Holding a webinar is an effective way to connect with your audience and present information. But if you’re not careful, you could end up boring or annoying them. Here are seven common webinar mistakes and how you can avoid them.
1. Poor audio and/or video – If you’re going to go to the trouble of having a webinar, it’s crucial that you make sure that participants can see and hear you well. You don’t need top of the line equipment, but it is important to use a camera with good resolution and microphones that produce clear sound. Pay special attention to lighting, keep background noise to a minimum, and thoroughly test your equipment in advance.
2. Choosing the wrong date and time – You’ll need to schedule your webinar at a time when your target audience will be able and willing to attend. The middle of the week is usually best. Try to choose a time that is good for viewers in all of the time zones you plan to cover (usually early- to mid-afternoon Eastern time in the United States).
3. Too much information – If you try to pack too much information into one webinar, one of two things will happen: either the webinar will go on too long, or your audience will suffer from information overload. You can avoid this by choosing a narrow topic and staying focused.
4. Not enough information – Webinars should be more than just one long sales pitch. Attendees expect to learn something. Give them something they can use!
5. Trying to “wing it” – Careful planning is a must for any webinar. If you go into the broadcast unprepared, you’re asking for trouble. While you don’t want it to seem overly scripted, it’s important to have a plan. Make notes of what you will cover, and include sources to back up your claims.
6. Not using visuals – Webinar attendees expect to see something interesting. If you only plan to talk, perhaps you should have a conference call instead. Visuals will keep your audience interested and help drive your points home.
7. Failure to interact with the audience – Interaction is an important part of any webinar. Without it, your webinar has little or no advantage over a recorded video. If possible, set aside time at the end of the webinar to answer audience questions. Alternatively, you could ask attendees to send in questions via email ahead of time and answer them during your presentation.
Don’t let these common mistakes turn your webinar into a disaster. Take full advantage of the opportunity to make a connection with your audience!
