Gauging webcast success, satellite radio's allure, more
January 17, 2007
By Lisa LaMotta

Note: This is an excerpt from a full column in PR Week

How do I measure the success of my webcast?

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"Webcast success should not be solely based on how many people registered or attended," says Sharat Sharan of ON24. Other criteria, such as the quality of the registrant's demographic profile, the level of interaction, and the results of your follow-up are key factors in measuring overall success.

Certainly the attendee numbers are important - in fact, you should clearly state to your team what metrics to shoot for, Sharan adds. "It is important to base expectations on realistic information, such as size of the audience, whether the topic will be meaningful to this audience, whether there is adequate budget to attract this audience, and whether you've done similar events in the past," he explains.

All things being equal, here's what Sharan recommends as benchmark statistics for a successful webcast:

• 30%-40% of registrants will attend the live event
• 40%-60% of registrants will attend the live and on-demand event after one month
• 20%-25% of attendees will complete the feedback form without an incentive
• 10%-20% of attendees will pose a question