But how can you make sure the leads you’re generating are genuinely engaged? How can you prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to growing your contacts list? Here are our top tips for running a webinar that will successfully bring in opportunities for your sales team.

1. Make sure your format is interactive and engaging

The more engaged folks are with your webinar, the more engaged they will be with your brand. Have your speakers interact with each other and give attendees the chance to participate or ask questions. Don’t forget to add captions to make the session accessible and engaging to those who are hard of hearing or if English isn’t their first language.

2. Assemble a credible panel

Hosting a well-known speaker is a great way to lend credibility to your brand. You could also ask an existing customer to join to act as an ambassador on your behalf (software engineers listen to their peers!). Someone from your team could join as a thought leader and expert, but avoid focusing on pushing your product. Always select an experienced facilitator to keep the discussion flowing. And remember, all panels should be diverse, giving a platform to a range of voices.

3. Go with a trusted media partner

Producing a high-quality, well-attended webinar with content that speaks to the audience you are trying to reach is time-consuming and resource-intensive. Outsourcing this work to a trusted media partner will save you time and energy, but most importantly it will help you to extend your reach. Make sure the provider is well-respected in the space and has a good following from your target community so that they can bring in more quality leads.

4. Curate your content for your target audience

The webinar content should be relevant to your company and speak to your target audience. Working with a content partner that understands and has close relationships with your audience will help you to position your content in an engaging way. Too many webinars focus on ‘what our product does’. Instead, focus on ‘what issues we can help to solve’ and offer valuable content around that theme. Tell a story, weaving in the challenges that your audience may be facing.

5. Promoting your webinar

Creating a buzz in the lead-up to the webinar is key to generating a good number of engaged leads. Make sure you know what audience you’re trying to reach and that you and your event partner are marketing through a variety of channels. Releasing a blog piece or article on a similar topic is a great way to build anticipation and engagement before the event.

6. Identify your potential engaged leads

As folks register for your webinar, separate out those who would genuinely benefit from your product from those who have likely just signed up to enjoy the session. Ranking your leads will show you where to focus your efforts in your follow-up. Job titles are a great indicator but you could also add other qualifying questions to the signup process, for example, ‘what influence do you have when your company purchases new tech?’ or ‘how often do you change X provider?’

7. Don't put all your focus on the live viewers

Not everyone who signs up will watch the session live, and that’s okay! Make sure the webinar recording is available on demand for those who are busy or in different time zones to catch up in their own time. You can also use these recordings down the line to demonstrate your value to future prospects, helping you to generate more engaged leads down the line.

8. Stay in touch

To keep people engaged, communicate a clear call to action when the webinar ends. For example, encourage folks to opt in by offering a complimentary ebook or article to those that do (they will likely be quality leads). Always send follow-up emails to everyone who registered with the recording, a summary of the learnings, and links to relevant content. You could also reach out personally to those you’ve flagged as engaged leads; suggesting a coffee might just turn into a sale.

Reflections

Webinars are a great way to get in front of new folks and establish your company as a trusted source in the space. By identifying your target audience and designing each step of the experience with them in mind, you can start engaging more leads and bring in more genuine opportunities.