Accessories matter!

Getting the tech right is crucial to the impact of your webinar. Mostly, your webinar depends on you and your content— but you don’t want sub-par presentation casting a shadow on what you’re offering! Webinar Ninja’s got you covered with our own delay-free, HD quality webcasting infrastructure. However, it’s important to nail a few technical things on your end, especially the audio, hence the search for the best microphone for webinars. 

Even when a presenter is totally on top of their game, poor audio just throws a bucket of cold water on a webinar. It creates a distraction, a barrier between the audience and the content. No matter how great your content is, it has to reach your audience smoothly in order to convert to sales!

Of course, every computer on the market comes with its own microphone. But for effective webinars, these just aren’t good enough. We’re not nitpicking; bad audio is very, very noticeable even to the average layperson. It’s the aural equivalent of giving a speech with no pants on. The content might be great, but no one’s paying attention! That’s why it’s in your best interest to upgrade.

To build the credibility you need to sell to your audience, you’ve got to look— and sound— competent. Be professional, and you’ll earn the trust that turns an audience into a group of customers. So before you host your first (or next) webinar, take a look at these 3 easy, effective upgrades. We’ve listed them from cheapest to most (but not very) expensive:

1. Earbuds You Already Have

Practically everyone has a pair of these laying around somewhere. In fact, while you can buy them, I’d only suggest using them if you have them already. They come with basically every iProduct on the market, so odds are you’ve got a pair within arm’s reach right now. And while many people don’t realize it, they have a built-in microphone.

Assuming you have a pair, this is the cheapest option, coming in at $0.00. They’re not the highest quality microphones in the world, but they’re significantly better than any computer’s built-in mic, if only because it’s closer to your mouth. Simply plug them into the mic jack on your computer (bearing in mind that it may be a separate jack from where you’d normally plug them in as headphones), and adjust the levels if necessary.

2. Movo M1 USB Lavalier Mic

If you don’t already have spare earbuds lying around, don’t buy them to use as a mic. For less money, you can get something even more professional: a lavalier mic. Specifically, we like the Movo M1 USB lav mic, a perfectly good quality option at around $30.

Lavaliers are the mics that most professional broadcasters use, conveniently clipped to their ties, shirts, or lapels. Naturally, they leave your hands free to work and gesture, which makes you feel (and therefore sound) more professional. Most importantly, the lav mic does a far better job of isolating your voice from any background noise, so your content comes through loud and clear. All you have to do is plug it into your USB.

3. Audio Technica ATR 2100

Finally, there’s our personal favorite. For a truly professional-quality sound, we can’t recommend the Audio Technica ATR 2100 enough. We’ve been using it for our podcasts for years, and for good reason. At around $80, it’s a little more steep than the lav mic (and a lot more steep than a spare pair of earbuds), but the difference in sound quality is worth every penny.

For this mic, you’ll also need a boom arm. They’re relatively cheap on Amazon (about $15). Once that’s set up, plug the mic into your USB and let your content do the rest. The $95 total may seem like a lot, but the return on investment makes it a no-brainer for us.

One final note on microphones— if you’re co-hosting a webinar, it’s important to always use earphones of some kind. Otherwise, the sound of your co-host’s voice coming out of your computer will be picked up by your own mic, causing an annoying and distracting echo effect. Whichever mic you choose, make sure to remember that!

Any of these three options is preferable to using the mic on your computer. The difference to your audience will be measurable in their attention to you, and eventually in your sales conversions. Go the extra mile for them, and they’ll reward you.