Scaling the reach of your webinars often means going beyond a live event and building out pre-recorded, automated webinar strategy that can connect with would-be attendees anytime at any place. These on-demand events are essential to expanding your reach to new audiences time.
But how can you ensure your on-demand participants get the same opportunity to engage with your brand as live audiences?
In our experience, success with automated webinars comes down to proper planning, making the most of the features that are available and getting a little creative with your presentation.
Read on for seven virtual event engagement ideas from our team that will keep your audiences immersed in your evergreen and on-demand content.
1. Treat every audience as if they were at a live event
The first and best tip for engaging on-demand attendees is to treat them as if they were a part of the live experience. That is to say, provide them with the same engagement opportunities, from surveys and polls to resources and Q&As, as if they were attending the live event.
There are a few ways of approaching this, but the simplest is also the most succinct: deliver the experience as if it’s live. All of the interactive tools in your live event, such as polls, surveys and more, can still be used during the on-demand experience. You can even have a sales person on the back-end of the event so you can answer any questions on-demand attendees have in real time.
2. Add a human element to your webinar
Nearly every webinar you run — live, simulive or on demand — should have a personable host on camera for your audience to connect with.
Having a friendly, approachable and professional host boosts digital engagement from the very beginning regardless of how your attendees are tuning in. And, whether they’re hosting live or through pre-recorded content, your guests need to be able to warm to your presenter and feel ready to place their trust in them.
3.Use video to your advantage
Video always captures attention. So, in your automated webinars, use video formats, from simple clips to interviews and even product ads, to engage attendees in interesting and meaningful ways.
For example, you can intersperse your presentations with product clips, customer testimonials and other types of video content to highlight key points, add additional context or present unique use cases.
4. Include a teaser
Hint that attendees will receive the link to an exclusive offer, discount or resource at the end of your webinar. If it’s something they will benefit from, they’ll be much more likely to watch your whole automated webinar.
Remind them of your offer several times throughout the session so it stays fresh in their minds.
5. Use polls and surveys during your presentation
You can use polls and surveys to bring your audience into the conversation — even when it’s on demand — to keep them engaged and learn more about them. It’s a win/win — guests feel like their opinions are valued and you get tons of insights to help you optimize your future campaigns!
6. Include call-to-action buttons
Encourage webinar engagement — but you also want to use your session to direct attendees towards other useful assets.
Whether you want to point your audience in the direction of your latest downloads or send them straight to a sign-up form or a product landing page, you can use CTAs at different stages of your webinar to encourage more engagement with your brand across various touch points.
7. Make it easy for attendees to contact you
Even if you’re not hosting a live webinar, your guests will want to know how they can connect with you and learn more.
Make it clear exactly how your audience can connect with you after the automated session to drive post-event interactions and further exploration of your brand. This way, your attendees will get the information they need.
