Current statistics show that 60% of marketers are using webinars as part of their content marketing strategies, and according to a recent study, between 20% and 40% of webinar attendees turn into qualified leads. As a presenter, those statistics show that delivering your next webinar with excellence has a very real, tangible effect on the financial growth of your company. While these numbers may make you want to run out and schedule every webinar you can, it’s important to master the art of the webinar first so you can capitalize on the opportunity.
Here are 4 keys to delivering your next webinar effectively.
Don’t skimp on the slide design.
In a webinar format, the design and animation of your slides is more important than ever. In most cases, what your audience sees on the slides will be the only thing they see throughout the entire presentation. Knowing that 80% of the information the mind takes in comes from visual sources means you must to keep your slides engaging and compelling. This will help your audience stay focused as well as ensure they retain the information you’re sharing.
Include your personality.
Just because you’re not live in front of an audience does not mean your personality should diminish. As a presenter in webinar format, you have to work extra hard to ensure your personality bleeds through. Use photos of your family or friends to help you become more real to your audience. If you love humor, use it. If you love stories, tell them. When you’re presenting to a computer screen, it’s easy to lose your personality and take on a robotic mentality. Make sure your audience remembers who you are as a person, even though you’re sharing information digitally.
Dress for the occasion.
Even if you might not be seen during your webinar performance, always dress as though you will be. In fact, studies show that by dressing up, you boost your confidence exponentially. We recommend dressing in the clothes that you would wear if your audience were live and in front of you. This will help you get in the right mindset before and during your presentation.
Clear the room.
We all remember the incident with South Korean expert Robert E. Kelly who, while delivering his BBC report on South Korea, had his children break in to his office. Though it provided some comedic relief and will live on in infamy, the distraction completely took away from the overall report. I would guess that very few people actually remember what Mr. Kelly was talking about, but I would bet that the entire audience could tell you the color of his daughters’ shirt as she burst into the room. That is why the location and environment of your webinar matters. Ensure that your space is distraction free and quiet. This will allow you to utilize every second of your audience’s valuable time and leverage it to develop the largest lead generation you can.
Webinars are not just a new commodity; they are the future of presentations. As access to technology increases, the need to have presenters travel to a specific location decreases. That is why we as presenters must learn to leverage this platform and utilize it as both a marketing tool and platform builder.
Interested in learning more about how to take your presentation to the next level? Contact the team at Ethos3 today.
