In a world where marketing is almost 100% digital, your prospects and customers have ready access to information at all times. Gone are the days where customers rely on salespeople to come knocking on their door offering to sell an entire catalog of encyclopedias.
When consumers are ready to buy, they are out looking for suggestions, recommendations and solutions to solve their pain points. It's important, as marketers, that we have a variety of options available for our potential clients to get that information. Webinars are a great way to connect with your audience in a unique way—here are the some of the amazing benefits of webinars:
One of the keys to a successful webinar is choosing a topic that provides value to your current and potential customers. Identify common pain points they have, skills they would want to acquire, new products they want to see, or new concepts they would want to consider. These topics often make great webinars.
Still looking for a great idea? Host a webinar where you answer all your frequently asked questions! This is a great way to break down barriers and provide value to customers!
Let's be honest—most people DO NOT love sales conversations. Webinars can be a great way for your customers to take the next step without having to reach out to a sales person or commit to a conversation with a sales person. This is a great, safe way for you to help customers move through the buyer's journey and continue to get the information they need!
Ok, this one is a little self-serving, but this is what inbound marketing is all about! When you create interesting content, you are going to generate new leads! That's all there is to it!
Once you have webinar attendees, you have a great chance to show your expertise. Use this opportunity to show your company's unique perspective and business proposition! Be unforgettable! Remember: your main goal is to educate your audience!
Just because your goal is to educate doesn't mean that you can't introduce your product or service. Just try to be mindful of when your content dips from informative to salesy.
Choosing a webinar topic that aligns with your personas and then aligning to your the buyer journey will help you qualify your registrants and provides a natural reason for your sales person to call.
Create a unique hashtag and tweet shareable points. Encourage webinar attendees to follow along with the hashtag and share their favorite points!
Pro Tip: Have your sales team follow-up with registrants simply to ask what their thoughts were about your webinar and let the conversation flow! There will be lots of great ideas and suggestions for future webinars, but if the conversation leads to a sale, that's a major bonus!
So, your webinar is done—DON'T STOP THERE! If you have created remarkable, useful and valuable content, don't let your webinar die in your content archives. Make sure to set up an on-demand workflow that allows new visitors to access the webinar content for years to come. More leads never hurt, right?!
Webinars are not meant to be a direct sales tool, but they are a great addition to your inbound marketing arsenal and a perfect way for sales to start a conversation with new leads.
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Need help getting started with your webinar? Contact us – we'd love to have a conversation!