. Webinars help you acquire new leads at every stage of the marketing funnel as long as you approach them the right way. This guide from Anchor is all about how to advertise and promote a webinar so that it drives demand and increases engagement.
How to Successfully Promote a Webinar
Here are some of the best ways to promote a webinar and some of the best online platforms to do it on:
Where to promote a webinar
Social media
Posting once a week on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn in the lead-up to the webinar will keep your followers in the loop and give them plenty of notice if they want to attend. Using hashtags will help you generate awareness on Twitter and Instagram.
Your Own Website
You can promote your webinar in the weeks leading up to it with a blurb on your homepage or a sidebar on one of your web pages.
Emails
Of course, you can use email marketing to drive awareness in the lead-up to your webinar. But don’t neglect the power of follow-up emails when it comes to driving conversions. Follow-up emails remind attendees how much they gained from the webinar and invite them to take further action.
Another simple way to drive webinar awareness using email is to have your employees promote their event in their email signatures.
Blog
80% of bloggers say blogging drives strong marketing results, so it’s worth blogging about your webinar. It’s also an opportunity to flex your creative muscles. For example, a Q&A with one of your webinar’s guest speakers is a unique way to give your guests a taste of what to expect when they attend.
Press releases and media
Sending out a press release about your webinar can increase your exposure and earn you interviews on other people’s channels, podcasts, blogs and other outlets.
Conventions and other events
Having a stall at a convention or trade show for your industry can help you promote your upcoming webinar to the right demographic.
Tips for promoting a webinar
Run a contest
This could be a little giveaway hosted on social media to promote your webinar or an internal contest with an incentive for the employee who gets the most registrants.
Cross-promote
Cross-promote your webinar with the partners and speakers involved, and don’t forget to announce your next webinar at your current one to keep the momentum going.
Promote early
It’s more effective to promote your webinar early in the week, early in the morning, and well in advance of the date. Tuesdays attract the highest number of webinar registrations, and other mornings between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. see the most sign-ups.
Team up with an influencer
Collaborating with a relevant brand or influencer in your industry can help you reach a wider audience, not to mention boost your authority and perceived credibility.
Use retargeting ads
Only 2% of website traffic leads to conversions on the first visit. Retargeting is an effective way to reach buyers who have enjoyed your services in the past and users who have browsed and left. It’s also one of the best ways to promote a webinar.
Benefits of Promoting a Webinar
The right webinar marketing strategy can benefit your business in a number of different ways:
Increased conversions
According to research, 20-40% of webinar attendees go on to become qualified leads. The best webinars can generate conversion rate averages of 19%.
Better brand reputation
The right webinar leaves people talking not only about the event but also about your brand itself. On top of increasing your lead generation, a successful webinar can make your brand a more familiar and trusted name.
Expanded reach
A webinar lets you connect with potentially hundreds of attendees at once, reaching new prospects without having to leave your office.
Engaged attendees
A webinar provides an excellent forum for attendees to ask questions and express their views, providing you with valuable feedback on the spot.
What to Avoid When Advertising a Webinar
A webinar needs to be valuable to the right people and marketed towards the right people. Some mistakes that can potentially doom your webinar marketing strategy include:
Too salesy
A webinar that’s one long sales pitch and offers nothing unique or valuable to an audience won’t entice guests to come to your next event. It also won’t lead to many results as far as sales and conversions go.
Wrong audience
Your efforts in coordinating your webinar will go to waste if you don’t promote it to the right audience. Identify your ideal audience based on their needs, interests, demographics, etc. Once you have a clear idea of who you’re aiming to reach, you’re more likely to be on point with your digital marketing, paid advertising, and social media efforts.
Not engaging or interactive
There’s nothing compelling about a webinar in which the audience sits there and passively listens. An interactive seminar with audience participation encouraged is always going to be more interesting, more engaging and ultimately better for your brand.
Trying to do too much
One webinar can’t explore the full extent of your services or accomplish every business goal you have. Focusing on one specific goal or area per webinar is a simpler, more effective and usually more successful approach.
Successfully Promote Your Next Webinar with Anchor Digital
Anchor will help you promote your upcoming webinar effectively to give it the best shot at success.
As a leading hybrid marketing agency, Anchor realises not every solution is right for everyone. That’s why we choose the marketing strategy best suited to your business needs and goals. Every campaign we launch is anchored in proper strategy, and our webinar marketing strategy campaigns are no exception.
The services Anchor can provide to promote your webinar and win you results include website design and development services, brand strategy and customer and market research. We’ll not only show you how to advertise a webinar, but we’ll also make sure everything from your content to your targeted advertising and social media posts reflects your brand identity. We’ll focus only on the best ways to promote your webinar and promote it in ways that are natural for your brand. Plus, we’ll do it without locking you into a contract.
If it’s a winning webinar marketing strategy you’re after, drop us a line.
