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Three Reassuring Tips About Running Webinars During a Crisis

May 4th, 2020 Andrew Warren-Payne

For April’s Insight50 session, leaders from ON24, NetLine, Demandbase and SAP are sharing their tips on “How to Make Your Marketing Stay Relevant During Uncertain Times.” Watch the session to hear how others are adapting.

Given what’s happening in the world in 2020, many people are feeling anxious and wondering how they should adapt.

Marketers aren’t alone in this regard, particularly when well-developed plans need to be completely rewritten. Many more marketers are turning to webinars to maintain a connection with their audiences, but that doesn’t mean anxieties go away.

In line with April’s Insight50 session, here are a few thoughts to bear in mind that might ease the pressure.

Don’t Worry About Being Perfect

Regardless of industry, many people around the world have now needed to work from home even when previously they didn’t. Whether it’s journalists reporting on developments from their home offices, or the cast of Saturday Night Live doing sketches from their apartments, everyone is adapting to the new normal.

For those running webinars from home, this means that everyone recognizes that from news and TV studios to the best Webinerd hosts, production standards aren’t going to be the finest. So even if you’re hosting a webinar from your kitchen table with poor lighting and a low-resolution webcam, your audience will be empathetic and understand why this is the case.

Indeed, ON24 has for a long time been preaching the benefits of scrappy marketing. With everyone now working from home, this means that scrappy webinars will be even better received than previously.

Feel Free to Be Human

Webinars are known to be the format that allows for building one-to-one connections at scale. As we’re all in the current crisis together, this means that you have the chance to relate to people with a greater degree of common ground.

The problems you might be facing are likely going to be the same as those experienced by your audience – from kids making noise in the background to a less than ideal internet speed. You likely also have loved ones and friends you are worried about, whether about their health or their economic security. As such, look to build empathy and offer real help along these lines. Share your challenges and how you’re dealing with them so you can build a more personal connection.

Reach out and Be Present Everywhere You Can

When few people are able to connect face-to-face, it becomes even more important to connect in other ways. For those locked down at home, this means that digital channels are where the connection is happening.

So when it comes to promoting, hosting or repurposing your webinars, look to share that connection as widely as possible. From social and email to content hubs and third-party sites, look to make your content accessible and visible.

By doing so, you’ll increase the number of people you are able to reach and help out.

Find out more tips about marketing during uncertain times

Whether you or your organization is struggling or faring well, you can find out more about how to adapt by watching the Insight50 session on “How to Make Your Marketing Stay Relevant During Uncertain Times.”