It can be tricky to grow a small business from the ground up, but one of the best ways is to get many people involved in a shared event. This will boost word of mouth, but the challenge is that many small businesses don’t have the overhead to host an event right out of the gate.
This can be sidestepped with a webinar, an online event that allows people to join in and take part in a program from anywhere in the world. This is a great way to grow your reach and online profile without investing in an event space. Here are seven ways webinars can grow your small business.
Use Automated Webinar Software
While many programs allow people to join a video call and watch a speaker, you’ll want to choose the best webinar platform for your small business to provide a more viewer-friendly experience. The best programs turn a standard video call into an experience that feels like a live show.
There are many advantages to using webinar software, starting with the fact that these programs can record the conference and let you replay it at a later date. This is a great way to eliminate the barrier of scheduling and let people who join the company later benefit from the experience.
Have Set Goals
To get the most out of a webinar, make sure you know the program’s goal before you start planning. Your speaker and your audience should both reflect the long-term plans for your business and create an image of your business that will help grow your audience. It’s best to talk about this with your partners and speakers and ensure everyone is on the same page before sending out invitations.
Get Guest Speakers and Partnerships
While it’s possible to put on a strong webinar without support, you’ll get the most out of the program when you partner with others. A well-known guest speaker can drive a lot of traffic to your event, and local businesses in the same sphere can boost your profile.
If you don’t want to commit to a well-known name due to budget, it can be helpful to have several relevant guest speakers to create a sense of continuity. Make sure to pull it back to your business by showcasing testimonials about what working with you can do for people.
Reward Your Listeners
To grow your business with a webinar, it’s important to incentivize people to attend. Everyone remembers the best part of attending those old-school conferences—the freebies you got to take home. Keeping that same energy for a remote conference will help drive sign-ups.
Webinar rewards can take the form of tangible items that will be mailed out to attendees if your company can afford it, but this may not be the most efficient approach. Why not offer free items or discounts that can be picked up or ordered from your store, to help drive traffic from the webinar to your business?
Have a Good Script
Preparation is the key to a successful webinar, so it’s important to make sure as much of your program is planned out before people attend. This starts with a compelling script so that there’s no dead air where you’re trying to figure out what to say. Make sure to keep things light and add a personal touch so people feel welcomed and engaged. If you have multiple presenters, make sure to compare notes so no one’s repeating information, and remember to bring your webinar back to the topic of what your business offers whenever appropriate.
Slides and Animation
People learn and retain memory in many different ways, so make sure your presentation stays fresh and varied so everyone can get the most out of it. In addition to compelling speakers, you’ll want to have visual aids that drive home your most important points. Charts, graphs, and images of your products can help get concepts across when words aren’t quite enough. Some engaging and colorful animation is always great to engage the audience.
Create Landing Pages
One of the significant advantages of a webinar is that your audience will be plugged into a digital portal and can be prompted to click a link. That makes this the perfect time to polish up your website and create compelling landing pages that will send everyone exactly where you want them to be. Put your website’s best foot forward and ensure that everyone knows their next step when it comes time to make their first purchase from your company.
Jump-Start Your Business With a Webinar
Webinars are easy and low-cost to set up compared to live events. There’s no better way to set a small business up for success. They can boost your sales and draw in new customers that will stick around for years to come.