Is your business moving along with the technological changes in the market ?
Technology is disrupting every traditional industry .
Uber , Apples and Amazons are the major industry disruptors .
One of the famous examples of industry disruption is the Netflix and Blockbuster story.
Blockbuster was a world famous American entertainment company with more than 9,000 stores and 80,000 plus employees .
In 2000 , Blockbuster CEO John Antioco was got an opportunity to buy Netflix for $50million .He simply rejected the offer in front of Netflix founders with a sarcastic laugh. The disheartening Netflix founders went back to business
Who made the last laugh? -Netflix.
Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010 and eventually shut down .
Netflix is now worth more than $32 billion and thriving in the business.
This shows that how important is for businesses to identify the disruption and the willingness to adapt to the changes.
Webinar is one kind of the industry disruptor which replaces the physical seminars and events. Pandemic outbreak accelerated the replacement.
To find a suitable webinar platform is the first step. Several webinar software are available in the market . You can select one according to your budget & requirement.
Webinar platform are available in different categories mainly — paid ,free and trial version. Free version always offer very limited features .However, it is helpful for a beginning without making a hole in your pocket.
If your are aiming for marketing a service or a product , then you have select a paid webinar platform. Most of the webinar companies offer free trial for limited days — 14 days free trial is common.
The best webinar software has built-in features to engage with the participants -such as Polls, Surveys ,Chats & Quiz ..
Ask some questions yourself before selecting a webinar platform.
The following can be considered as a webinar check list .
1.Determine the purpose
Why do you need such a tool? Education, Training , Marketing , Brand building ,Coaching ,Sales -Fix the primary goal. Example- if your aim is marketing and selling , then you have to choose the webinar software which has the marketing features . If the goal is just for educating school college students , choose the education focused software .
2. Establish a Budget
How much is too much for you or your organization? You have to pay monthly or yearly basis subscription that should be affordable . If you select a software that has sophisticated marketing features , but your need is to take online tuition for school students .The end result -you have to pay unnecessary amount which is not benefited for you or your students.
3. Identify necessary features
Consider which features are needed- Recoding facility , automated webinar , Marketing facility , Social media screaming facility, Payment options for paid webinar. Pick up the features as per requirements.
4. Choose webinar Providers :
Lot of webinar platforms are available in the market . Check 5–6 software and Choose 3 for a final list .
The following some of the popular webinar platforms
- Best Marketing & Sales : Webinarjam
- Easy for Use : WebinarNinja
- Best Free Solution: Zoom
- Best Attendee Experience: Demio
- Best for Small Businesses: ClickMeeting
- Most Years in Business: GoToWebinar
If you have good number of followers , Facebook live stream or You tube live stream can be used for conducting webinars . However, you do not get the email and other details of the participants.
5 .Narrow Down the Choice
This is the time consuming and challenging task . Compare among 3 software with your own experience . Take the best one which perform well in trial webinar.
6. Free trial
Get a free trial with the software before making a subscription. Free trial with a limited period is offered by all companies. Ensure a trial webinar with limited participants and check the functionality . Every company claims they are the best in the industry . Trial webinar is the best way to verify the claims.
7.Quality
The best webinar software always provide the latest technologies for better connection quality. It should be stable even when the Internet connection is unstable. Make sure that the webinar software deliver high-quality live video even under the difficult situations..
8.Easy access
Webinar software works in desktop and web applications. Both of them have its own merits and demerits . However, webinar software operating within a browser is much more comfortable for attendees. The participants do not download any additional software or plugins for their device. Just click on the link to join an event or webinar .
9.Session Recording
Recording facility is the most important feature . All registrants can not able to join the webinar due to several reasons. If recording version is available , that can be shared to them. It can be downloaded and uploaded into the social media .You tube is the best option for making the webinar evergreen. Uploaded webinar content will be watched by hundred or thousands of people later.
The best webinar software will provide recording facility and space to store recordings.
10.On-Demand Webinars
One of the most important facility for your webinar software is that broadcasts the event live but also allows people to watch it whenever they want. This kind flexibility helps the wide reach of webinar . People can watch the webinar at their comfort time.
11. Editing option
Recording your webinar and allowing people to play it back later is
great, but you may also enjoy the option to edit your
presentations . Unwanted sounds and happenings needs to be edited .
An edited webinar is more appealing and time saving for people.
12. Audience Size
What is your audience size ? 50 ,100, 250.. Every software has an audience size limit. It you want more audience size , then you have purchase the higher plan
13 .Engagement features
During your webinars, do you want audience members to be able to participate? For example, do you plan on asking questions during these webinars or taking questions from the audience? It will help if your platform allows people to type in their responses.
Nobody wants to sit ideally and watch one hour webinar without any engagement activities. Survey , poll , chat are the best ways for keeping the participants active though out the session. Without these features , webinar is like a radio or TV .
14. Custom Solutions
Branding is very important for business . One of the purpose of the webinar is brand building . Ensure that whether the software provide the customized solutions. If yes, you can create the webinar link with your company name & logo. You can show your logo into the waiting room also.
15. Analytics
Webinar statistics will help to improve the webinar by analyzing the data of participants — how many people attended , how much time they stay with the webinar , how many people watched the replay /recording, from which devises they joined. You can also download reports in CSV, XLS, or PDF formats. These participants detail sheets can be uploaded into your email marketing system .
16. Security
Safety first applies to webinar software too. No one without permission should have access to your webinar (note: invitations are a valid option). Ensure safety is the provider’s top priority.
Check out what kind of security and protection is applied to meetings. For example, does the software provide double encryption and single sign-on features? Look for confirmation that you will be able to host your webinars in a safe environment.
17.Integrations
Integrations are one of the final features that are extremely important if the chosen webinar software is to become a part of your business’s existing toolbox. The best solutions will support a wide range of external tools that can be easily integrated with your system. For example, webinar software can be combined with messaging apps like Slack as well as with CRMs and marketing automation tools.
18.Mobile Accessibility
Make sure that the webinar software you go with is going to be mobile-friendly. If possible, do a practice webinar to see what the user experience is on both iOS and Android devices.
19. Get the right webinar equipment
1. A laptop or desktop with a webcam (more reliable than a tablet or mobile phone)
2. Audio input and speakers (use a high-quality headset if you have one)
3. Use Ethernet instead of WiFi. If not possible , position yourself close to your router . Make sure that few devices are connected on the network. Test your internet speed . Minimum download and upload speed without interruption is 2Mpps. If you fail the minimum requirement, that will affect the connectivity and audio -video quality . Speed test web applications are available — example : www.fast.com
4. A power cable. The last thing you want to do is run out of battery, so we recommend that you’re plugged into a power source for the entire duration of your webinar.
20.Limit distractions
To create an engaging experience, ensure that there are no distractions throughout the duration of webinar.
Make sure there is no loud noise that such as printers, coffee machines or door opening and closing ..
Close the windows and doors to avoid the noise from outside.
Inspect the room’s lighting and ensure there’s enough light.
21 .Test and Practice
Test internet connection .
Test audio and video .
Test with dummy audience.
Test visual slides, if you have .
Test power cables .
Ask any guest presenters for practice webinar.
Turn off all of your background apps and notifications, and check that there are no pop-ups or distractions during your webinar.
Test any additional features you’re using, such as polls, pop-ups, or live chat
Final Take Away : You have to consider lot of factors for finalizing a suitable webinar platform as per need and requirement. Technological support is very crucial for conducting webinar successfully. Practice makes perfect webinars.
