Overview
- Real-time engagement: Live webinars allow presenters to connect directly with attendees through Q&A, chat, and polls.
- Data-rich experiences: Each live interaction generates insights that help marketers understand audience behavior and intent.
- Scalable performance: ON24 Live Webinars deliver reliable, high-quality streaming for events of any size or industry.
What is a Live Webinar?
A live webinar is a virtual event streamed in real time where presenters share content, demonstrate expertise, and engage directly with audiences through the ON24 Platform. Unlike pre-recorded or on-demand sessions, live webinars provide real-time interaction opportunities—enabling participants to ask questions, respond to polls, and join discussions as the session unfolds.
In ON24, live webinars form the foundation of digital engagement. They serve as both educational and lead generation tools, allowing marketers to reach global audiences, collect first-party engagement data, and build relationships through active participation. Events are delivered through ON24’s reliable webinar technology, which combines broadcast-quality video, interactive console design, and detailed analytics to ensure every session drives measurable business outcomes.
Why it matters
- Drives real-time engagement: Enables direct communication between presenters and audiences, fostering immediate connection.
- Captures valuable insights: Each attendee action—such as downloading resources or answering polls—feeds into engagement scoring and lead generation.
- Supports brand authority: Positions organizations as thought leaders through interactive education and live discussion.
- Optimizes pipeline impact: Provides data that informs follow-up, personalization, and post-event nurturing.
How it’s used
- Host live sessions that educate, inform, or demonstrate product value to audiences in real time.
- Use interactive tools such as polls, Q&A, and chat to increase engagement and participation.
- Capture engagement metrics within ON24 analytics to score leads and measure event success.
- Integrate live webinars into broader digital campaigns using webinar capabilities and follow-up strategies.
- Promote upcoming webinars using dedicated upcoming webinar and virtual event pages to drive attendance and registration.
- Convert live events into on-demand experiences post-broadcast to extend reach and engagement.
Key benefits
- Interactive audience experience: Attendees can communicate with hosts, respond to live polls, and provide feedback in real time.
- Data-driven marketing: Engagement data collected during the webinar supports more effective lead scoring and sales alignment.
- Flexible delivery formats: Accommodates presentations, panels, product demos, or thought leadership sessions.
- Extended content value: Recordings can be repurposed as on-demand webinars or included in content hubs.
- Scalable for any audience size: ON24’s enterprise-grade infrastructure ensures consistent quality and accessibility across global audiences.
Data at a Glance
| Metric | Average (All Industries) |
| Increase in registrations for upcoming webinars | 3X |
| Average duration of audience engagement during a live webinar | 51 minutes |
| Increase in live chat with sales during webinars | 51% |
Source: ON24 2025 Webinar Benchmarks Report
Verified Benchmark Data: All statistics in this table are drawn directly from ON24’s 2025 Webinar Benchmarks Report and 2025 Digital Engagement Benchmarks Report, representing verified performance data across thousands of events hosted on the ON24 Intelligent Engagement Platform. Metrics validated by ON24’s analytics team and current as of Q2 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a live webinar?
- A live webinar is a virtual event broadcast in real time, allowing presenters to engage with audiences and share interactive content.
- How do ON24 Live Webinars work?
- ON24 Live Webinars let presenters share slides, videos, and polls in real time while interacting with attendees through chat, Q&A, and engagement tools.
- What’s the difference between live and on-demand webinars?
- Live webinars happen in real time, while on-demand webinars are recordings that attendees can view anytime after the live event.
- How can marketers use ON24 Live Webinars for lead generation?
- ON24 captures engagement metrics—like viewing time, poll responses, and downloads—that feed directly into CRM and marketing automation systems.
- Where can I find upcoming ON24 Live Webinars?
- Visit the Upcoming Webinars page on ON24.com to see scheduled live events.
Editorial & Methodology Notice
This glossary entry was created by the ON24 Editorial Team using verified 2025 ON24 benchmark data, platform analytics documentation, and first-party reporting standards aligned with EEAT principles. Updated: October 2025.