Tweet

Engage Your Webinar Audience Early

Guest post by: Gihan Perera

Article Overview: The first few minutes of your webinar are among the most important. They can determine whether your audience will pay attention or will switch off. So put some careful thought into planning the very start of your webinar, and especially how you will engage your audience.

Engage Your Webinar Audience Early

The first few minutes of your webinar are among the most important. They can determine whether your audience will pay attention or will switch off. So put some careful thought into planning the very start of your webinar, and especially how you will engage your audience.

When your audience is in the same room, they know when a presentation is about to start. If they're chatting, standing or otherwise distracted just before you begin, when they see others sitting and paying attention, they'll stop what they are doing and follow. Although you still have to keep their attention right from the start, you don't have to do much to get it in the first place.

You don't have this luxury with a webinar. Your audience isn't in the same room, they might be distracted by other things, and they can do other things without worrying they might be distracting others. Because of this, you have to work harder to get their attention initially.

One way to do this is to ask them to do something early in your presentation. This forces them to take notice, involves them right from the start, and demonstrates this isn't just another boring presentation.

For example, you could:

• Conduct an on-line poll
• Ask them to draw or write something
• Leave part of your handout blank, and ask them to fill it in

The idea is to design something easy but engaging. It doesn't have to involve them sharing anything personal - in fact, it shouldn't, because that's too early in the presentation for them to share with others - but it should involve them doing something. Don't ask your audience to do difficult things too early. Start with small low-risk activities, and build up gradually to the more difficult tasks. This is known as "ramping up" the interaction.

For example, in some face-to-face presentations, the presenter asks participants to introduce themselves and state what they would like to learn from the presentation. I generally recommend you don't do this for a webinar. It's asking too much from strangers who are uncomfortable with the technology to share personal details over a telephone line.

So when you're designing your interactive activities, build them up during the presentation. For example, here's a logical sequence for "ramping up" the interaction:

• Show some introductory slides before the webinar starts.
• When it starts, you start speaking but don't ask others to speak.
• Ask the audience to write down their objectives for the webinar.
• Ask them to respond to a poll (low risk, because they just have to click a button).
• For the first Q&A segment, read out questions they've sent in advance, rather than opening up the webinar for live questions.

By going through this sequence, you help them become comfortable with the technology and the environment. This eases them into the interaction, so they are more likely to participate later.

Related Articles
  How to Host a Webinar Properly
  Make Your Webinars More Interactive
  How to Make the Most of Attending a Webinar
  Webinar Tools For Creating The Perfect Webinar!
  Six Alternatives to a Webinar
  Webinar Strategy - The Do's and Don't's!
  How to Produce a Winning Webinar
  Start Your Webinar Planning From Your Audience's Point of View
  Webinar How To - Running Your Own Profitable Webinars
  Adding the Human Touch to Your Webinars
  GoToWebinar is Easy For Beginners But Has Lots of Professional Features as Well
  A Webcast Vs a Webinar
  Choosing a Webinar Provider
  What is the Ideal Number of Slides for a Webinar?
  Allow Your Webinar Audience to Ask Questions Out Loud
  Using The Webinar Tool To Create Steady Sales
  Webinars Can Be a Valuable Franchise Industry Tool
  How to Create and Setup Your Own Webinar!
  Host A Webinar - It's Easier Than You Think!
  Can You Really Make a Difference in a Webinar?

Article Tags: webinars



Related Forum Posts
Re: New SEO Seminar - Hi Jeff, I see you are holding another Webinar on 16th Feb. I will be in an aeroplane for most of that day, so I guess I won't be able to attend. Even so, could you fill us in with some details about the form and content your webinars take and what they involve. I have not participated in a webinar and I guess I'm not the only one. Thanks! David H
Connecting with Influential People - Thanks Martin! In "The Little Black Book of Connections", Jeffrey Gitomer suggests the following ways to connect with influential people (page 106): -Third-party introductions (best method). -Writing and publishing content. -Giving seminars/speeches so you can be perceived as an expert in your field and leader. -Attend social and business events. -Say or ask something powerful by doing research ahead of time. -Engage them by offering something of value first. Gitomer also stresses the importance of making more friends as well.
Q&A: What are your tips for creating a successful blog? - Q: What are your tips for creating and maintaining a successful blog? Hi Ayaan - here are 7 suggestions for you: 1) Focus on a niche - pick an area that you're an expert in and are interested in and stick to that niche. 2) Create pillar content - write a number of posts that are evergreen and interesting. If a new visitor checks out your blog it should be easy to quickly find your pillar content and get them interested in reading more. 3) Create a list - give an incentive to readers to subscribe to your blog by entering their email address. This way you can turn one time visitors into lifetime readers. 4) Have a regular posting schedule - bloggers often post like crazy when they first start a blog and then their schedule fades. Don't start with too many posts and create a schedule that you can't stick with. 5) Build linkbait posts - timely posts that use infographics, top 7/10/50 lists, newsworthy topics, etc can generate a lot of attention and links to your blog. 6) Tweet it out - whenever you post, tweet about it so your followers know to check out your new entry. 7) Engage other bloggers - comment on other blogs that are in your niche. If you focus on adding value then the bloggers will notice you and their readers will also click through to your site. Good luck!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Top Ten Feeble Follow-up Attempts to Fathom

The new marketing question. Will they follow?

Why Your Own Internet Marketing Website Is A Must

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.