These days, marketing tools and techniques seem to change at lightning speed. What only yesterday was hailed as the next great means of lead generation is soon deemed dated and ineffective.
We hear questions about this all the time and one of the most recent is whether the webinar is dead now, too. How are you supposed to consistently generate leads if every day you’re told to use a new and improved innovation?
It’s true that the way audiences find and consume content has changed. But it’s also true that there isn’t one new, solid-gold format that has suddenly appeared to make your marketing job easier. Webinars are far from dead and there are plenty of good reasons to start or continue using them in your marketing strategy.
The Benefits of Webinars
Webinars are interactive content that people love, giving marketers the power to have real two-way conversations with their audiences. In fact, 75% of marketing and sales leaders surveyed by InsideSales.com report webinars are the best way to generate high-quality leads.
Here at Smith & Harroff, we use an all-in-one platform that allows us to create registration pages to collect attendee information, communicate with attendees via email, and run live video broadcasts with a plethora of options. We’ve managed numerous webinars for clients in varying industries that have brought in thousands of attendees.
From helping you create personalized customer experiences to efficiently moving prospects down the funnel, here are just 5 great reasons webinars should be in your marketing toolbox.
1. Lead Generation
If you’ve tried webinars in the past and they didn’t work, it’s time to take another look and try using a different approach. The most common webinar has too often been one that is boring, features one talking head, and causes people to quickly lose interest. But choose a pertinent topic, craft content that authentically addresses a problem the audience has, and sprinkle attention-getting tactics throughout, and you’ll have attendees lining up to register with their contact information. Capturing leads was never easier or quicker.
2. Relationship Building
It’s hard to beat webinars for top-of-the-funnel engagement. Unlike blog posts, social media campaigns, and how-to articles, webinars give you the opportunity to not only have real-time interactions with your audience, but to immediately address any questions people have. And because they’re interacting with your experts and thought leaders (you), they feel more personally connected to your brand.
3. Cost-Effectiveness
Compared to live events, webinars are a cost-effective alternative that can build your brand, help establish it as an industry leader, generate quality leads, and be repurposed into other types of content. And because they can be produced for a fraction of what it costs to put on a live event, your ROI can be substantial.
4. Repurposing
It’s a constant challenge to produce enough content to fill your distribution channels. Webinars are ideal for breaking into other pieces of content such as blog posts, social media posts, and email campaigns. And the questions asked by the audience are great inspiration for new content topics.
5. Long-Term Value
Webinars are an evergreen resource that provide ongoing value. You can host your webinars on a resource page, add them to nurturing campaigns, offer them as downloads, and share them with current clients to keep them informed and engaged. And by consistently promoting and linking to them, your webinars can produce a steady ROI long after the webinar is over.
The Bottom Line
Webinars are an effective marketing strategy for providing value, building engagement, influencing the buyer’s journey, and generating new leads. Done right, they provide immediate and long-term value and help position you as an expert in your field. You can, if you want, even reach a global audience that remains engaged throughout. Best of all, you can convert new customers and build relationships without spending a fortune on a live event. Long live the webinar!
