Choosing a topic and writing a webinar are vital to your webinar’s success. But unless you plan the event carefully, the communication won’t work. Let’s take a look to see what it takes to set up a Webinar with a provider. If you wrote the webinar, you may be in charge of running it.
Here are some tips on Webinar presentations.
Preparing for a Webinar
Webinars are virtual seminars. They are a good way to reach those who need orientation or specific-topic training. It’s easy to think that a webinar is run just like a meeting, but there are some specifics that need to be planned ahead of time.
Find the Webinar Provider That’s Right for Your Needs
There are many webinar providers, offering different services, features, prices, and extras. Start at least eight weeks before you plan on running the orientation. You’ll need some lead time.
Before you call providers, develop a list of questions and items you already know about your needs. For example, time zones involved, computer platforms (PC and Macs), ISPs (Firefox, Ubuntu, Safari, Internet Explorer get different results), number of participants in total, highest number of participants in a single location, and approximate length of program.
Almost all support PowerPoint, but if you plan on developing material you will share through Adobe Acrobat or web development programs, ask the provider if they support that software program. Webinar providers don’t know what you are planning, and may not mention other choices, so ask. You’ll get a provider better suited to your needs if you can compare products, services, not just price.
Run a Practice Webinar
Webinars aren’t difficult, but they are different from running a meeting or a conference call. Ask for a practice session if you’ve never run one before. To make the practice work well, you’ll have to prepare all your materials first. Then ask two people from sites that will be participating to help you by signing on and asking questions. Some providers have a practice session built into the price or have a practice run rate.
Create, Send and Stick to a Schedule
Most people are busy, so send a "save the date and time" email about a month ahead of time. Include instructions for downloading software and installing it correctly. Ask the provider what ISP or platform is best. Don’t assume everyone uses a PC and Internet Explorer. Provide a telephone number if participants need help. Keep the number handy yourself in case something goes wrong.
In the ‘save the date’ email, send a link to a page on your website that shows the entire schedule for the webinar. If you run one Webinar a month, at the same date (15th of the month or the closest workday in the week prior) or day of the week (third Thursdays at 10 a.m.) it will help attendees plan their time.
Send a reminder of the contents and time of the webinar one week ahead of time. Send a "see you there" reminder the day before.
If you are the moderator, be ready to go 15 minutes ahead of time. Start on time, and respect your participant’s schedules by ending on time as well.
The moderator’s job is to present fresh material that is easily understood and to answer questions. PowerPoint was not made to be a report, or to be a read-only document. PowerPoint presentations filled with lists of bullet-point that are topic headings won’t work.
You won’t be able to cover as much material in a one-hour webinar as you can in a one-hour classroom session. You will need to repeat important points more than once. You will need to give examples and show diagrams, photographs, and charts that make your material easily understood.
After the Presentation
If your service provider offers a way to record and store the presentation, the moderator will find it useful to listen to it after the presentation. You’ll get a feeling for how you sound and present, and how you used PowerPoint.
Ask for feedback from the participants. You may be surprised at the good suggestions you get from hearing from the other side of the computer and phone.
About the Author: Quinn McDonald is a writer, certified creativity coach and trainer in business communications. See more of her work at Quinncreative.wordpress.com