With the cost of trade shows increasing, many businesses are turning to Webinars in order to get in front of their customers and future customers. The popularity of these online events are increasing. While Webinars are traditionally looked at as a one-time event, there are ways to keep the leads coming, long term, by allowing the content to be viewed after it’s been recorded.
Many people won’t be able to make the live event. According to HubSpot, 30% of those who register actually show up. With those numbers, you want to make sure as many people sign up as possible, to ensure a well-received live event. Further, for those who didn’t show up, there’s always the recorded version to send out to them post event.
You can also use the recorded version as a lead generator, in the future. It’s a solid piece of content with a long life span.
We’re hosting a Webinar this month, which got me thinking about the best ways to promote it and how to get the most sign-ups. Here’s how:
How To Promote A Webinar
1. Post On Social Pages
Your social media pages are your billboard space. You should use the medium and use it wisely. Try different images and messages, but always include a link back to your sign-up page. You can also make one of your page’s tabs a place for people to sing up.
2. Post As An Offer
Offers on Facebook are self-promoting, which makes them ideal for this type of promotion.
3. Do A Countdown
By doing a countdown with graphics, you’re keeping the content fresh and alive. Start with 2 weeks, then move down to 1 week, and then perhaps a 3-day countdown.
4. Blog About The Topic & Add Webinar Info At The End
Blogging is the best. You know this. You can blog about the Webinar in its own post or you can do a post that’s related to your Webinar topic and then pitch the Webinar within it. I’d say both is a pretty solid plan.
5. Email Newsletter
The first people you should go after are your existing customers. Hit up your newsletter, since those subscribers already know who you are, and they’re used to getting messages from from you via this route. Hopefully you have a warm list.
6. Ask An Expert To Be A Guest Speaker
A little cross-promotion never hurt anyone. By asking an expert to be a guest speaker, you’re able to tap into his/her audience. Duct Tape Marketing says this strategy can boost sign-ups from 200 to 300% .
7. Give Attendees Something Special
Incentives are powerful. Offer those who sign up a report you wrote, or something else of value. They may not show up, but now you have their email for future promotions and alerts.
8. Paid Media
If you have a budget, this might be a good option. A paid Facebook post might do the trick and is relatively affordable. If you’re a B2B company, LinkedIn might be a great place to start.
9. Blogger Outreach
If the blogs are related, they might be interested in sharing your content. It’s a great way to build a relationship and, perhaps, have them as a guest in a future Webinar.
10. Post It On Your Website
Your website is prime property. Add your Webinar to your homepage.
11. Add To Email Signature
Why not? You never know who you’ll be emailing this week.
12. Facebook Event
Another way to get more people to see your Webinar is by inviting them to the event on Facebook and then marketing the event through your list.
13. Publish It On Websites That Promote Webinars
Sites like http://www.webinarbase.com/ and http://www.webinarlistings.com/ promote Webinars. The more places you post, the more eyeballs your announcement will draw in.
14. Publish A Video Teaser On YouTube
I actually love this idea. It gives you more content to share and shows your personality. If you’re the person hosting the Webinar, this might give people a good idea of what they can expect and help them get a feel for your energy.
15. Create A Slide Show Presentation About The Event
Slideshow is a great content marketing tool. Create a slideshow about your topic and share there. It’s embeddable, too, so you can also share it on your blog and site.
How do you promote your Webinars?
