If you have some skills that you would like to share with the world, that’s already worth praise. Now, if you are thinking about organizing a webinar, there are things to consider, especially if you are new to this sort of presentation. Obviously, a webinar is the fastest way to reach out to a big audience and share your thoughts and ideas. So let’s dive into the rich world of online skill-sharing and conferences, and see what are the top 5 things you need to take care of, in order to successfully host a webinar.
Make sure your connection is on-point
Even if you are 100% ready subject-wise, having problems with connection will tank your webinar right away. People are not going to stick around and wait for the signal to get better. So, if your connection is often faulty, find a signal repeater that will eliminate the problem. It basically enhances your signal on the way in and makes sure it’s constantly pristine and won’t ruin your presentations and discussions. Plus, you will be able to deliver your thoughts in an articulate way without having to repeat yourself constantly. So don’t take this issue lightly.
Get ready in advance
Start the process way before your webinar date. And we don’t mean the material only. There are many more things to take into account. For example, the date itself. You have to have sufficient time to notify your target audience and send the invitations. And they should also have the chance to mark their calendars in advance. Also, you have to familiarize yourself with the medium you are using. Luckily there are many to choose from these days. Plenty of online platforms created for such occasions. You have to know how to navigate the program, switch between speakers, record the webinar if necessary, organize a poll, etc. Plus, always check your hardware before starting, or you are risking to face an unpleasant situation.
Know your audience
It’s important to know who your guests are. That’s one of the keys to a successful discussion. You have to know their concerns, worries, and wants. If you are hosting a webinar dedicated to assertiveness training you know that your audience will most likely consist of people who aspire to reach new levels of self-development to further their careers or personal relationships. In order for this webinar to be considered a success, you are going to need to have a practical part, which is not going to fly if you have more than 20 people attending, and managing that online is no easy task. So, as you see, the audience and the subject dictate everything else. Or, for instance, if you are hosting a webinar on breastfeeding and your audience consists mostly of new mothers and women who are still on the planning stage of their motherhood journey, the Q&A part of your webinar is going to take a large portion of the time, so you have to make sure you are technically ready for it.
Practice makes perfect
Don’t ever rely on your memory, creativity, or spontaneous flow of thought. Create a narrative and work on it until you are happy with the result. And then practice that narrative and practice some more. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to recite the whole thing into the camera during the actual webinar, and not lose a word of it. It means that having a basic structure and a backup plan will help your brain focus on any fluctuations that will come your way and stay calm and engaging. Knowing the material well and being a professional in the field will definitely help you create a plan worth listening to. Be passionate about what you want to convey and people are going to pay attention. If at any point you feel like you are losing them, veer off the subject a little, make a joke, or tell a story, which will grab their attention again and you can get back to the main subject.
It doesn’t end at the webinar
Having a webinar is good and all, but if your meeting had any purpose at all, you have to follow up with the people involved, do some research, see if there’s anything else you can do for them, or if there are more questions they’d like to ask. Plus, you need their feedback to have a clearer idea of how to improve. The best source of honest advice are people who actually attended the past webinars and have some thoughts on your strong and weak sides. So, make sure you don’t take too long, or your guests might forget important details.
Hosting an online gathering is not easy. You are going to be in charge of it to go as smoothly as possible, so make sure you do your best to plan everything in advance and have as few unpleasant surprises as possible. If you are doing this for the first time, it might be a good idea to ask a colleague to be on the lookout in case there are technical issues and you need to fix them quickly. Prepare, practice, and be confident in yourself and your abilities. Engage your audience and they will have both pleasant and productive time. Follow these recommendations and improve your skills with every webinar!
