At some point in your business, the question of whether or not to host a webinar might come up. Odds are, you’ve heard about these online seminars. Maybe you’ve attended one, two, or even a few in the past. But host one of your own? That’s an entirely different ballgame.
The decision to host a webinar is an excellent choice for your business. According to eMarketeer, “The reason why people host webinars is simple: to grow their businesses. 85% of all webinars are designed to educate existing and potential customers, and 77% are created to generate new leads.”
Aside from the obvious benefit that they can generate an additional revenue stream for your business, below we’re sharing the 5 top benefits of hosting a webinar.
5 Reasons You Should Host a Webinar
- Become the authority and better explain your products and services
- Build your “know, like, and trust factor” while building business relationships
- Raise brand awareness and build an email list at the same time
- Be the only one in the room competing for your audience’s attention
- Learn more about what your customers really want
Become the Authority
Telling is one thing, but what your customers really need is for you to show them your expertise as well. The way you do that is by showing up and explaining what your products and services can do for them.
Doing it on a webinar provides your audience with both visual and auditory learning as well. The bigger key however, is the visual aspect.
Entrepreneur Magazine states that when it comes to your ability to communicate with your customers, “55% is visual, 38% is tonal, and only 7% of our communication success is based on the words we choose.”
This is what is so great about hosting a webinar. You get to show the audience images and videos that communicate, demonstrate and prove your points, while also telling them everything they need to know.
Your expertise about your industry will naturally come through as you explain things too. And let’s face it, it’s always easier to buy when we fully understand exactly what it is we’re buying, and why we need it so badly.
Build Better Business Relationships
What does it mean to know, like, and trust someone? To know them you have to learn who they are. To like them, well, most people can figure out whether or not they like someone just from listening to them, and seeing if what is said resonates with them. Trust? Well, that’s a little trickier, but once someone knows and likes you, it’s easier to trust you.
As marketing special Chanel Cumberbatch explains, a webinar is a great way to build your “know, like, and trust factor.” She says, “Because they can hear your voice, and maybe even see your face, there’s an instant connection. Not only that, but you get to impress them with your knowledge of the topic. Your audience will walk away not only knowing you better, but also with the impression that you are the go-to person in your niche!”
As you build that connection throughout your webinar, your ideal audience will feel drawn to you, and (hopefully) want to continue the relationship. You can use that to continue connecting and nurturing the relationship you started long after the webinar has ended.
Grow Brand Awareness and Your Email List
Have you ever heard the phrase, “the more you see it, the more you see it”? It’s what happens when you buy a new car – suddenly you see it everywhere on the road. Or when you get a new pair of shoes or clothes – you start noticing them on other people.
Why does this happen? Do people suddenly own these things because you now do? No, of course not. But now, you’re more aware of it. Your awareness causes you to see it more frequently.
It’s the same with when you host a webinar. The more people see your webinars pop up in their ads, or watch them, or even hear about them, the more they will see you and recognize your company name. As a result, your brand awareness will go up simply because you’re putting yourself out there.
All the while, as you promote your webinar, you’re growing your email list, and fine tuning it to be filled with qualified leads that you can sell your products and services to. Webinars add new leads to the top of your funnel, and move your existing leads further down in your sales funnel.
Be The Only Salesperson in the Room
There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to compete with another salesperson. Unfortunately, with many advertising tactics, that is what you do. This is true for advertising on Facebook, Google Ads, at trade shows and conventions, in magazines and newspapers, and on radio and television. You are not the only salesperson in the room, so you are constantly competing for your audience’s attention.
The beauty of a webinar though, is that once you get your audience in your room, all the other salespeople fall away. You become the only person selling, and you have a captive audience to do it with.
Okay sure, you could still be competing with their kids coming in their room, their phone ringing, and Facebook notifications – but the point is you are the only person trying to sell them something in that moment.
And in many cases, your webinar attendees are already primed to buy. The reason for this is they cared enough to sign up and show up. They cared enough to listen to what you have to say. So, if they stay to the end of your presentation, they are more likely to care enough to buy.
Pro tip: They’re already primed to buy, so send them over the edge with a fast action bonus. For example, if they buy before midnight the day they watched the webinar, they get a discount or freebie. When there is a ticking clock, your prospects feel that sense of urgency, and feel more compelled to buy right away as a result.
Get To Know Your Customers More
You likely have done a lot of research into what your audience really wants already. It’s what lead you to start your business in the first place. On the other hand, there is something to be said for asking them what they want anyway. During your webinar, you have a prime opportunity to ask your audience questions. Yes, even if you host a webinar with automated webinar software.
Use this time when you already have their attention to ask if there is something they want that you can provide. What you learn could be invaluable. Who knows? There may be an additional product or service you can add to your offerings that could translate into more sales, and new customers.
For example, a financial manager could learn their prospects want coaching services and advice on managing money. Or an interior decorator might find out their audience wants to buy how to videos to learn how to decorate their own homes themselves.
You could also ask them to email you answers to other questions that might inspire new products and services as well. For example, you could ask something simple like, “What’s the biggest pain point in your business right now?” Their responses could trigger a new offering you wouldn’t have otherwise thought to create!
The possibilities are endless, but you won’t know what your audience wants until you ask.
Alright, we couldn’t stand it. There’s one more benefit to hosting a webinar we simply have to share with you and that is…
You Don’t Even Have to Be There to Make Money!
Yes, you read that correctly. Sure, you have to show up and be there for filming at least one time. However, once you’ve nailed the recipe, why mess with perfection?
You can use the same webinar over and over again to keep selling to new prospects, and older ones that are still on the fence. Imagine your sales no longer being limited to a set number of working hours. Picture being able to use one great webinar multiple times to generate leads and new business.
Not only is it possible, you can get started easier and faster than you may realize. With automated webinar software, you just need a webcam with a microphone, a prepared presentation, and your computer. That’s all that stands between you and more profits.
Hosting Webinars Makes Good Business Sense
There you have it. The five benefits to hosting a webinar. Truth be told, there are many more. The bottom line is that webinar recording software makes it incredibly simple to scale up your business in record time.
Stop throwing away your money on outdated sales tactics. Your customers need what you have to offer, and it’s your job to show it to them in the most efficient way possible. Hosting a webinar is the best way to get your company in front of the right people.
Learn more about scaling up your business with StealthSeminar webinar recording software.