Use these fun and creative ways to increase webinar engagement in an effective way that wows and converts crowds, targets audiences and offsets virtual challenges.
There are many reasons to have a webinar. From meetings to online presentations and workshops that get people together virtually. Whatever yours may be, it needs to be interactive.
With as many as 53% of marketers believing webinars are a top-of-the-funnel lead generation tool; it’s no wonder these virtual events are becoming more and more popular.
There are various ways you can increase webinar engagement and in this blog you’ll discover some of our favorites to wow the crowds!
What is a Webinar?
A webinar, also known as a web-based seminar, is an online event. As a lead generation tool that has the ability to create a wide reach, these types of virtual informative events have come leaps and bounds in terms of accessibility, technological advancement and increased production value.
These online events typically last half an hour to an hour. They are used to inform or educate attendees and are a great way to increase a brand’s reach. Previously, webinars have garnered the perception of passive or flat virtual events for attendees, but with creative strategy, you can generate a virtual experience that engages participants and boosts profits.
What Makes Engagement on Webinars More Difficult?
Sure, for attendees there is not much effort put into participating in a webinar. Other than showing up virtually and maybe filling in an online form – the effort typically lies in the court of the host. With that said, the responsibility of creating an engaging event also lies with the host. And falling short is easier than you would think. Let’s take a look at some of the challenges facing an engaging webinar:
Context #1: A Less Controlled Environment
When compared to face-to-face (f2f) events, a webinar has greater diversity. This means there are more guests and a higher level of competence and knowledge. The webinar topic and information offered in these events typically need to be wider to meet audience expectations. This is in contrast to a general f2f seminar where the group of attendees is in a more controlled environment and to a more targeted group of participants.
Context #2: Audience Listening Environments
The listening environment of an attendee also reflects a challenge when hosting a webinar. When in a f2f seminar, there is minimal distraction and the attendees typically have the focus on the speaker. Whereas in a webinar, the focus of the attendee can be split between the speaker and other factors, such as a playful pet or distracting kids. It is therefore, difficult to keep the attention of an attendee solely on the webinar when in a setting that presents so many opportunities to sidetrack engagement.
Context 3: Audience Interactivity
Over an online event, it can be difficult to read the body language of your audience during a presentation. This would present a challenge when using the feedback of your participants in adjusting your message or topic. When in a F2F seminar, you can easily read the body language of an attendee and the ambience of the environment, giving you the opportunity to adjust your presentation as you see fit. With the lack of a feedback loop, it can be challenging to modify your message and delivery to increase webinar engagement.
How Can You Increase Webinar Engagement?
To offset the challenges introduced by an online presentation, your webinar needs to be universally engaging. Here are some fun ways you can use to increase webinar engagement in a way your attendees will remember:
A Breakout Room
A fun way to meet the challenge of context 2 above is a breakout room. This is a virtual space, sectioned out from the main webinar, that segments your audience and provides a more targeted experience. As an example, if it’s been discovered that 10 or more percent of your attendees are more informed or knowledgeable than the rest, this group of people may benefit from more in depth or narrower topics of information.
Live Polls & Surveys
To keep your attendees engaged and interactive; typically offsetting context 2 and 3 above; you can introduce live polls and surveys. Doing this in a fun way will keep the attention of your audience and minimize their need or want to concentrate elsewhere. It’s also a great way to learn about your participants.
An Incentive or Gift
This strategy works wonders in both increasing attendance and engagement. If incentivized, your target audience will feel more inclined to participate in your event. Using a gifting platform will enable you to easily share prizes in the chat, especially with gift links. Recipients can then either choose a gift or redeem a specific prize and provide their delivery details.
Games
A more obvious way to stir up some fun is with a game. And this also applies to a virtual event. By incorporating a fun virtual game; you can keep your audience engaged and create a memorable experience too.
How Can You Add Gifts To Your Webinars?
Gifts are versatile in their appeal when it comes to a virtual event. You may think “How am I going to get gifts to my attendees if they’re all around the world?” The simplest and most effective answer: is with a corporate gifting platform – like Giftsenda!
A corporate gifting platform attends to all the aspects of gifting from choosing the gift to delivering it. And with a gifting platform, you can ensure your attendees are incentivized or appreciated no matter where they are in the world.
There are simple gift delivery methods that help you scale your gifting easily, from shareable gift links (a link that is delivered on any messaging platform allowing a recipient to redeem a gift or selected one from a pre-curated collection) to email gift invites (customized emails that direct the recipient to a landing page where they can choose or redeem a gift).
For the most streamlined and seamless way to increase webinar engagement that converts, create a gift campaign or get in contact with a gift campaign manager here.