It's important to use the right gear.

This ensures a smooth, professional-looking-and-sounding webinar that gives you credibility.

Don't worry: this stuff won't break the bank. Assuming you have a computer, you can get the rest for around $350 or less.

Here's exactly what you need:

At minimum, you need the following things before you can learn how to run a webinar:

1. A Computer: This can be a laptop or desktop, Mac or PC. It can also be a mobile device, but proceed with caution; desktops or laptops are much more powerful and reliable.
   
   
2. A Webinar Platform: The advice in this chapter applies no matter which platform you use.
   Just make sure it's a dedicated webinar platform, not a meeting software.
   
   Meeting or conferencing platforms (like Zoom) aren't optimized for marketing and sales. They're just for meetings (Nothing against Zoom. We use it for our meetings!).

Pretty short list, right? Moving on...

Yes, you can just use your computer’s camera and mic for a webinar.

But no, you shouldn’t.

Part of earning trust is presenting yourself as relatable. But the other part is presenting yourself as professional. That means investing in the right hardware.

Consumer decisions are emotional. Even when we think we’re making a logical buy, we’re almost always buying because of feelings and impressions.

No one will see what camera you’re using, but they will see a pro, or a poseur. They won’t care what mic is in front of you, but they will hear an authority, or an amateur.

Coming off as professional doesn’t just impress — it makes people trust you.

Here's what I recommend, with links. Full disclosure: as someone who runs a lot of webinars, I get an affiliate commission when people buy what I recommend. But I only recommend what I use myself!

Microphone

As the host of over 1,500 episodes of The $100 MBA Show podcast, I’ve tried about 8 gagillion mics.

You don't have to get anything super-expensive. For my money, the best value out there is the ATR2100 from AudioTechnica.

It’s $80. You can spend less, but if it’s within your budget, go get this thing. This is a USB mic, so you plug it right into the computer, and off you go.

Mics are like wine. There’s a noticeable difference between the cheapest ones and everything else. But once you go beyond a certain price range, only connoisseurs can tell one from another. The difference in sound quality between a $40 mic and the ATR is immense.

Beyond that, you’re in sommelier territory.

I also recommend getting a cheap boom arm like this one on Amazon for about $13. It's one of those low-cost, high-use purchases you won’t regret. A boom arm clamps to your desk so you can place your mic perfectly, giving you maximum audio quality and letting you move your hands naturally.


Honorable mention: The Movo M1 USB lavalier microphone is great if you want a clip-on for that late night talk show vibe.

Webcam

You can spend 4 figures on something that would make Spielberg proud. But we’re talking value here, not price. By that standard, nothing beats the Logitech Brio Ultra HD.

It’s about $200. Not exactly pocket change, but worth every cent.

The video quality is awesome. It makes automatic adjustments so the picture is always perfect, even if you don't know cinematography. I use it for all my own webinars and content videos.

Honorable Mention: The Logitech C920 comes in at about half the price, and is almost as good. If your budget is a little tighter, I’d definitely go with this.

Ring Light

This might be the most overlooked, but important piece of hardware you can invest in.

Lighting makes a huge difference in how you appear on screen. If you don’t believe me, just ask any of those Instagram “influencers” I keep hearing about.

Or Google “before and after using ring light.”

Get yourself a UBeesize. It’s about $45 with a tripod. It adjusts to 33 different levels and tones of light. You can play with it and find the perfect setting for the room, time of day, and any other variables that can affect how you look. It swivels and tilts for the right angle, and plugs into your computer via USB.

Honorable Mention: The sun, a star about 92 million miles from Hoboken, New Jersey. If you have the option, natural sunlight is actually better than anything artificial.

Headphones

Headphones aren't super critical if you're running a webinar on your own. But if your webinar has a co-host, or you plan to play external videos (like a YouTube video) or audio, you'll need them.

Headphones keep external audio in your ears instead of in your mic. That prevents an irritating echo effect.

Slides

If you're planning to stay off-camera during your webinar, you’ll definitely need presentation slides. But even if you stay on camera, slides are the best way to keep your presentation organized and engaging.

More on that in Chapter 4.

If you're a PC person and have Microsoft Office, you'll probably go with PowerPoint. If you're a Mac person, use Keynote.

For a free alternative to both that comes with any Gmail account, Google Slides is great! You can save your presentations in the cloud, or export them as PowerPoint files.

Any good webinar platform will let you upload slides easily. Some even include brand-able slide templates with your membership, which is even easier.

One note: Make sure your platform lets you present slides without hiding your chat, questions, polls, offers, etc, like this:

Why would anyone come to your webinar?

Because you're going to solve their problem.

That's what your webinar topic and title promise. That's what makes people stop scrolling and sign up!

You just need to identify people's "pain points." Let's take it step by step:

Rule one of entrepreneurship: no matter what you sell, your job is to solve a problem.

Your product, your marketing, your everything should be shaped by that. Solving consumer problems should be top of mind for every marketing effort — including learning how to host a webinar.

So the first step in creating a webinar is to find out what your audience’s problems are. Customers don't always know what they need, but everyone knows what they’re struggling with.

If you're already identifying pain points as part of your market research, great! Use the info you've collected.

If not, here's where to start:

Use your email list. Sending a direct survey (even one question) will get you the most honest results.

Next, you’ve got social media. Post the question on Facebook, Insta, or Twitter. You’ll get plenty of responses — especially on specific groups devoted to your niche.

You can also use your own website. Include in your next blog a call to action. Ask for comments on what problems your readers face.

Clutch move: embed quizzes and surveys on your site with tools like Outgrow.

You can even use the phone. Resist the urge to "ok Boomer" and hear me out.

Reach out to specific customers, preferably the long-standing, loyal ones. They'll have the most insightful feedback. We sit down for video calls with our longtime users on a regular basis, just to find out what they need help with.

However you get in touch, here's a go-to move: ask what each person's “biggest challenge” is. What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to...getting fit? Improving your golf swing? Training your parakeet?

You get the idea.

Once you have some idea of what your audience is looking for, let them fine-tune it.

Based on your research, settle on three topics you think would be most appealing to your crowd. Then, let them choose between them via polls or surveys. This gives them a sense of involvement in the process — which increases interest.

Use the same methods mentioned above: Your email list, social media, or direct outreach to specific customers.

Potential customers looking for solutions check out books on the topic. That’s where Amazon can be a huge help to you.

Look up the best-selling books on your area of expertise, and read the reviews. The trick is to focus on the 3-star reviews. Anything higher won’t yield any solvable problems. Anything lower is likely to just be a pesky hater.

As you read the reviews, note what it is that kept the customer from giving that extra star or two. What was the book missing? What aspect of their problem didn’t it solve? How could it have really met their needs?

However the books fall short, this will give you the information you need. You’ll see patterns— repeated mentions of info or advice people want but aren’t getting. That’s the gap your webinar aims to fill.

Here's a snapshot of 3-star reviews for Tim Ferriss's classic best-seller The 4-Hour Workweek:

Sometimes, the best topic for a webinar is no topic.

Just start a conversation with your audience. Pull a Reddit, and invite your audience to AMA (Ask Me Anything).

Obviously this creates some challenges. But it’s the most interactive, engaged way for customers to get to know and trust you.

Of course, planning a Q&A webinar is both easier and more difficult, all at once.

On the one hand, you really don’t have to plan it. On the other, you have to be prepared for unpredictable questions. That includes ones you don’t know the answer to. This is fine. It simply requires you to be on top of your game, and to be open and honest.

As any teacher will tell you, “I don’t know, but I can find out for next time” is one of the smartest answers a person can give. Plus, it helps you choose the topic of your next webinar!

Webinar platforms with dedicated Q&A areas are incredibly helpful here. You can separate, save, and analyze the questions you get to look for common themes. Your next webinar topic is in there somewhere! Like in the example below, from one of our webinars:

In webinars and writing, sometimes it’s best to start with a great title and go from there. Create a title that sounds irresistible. Then, create a webinar that fulfills its promise.

Don’t be afraid to think big and be ambitious. Based on your research, what title do you think your contacts would rush to sign up for?  

Of course, be realistic. If your title is Become a World Class Chef, you’re asking for trouble. You can’t fulfill that promise in one session. But How to Blow Your Friends' Minds With a Great Meal is doable.

No real teacher would give a lesson without a learning outcome.

Your learning outcome must complete this sentence: By the end of the webinar, they will be able to...

• By the end of the webinar, they will be able to play their first song on the piano.
• By the end of the webinar, they will be able to deliver an elevator pitch.
• By the end of the webinar, they will be able to plan their next vacation for under $2,500.

State your learning outcome at the start of your webinar. When you recap at the end, your audience can see how you delivered.

Credibility, authority, and trust follows. Now you've got some seriously qualified leads!

State the learning outcome. Then, show your attendees what life looks like with and without your solution.

This demonstrates how important the webinar is, and how it'll improve their lives. This exercise gets attendees sitting up in their chairs, eager to learn. Engagement!

Just as importantly, thinking through the "Before & After" will help you create a results-oriented lesson.

Here’s an example: Let's say the webinar title is Wow Your Family with a Delicious Christmas Dinner

Before:

You’ve probably watched dozens of YouTube videos and read a bunch of recipes online, but….

• You still have no set menu.
• You're not sure what to buy.
• You have no idea how long this dinner will take to prepare.
• You're still nervous about embarrassing yourself in front of the in-laws.

After:

By the time this webinar is over, you’ll...

•  Have 3 different menus to choose from
• Have a set shopping list for each menu
• Know when to start prepping
• Know exactly how to cook each dish (with cheat-sheets to go along)
• Feel cool, confident, and ready to wipe that smug look of judgment off Uncle Cletus's face
  

The before/after is the essence of the promise, and a vision for attendees of what you can do for them. Deliver on the promise. If you do, they'll be more than open to your next solution (aka, the product or service you're selling).

Take that, Cletus.

Here's how to structure your webinar's "lesson" in a way that attendees will learn the most from: the 5 x 3 method.

Break all your instruction down into 5 steps to get to the learning outcome. For each step/tip/strategy, provide 3 sub-steps, details, or important clarifications.

Why do it this way?

Because the 5 x 3 works as a lesson that produces a skill, rather than just a bunch of information. A skill is more than just info. It's your attendees' ability to replicate what you taught, on their own.

To actually acquire any skill, people have to comprehend and retain what they're taught. If I comprehend something but don’t remember it, I can’t apply it. If I recall something that I don't understand, I can't apply it either.

You want your audience to be able to DO something at the end of your webinar, remember?

By structuring your information this way, you make it more accessible and actionable. Consider giving attendees downloadable "handouts" in PDF form that outline your steps.

Now it's more than just knowledge: it's an action plan.

Allocate a specific amount of time for each section of your webinar workshop.

Here's the schedule I use:

• 5 minutes for "Meet & Greet." Say hello, break the ice, and introduce the lesson structure.
• 30 minutes for your 5 x 3
• 7 minutes to pitch your sales offer, if you have one (more on that below).
• Q&A , for as long as it lasts!

Try to stick to your allotted time slots as much as possible. You don't have to be rigid. But sticking to the time frames will ensure a smooth, engaging, impactful webinar.

A note on sales offers: we'll outline the different types of webinars in a future guide. For now, just know that not all webinars have sales as the primary goal.

For example, a paid webinar is its own "product." You've already made the sale! Other webinars may be strictly for lead nurturing, etc.

This guide assumes you plan to leverage a live lesson into sales, hence the 7-minute pitch period.

That said, good webinar platforms include specific sales offer tools that let you create clickable offers. Those offers pop up at a time of your choosing — regardless of how much time you actually devote to pitching them.

There you have it! Your webinar lesson will be well-planned and ready for prime time.

Now, let's take that structure and content, and apply it to a webinar host's best friend: the slide presentation.

Your slides are your roadmap.

They keep you on track, and your audience engaged.

With your lesson outlined by slides, you'll always know what you should be talking about.

And your audience will see how it all fits into the bigger picture.

This chapter outlines a structure you can use over and over. 

The Title Slide

It's First Impression time. The opening slide should have the following elements:

• The webinar title, duh. The title should be the most prominent thing, but not just because it’s the title slide. The title is your promise, the reason attendees came, the solution to their pain point. Make it clear you intend to follow through on your promise. Pre-engage the audience.
• Your company name and logo (see the “Branding Your Slides” section below for more on that).
• Your company URL
• The “Table of Contents." This is where you lay out exactly what attendees can expect. In bullet points, list the learning outcomes of the webinar. This is how you expand and get specific on the “promise” of the webinar title.

Also include a bullet about the “offer” part. Always, always be up front about the fact that besides to teaching, you’ll also be selling.

Ambushing attendees with an offer does not create trust.

Instead, assure them that you're there to give them something first. Be clear that 90% of the webinar will be about fulfilling the title promise, not opening wallets.

You will earn the right to make your pitch by delivering on the value your attendees came for.

Also mention Q&A time, which should be towards the end. Assure attendees that the webinar won't just be a lecture, but a conversation.

The “About” Slide

This is where many hosts run into trouble. It can be tempting to blather on about yourself, listing your accomplishments and “sharing your journey.”

Not that you shouldn’t do those things.

Stating your qualifications is key, and journey-sharing is crucial to making a connection. But too much of either will turn people off. Keep this part short and sweet. Remember that most of your attendees are patiently waiting for you to deliver on the promise.

So, in as few words as possible, make the case that your advice is worth taking. Then move on.

The Instructional Slides

Now we get to the goods. We often think “more is better,” and thus more information is more valuable. But we have to remember one thing: attendees can only use information they can comprehend and remember.

That means stripping it down, using the 5 x 3 method outlined in Chapter 3.

If you’re worried that 5 x 3 sounds like it’s not “enough,” remember this: your attendees don’t want information. They want a result. The fewer steps it takes to get there, the more confident they’ll be in your advice, because it’s more actionable. That’s sales-driving trust!

For each of your 5 steps, create one slide title, and use it on every slide that addresses that step.

Opinions vary on whether to create separate slides for each sub-step. Generally, more slides with less information per slide is best for attention spans. You can always start with a slide that lays out the whole 5 x 3 so your audience can see the full context.

Don't Forget the Testimonials

Say it with me: social proof.

You can be compelling. Your instructions can be understandable and actionable. You can have experience and accolades. But nothing convinces people to buy like user reviews.

Consumers don’t trust salespeople. They don’t even trust “influencers” and “thought leaders” that much. We trust fellow consumers above all. That’s why Amazon is so effective. Every product page is an easily-perusable wealth of reviews from actual people.

In other words, don’t expect your audience to take your word for it. Give them someone else’s.

A testimonial page should include 3 things:

• A short quote that expresses how effective your product/service is.
• The name of the person whose quote it is (and a pic, if possible).
• The person’s company, or some other “consumer credential” that establishes the quotee as credible.
  

So for example:

“Pet Style Coach helped me take my labradoodle’s holiday sweater game to the next level, and 4 of my 6 guinea pigs can pull off black tie. Now I have TOO many sponsorship offers from pet food companies.”

- Person I made up for this example
Founder, PetSwag Modeling Co.

You want to spread the testimonial slides out. Place them in different parts of the webinar where they’re most relevant.

For our webinars, I like to “sandwich” my testimonials slides around the sales offer slide for maximum effect.

Bring it home: The Offer Slide

And here it is. The part where all your webinaring (literally) pays off. At this point, you should have given your attendees all the value they came for. You fulfilled your promise to empower them. Now, they trust you enough to be open to an offer.

Include three things on this slide:

• The offer, in as few words as possible. “6 months of coaching for $XXX”
• A bonus. “Sign up today and get 2 months free!”
•  Whatever info they need to redeem the offer/bonus, either by following a link, entering a coupon code, etc.
  

Keep it minimalist and to the point. Emphasize the value of the specific offer, not the value of the product. You should already have implied that with the lesson.

And of course, this is when you display your clickable sales offer.

Q&A Slide

Not much to this one. Just create a branded slide to mark the point in the presentation where you open the floor to questions. Easy!

Thank You Slide

This the final slide, where you express your gratitude for everyone who stayed to the end. To get the last bit of juice out of this webinar for your business, include the following:

• An expression of gratitude (“Thank you” tends to work, but feel free to get creative.)
• An email address for post-webinar questions or concerns
• Instructions for accessing the replay
• Instructions on accessing your offer, again
  

The replay part is especially crucial. Assuming your lesson was value-packed, people will be grateful to be able to refer to it again.

You’ll also find that some people actually convert on the replay, if they didn't buy the first time around.

Tips on Branding Your Slides

Your slides have to look like your own, even if you're using a slide template that came with your platform.

Every slide should include your logo (If you don't have one, check out 99 Designs).

On the title slide, go big. Have a large version of it, centered above or below the title itself. Stamp that baby right onto the frontal lobe of your attendees. Do so while the greatest number of them are still there, getting excited about the title’s promise.

On the other slides, leave a smaller logo discreetly (but not too discreetly) in one corner. Alternatively, you can keep a watermark of your logo in the background of each slide.

Keep your brand’s color scheme consistent throughout the slides. As long as it’s reading-friendly and visually appealing, make your brand's primary color the background color of each slide.

Be careful, though, not to challenge the audience’s eyes. Red and blue, for example, don’t get along well visually, especially on a computer screen. When in doubt, just include the primary background color, and let other details like the font be a neutral white.

And speaking of which, don’t use a plain white background. Visually, it comes off as neutral to the point of unfinished, even unprofessional. Middle school teachers use white slides, not entrepreneurs!

Nothing against middle school teachers, btw.

Remember: Talk, Don't Read

With slides, the fewer words, the better. The words on your slides should be a jumping off point, not a script. You can actually create a script for yourself, but don’t sound too “readerly” when you speak.

Think of the slides as guideposts for a conversation. Always remember to see things from attendees’ perspective.

As someone who’s sat through many a terrible presentation, I can tell you nothing is worse than being read to. If you read, attendees will only wonder why you can’t just send them the thing you’re reading!

Put the effort into your slides, and they’ll reward you. They’ll give you the confidence to relax, speak naturally, and let yourself shine — which is the whole point of a great webinar.

Without a doubt, when your webinar is will affect registration and attendance rates.

Some days and times are better, statistically. But not for everyone.

Even if your target audience doesn't follow a typical schedule, no biggie.

The key is to land in the "sweet spot," day and time-wise, to maximize results. Here's how:

Finding the best time and day for your webinar takes a bit of experimentation.

As a baseline, know that in most cases, less than half of the people who sign up for a webinar will actually will show up.

And that's OK.

We'll discuss strategies for increasing attendance rates. But for most webinars, a 50% attendance rate is aspirational.

That's why we call it a marketing "funnel," right? For example, in the US, the average attendance rate is 39%. That's according to our numbers, from hundreds of thousands of US webinars on WebinarNinja.

Personally, I average a 47% attendance rate — and timing is part of the reason.

Which Day of the Week?

The first rule of webinar scheduling: it has to be convenient for your audience.

You could have potential customers signing up from every corner of the country/globe. Time zones and cultural differences can have a huge impact on your attendance rates.

One mistake we’ve noticed is assuming that everyone is on the same Monday-Friday, 9-5 work schedule. Not only does this fail to take time zones into account, but it also neglects the question of culture.

Not everyone adheres to the American concept of a workweek!

For example, in India — where there’s no shortage of potential business — Sunday is an off day. Saturdays are essentially still part of the workweek. In the Middle East, the workweek starts on Sunday, with most people having off on Fridays. The “best” day of the week for your webinar will vary.

Applying this principle to the data, we haven’t found that any particular day is “best” for a webinar. We’ve discovered that how far into the workweek is what matters.

For example, attendance (as a percentage of signups) tends to be low on the first and last day of the workweek.

On the first workday (Monday in the West), people are too focused on the week ahead. On the last day (the Western Friday), they’re spent, winding down, and looking forward to the weekend. Not the best time for a lesson.

According to our analytics, the best days for attendance are the second and second-to-last days of the workweek.

In the US, that would mean that hosting a webinar on Monday or Friday puts you at a disadvantage. Tuesdays and Thursdays are your best bet. If your audience is Indian, Friday might be just fine. If they’re Moroccan, Friday is a terrible idea.

You’ve just got to know who you’re dealing with.

This is where your email marketing software comes in handy. Using that, you can find out where your subscribers are via their IP addresses. Find out what coast they’re on, what country they’re in, what time zone they’re in, and plan accordingly.

Best Times: Insights by Country

Our users host webinars for audiences all over the place. So we've crunched the numbers to find a few nation-specific patterns.

All times listed here are in the local time zone.

The U.S. of A.

Statistically, the sweet spot in most of America is from 11 am to 2 pm, with an average 39% attendance rate by our numbers.

Europe

For European audiences, you’ll want to get started a little earlier. The sweet spot here is between 8am and 11 am. If you want something to happen in Europe, make it happen before lunch!

Asia

For whatever reason, the best time here is between 2pm and 4pm. If you want something to happen in Asia...make it happen after lunch!

Australia

Despite their best efforts, Australians aren't too different from Americans. (I'm allowed to say that; my partner and co-founder is as Ozzie as they come). 10am to noon is the sweet spot.

As we add more international users, we’ll continue to track this data. But for now, start with our recommendations, see what happens, and experiment.

Feature note: look for a webinar platform that displays the date/time in the visitor's local time zone on the registration page. It's one less obstacle to signing up!

Timing for You: The "2 Weeks Out" Rule

The timing of your webinar also affects you as the host. I recommend keeping yourself honest with some preemptive scheduling.

If it's the first time you're delivering a given webinar, you’ll need a bit of lead time to prepare. But you don't want too much lead time, or you'll fall off track.

Give yourself no more than 2 weeks, as a sort of accountability hack. This keeps a fire burning under your tuchus. It forces you to get things done (like preparing your slideshow) on time.

Remember Parkinson's law: tasks expand to fill the amount of time you give yourself!

A webinar is more than a video.

To get results, you need a few things to help promote your webinar. 

Then, you need some things to turn those attendees into leads, or customers. 

Depending on the platform, some of these will be included.

Either way, you'll need them all to translate your webinars into business growth. 

Let's go!

The webinar itself isn't the only ingredient. To support, optimize, and get results from your lesson, you'll also need...

1. A Registration page: This is where people sign up. A dedicated page that's attractive, enticing, and makes registration easy is essential.
   
   Effective landing pages are a subtle art. They harness all the psychological triggers that help induce decisions.
   
   Whether you build your own pages, or your platform has templates, don't neglect this part.
   
   
2. A Thank You page: This is the confirmation page your registrant sees after they sign up. Ideally, it should also induce an action that encourages attendance. For example, the "Thank You" page can integrate with the registrant's Google calendar. This lets them to lock the event into their schedule.
   
   
3. A Webinar page: This is where attendees actually watch the webinar! When platform-shopping, look for a simple, clean, professional look. That said, make sure the interactivity features (chat, Q&A, etc.) are within easy reach for attendees.
   
   
4. A Replay page: This is the page where registrants can watch a recording of your live webinar, if you offer it. This is for those who registered but did not attend, or those who want to give your workshop another watch.
   
   This is technically optional. But here's why I think it's a must: Statistically, replays are responsible for a big chunk of "attendance" (even though it's after the fact), and sales. Every time.
   
5. Email sequences: When someone registers, it should trigger a few emails. Confirmation and reminder emails are key to increasing attendance.
   
   After the webinar, you should send targeted emails to people who:
   
   -Signed up but didn't attend
   - Attended but didn't convert (e.g., didn't buy)
   -Signed up, showed up, and purchased.
   
   These emails will encourage whatever action is appropriate. That could be watching the replay, reconsidering the sales offer, etc.
    
   Some platforms make this very easy, with automated email systems included. Others let you integrate your webinar contacts into services like MailChimp, ConvertKit, etc.
    
6. Sales Offers: When it comes to the point of sale, you want as few obstacles between the customer and the sale as possible. Fewer steps. Fewer clicks. Fewer opportunities to second guess the decision!
   
   A good platform lets you create pre-packaged sales offers that display at a time of your choosing. Integrated with your payment processor, these offers shorten the distance between lesson and sale. This is where your "funnel" ends, so make it smooth!
   
7. Statistics & Analytics: You must be able to track and measure how effective your webinars are. As Peter Drucker said,
   
   “You can’t improve what you don’t measure.”
   
   At the very least, measure:
   
   - How many registered
   - How many attended
   - How long they attended for
   - How many clicked on your offer.
   
   Then, plan accordingly.

Webinars are powerful — but only if people show up!

In this chapter, you'll learn strategies for promoting your webinar. 

Like any piece of content, an un-promoted webinar is a missed opportunity. 

Some common content promotion strategies apply to webinars. Even better: you can use webinars to promote webinars! 

You'll see what I mean. Let's do it!

Your website is already getting organic traffic from Google searches, referrals, and word-of-mouth.

Capitalize on it by inviting visitors to your next webinar.

Whether you've got a great blog, a creative portfolio site, or just a landing page, funneling that traffic into webinars is always an option.

Pop-ups, sidebar ads, or hyperlinks in your blog posts are all good options. Make sure to invite anyone who engages with your content to hear more at your next webinar.

For example, we sometimes use a header bar to promote upcoming workshops:

Devote a blog post to the event itself. Or, just to the specific topic of your webinar.

Use the post to articulate your unique approach to the problem, and build interest in your solution.

If your blog content is strong, it'll give you the credibility that brings people to your webinar. Make sure the post isn't just a pitch for your webinar, though. Make it a genuinely useful standalone piece of content.

Include a CTA in your blog post to register for your webinar. Use contextual links on appropriate anchor text. End the post with a button linking to your webinar registration page.

Depending on the platform, you can even embed your webinar registration form in your post.

Promote the blog post on social media and in email campaigns. Because of the blog, registrants will come to your webinar already open to your message.

A well-crafted email campaign will usually be your single biggest registration driver.

Start promoting the webinar via email at least a week in advance. According to HubSpot, the most email registrations happen in the week before your webinar.

Depending on the webinar, I usually send the first email a week in advance. The day before the webinar, I send another email. Finally, I send a third email the day of the webinar, 2 or 3 hours before the start time.

Your webinar platform should let you tag registrants. This way, when you send those 2nd and 3rd invitations, you can exclude anyone who's already signed up. You earned that email address. Don't abuse it by stuffing someone's inbox with redundant emails!

The first invitation includes the usual ingredients for an effective email:

• A subject line that grabs attention (but is still relevant to the content)
• A headline that makes a promise
• A brief explanation of what to expect. It's the longest of the three emails, but it's still as short as possible. Generally the format is like this:

Tantalizing Headline That Spurs Curiosity 

     Hi [First Name],

     Opening line that asks a "yes" question or otherwise addresses their pain point.

     Second line that announces how I'm hosting a webinar about that very topic:

Hyperlinked Webinar Title

Day, Date, Time

     Then I expand on exactly what they'll get out of the webinar. This can take 2 or 3 lines. But I always follow that with:

• Bullet points
• Because it's more likely to be read that way
• And makes an even more clear promise

Then I encourage the reader to submit questions when they register. I say something supportive and tell them how much I'd love to see them at the webinar, then follow it up with either a hyperlinked "sign up here," or...

Remember: registration is only half the battle.

Once someone signs up, it's time to follow up. Use your CRM (or your webinar platform's email system) to send reminders about the webinar.

The first email registrants should get is a "thank you"/confirmation email with details and links. Then, registrants should get:

• Another email the day before the webinar
• An email an hour before the webinar
• An email when the webinar starts.
  
  

And yes, I'm aware that I just wrote a rant about not over-emailing people. However, the fact that registrants opened and clicked your previous emails signals engagement. That mitigates any potential dings to your sender rep.

As for the content, your attendance campaign should encourage attendance, and active participation.

For example, my emails instruct the registrant to do a few things when they enter the webinar. Introduce themselves, say where they're from, and enter questions into the Q&A box, for example.

This email sequence, combined with a "thank you" page that integrates with calendar apps, helps me get that 47% average attendance rate.

Just as importantly, emails automatically go out to after the webinar, by these segments:

• Attendees who did not make a purchase: this email reiterates the sales offer, or presents an alternative offer.
• Attendees who purchased: this is the first bit of onboarding for my new customer.
• Signups who didn't attend: this email offers a recording of what they missed, available for 48 hours.
  
  

Don't neglect your non-attendee registrants! Just because they didn't show up doesn't mean they're not potential customers.

In fact, this webinar report from Deck 7 found that 70% (!) of registrants who fail to show up for a webinar watch the replay...where your sales offer awaits.

Hop on Insta, Facebook, or wherever your crowd hangs out. Create social posts linked to your registration page. Include snippets of interesting insights that preview what they'll learn.

Whenever possible, use video (Wideo has great resources for this).

Now, it's important to make use of social media. But don’t rely on it!

Too many entrepreneurs over-focus on social media marketing! It's just one ingredient to a smart campaign.

Social's biggest weakness? Even though posts are targeted, they're still "cold." Facebook uses algorithms to put your post in front of people, but those people aren't necessarily interested. There's just some reason to think they might be.

Maybe.

You'll get more engaged attendees from your own website traffic and email list. Those are people who've engaged with you already.

Find someone else with relevant expertise. Invite them to your webinar as a co-host

This requires you to do some networking, but it's beyond worth it.

By bringing on a co-host, you double the promotion, while also doubling the webinar's value. Everyone in your co-host’s contact list, social following, and more will hear about your webinar.

For a more in-depth guide to co-hosting, check out this post.

If you host a podcast, awesome. You don't need this guide to tell you to use your podcast to promote your webinar. Just make sure to put the content first and the promoting second.

But if you don't host a podcast, that's perfectly fine! Podcasts always want great guests.

In fact, the art of networking-via-podcast was the topic of a recent episode of my podcast (guest hosted by a special expert on that very topic).

So not only can you use someone else's podcast to promote your webinar, you can use it to find that next webinar co-host!

And that gives you a huge, immediate advantage.

For more detailed strategy (and email templates), see business coach Mitch Russo's guide to getting free publicity.

Again, this post focuses on live webinars where you sell something. But one of the best ways to bring people to that webinar is with a different kind of webinar.

In particular, automated webinars are ideal for promoting live webinars.

Because they're pre-recorded, you can reach way more people. Because they're not bound by a date and time, way more people can attend — when it's convenient for them.

Statistically, sales conversions are lower on automated webinars. Which makes perfect sense; it's just not as intimate. But a great lesson, pre-packaged and evergreen, can be a massive lead generator.

So instead of only leveraging a lesson into sales, try leveraging an automated lesson into registrations for a live webinar.

Just remember to use automated webinars for what they are, rather than pretending they're something else. Please.

The goal of all your webinar promotion isn’t simply to invite as many people as possible.

It's to target those most likely to attend, engage, and ultimately become customers.

Registration numbers can be deceiving. Reserve judgment on the impact of your marketing until you see your attendance rate. That's the number of attendees as a percentage of signups.

Quality webinar platforms include analytics tools. Study these numbers after each webinar, and build on what works.

Relax.

If you're not used to public speaking, don't worry.

You just need a few strategies.

Once you've used them once or twice, a webinar will feel as natural as talking to your pals.

Then, you'll really shine.

So take a deep breath. Really — you got this!

Remember, a great webinar is a great lesson.

When I was I was a school administrator, I observed dozens of teachers. The teacher might have a PhD in their field, but if the students couldn't stay awake, their knowledge was worthless.

You know your stuff. But do you know how to deliver it?

From the classroom to the webinar studio, these are the best strategies I've observed and used.

1.  Include Examples
   
   Show your audience how the strategy you're teaching actually worked for you. Or someone else.
   
   Use real-life examples whenever possible. Even if you're the example! If you don't have any, you can always go hypothetical.
   
   But honestly, if you don't have any, how do you know it works?
   
2. Include Incentives
   
   This comes back to the "Attendees will be able to..." principle. Answer the following questions:
   
   How will this webinar help my audience?
   What will they get out of this webinar?
   What's the ROI on this webinar? (Even if the webinar is free, time is an investment.)
   
   Present the answers to those questions early on. This will motivate the audience and increase engagement. 
   
   
3. Use Visual Aids
   Most people engage better with visual aids. Some even need visual aids to grasp concepts. Besides that, images or props keep things entertaining.
   
   If you're not big on graphic design, you can check out services like Venngage. They offer cool, informative visual aids like infographics and flowcharts. 
   
4. Repeat Yourself (Not Literally)
   
   If it's worth saying, it's worth saying again.
   
   Make sure everyone in the (virtual) room gets your key points. Rephrase, restate, and remix.
   
   For example, say I'm teaching folks to use visualizations to improve their freethrows. I can't just say "Use visualizations to improve your freethrows."
   
   I'll also say...
   
   “Always imagine the ball going through the hoop before you shoot."
   
   “Remember when you made your last free throw. Play that video in your head when you step up to the line.”
   
   Find at least 2 or 3 ways to say the same thing. Your point will "land" for more members of your audience that way.
   
   You simply have to repeat without being repetitive.
   
5. Rehearse & Record
   
   I have an uncle who tells the same joke every Thanksgiving.
   
   And as godawful and corny as that joke is, I still laugh. He's perfected the delivery. He’s been saying the same joke every year for 40 years. That's 40 rehearsals! The phrasing and timing are a little better every year.
   
   Be like my uncle. Dry-run your entire webinar at least twice before you do it live.
   
   Get comfortable with how you’re going to drive home your points and make transitions. Practice smoothly incorporating your visuals and multimedia.
   
   You don’t have to do this every time you host a webinar, just every time you host a new webinar.
   
   Consider recording your dry-runs. Check the recordings for all the tips in this chapter. Like an athlete reviewing tape, you can see what's right and wrong with your performance.
   
6. Smile
   
   This will sound weird, but...
   
   Practice your presentation for 10 minutes straight while smiling. The entire time.
   
   Not that you should smile during your whole webinar. That would be extraordinarily creepy. But this exercise will show you how powerful smiling is. Your voice changes. Your energy changes. The whole vibe you give off is different.
   
   Sometimes, you just have to work backwards from appearance to substance. Smiling is like that. It's one of those things that makes you more positive by looking the part. 
   
7. Voice Modulation
   
   Variety fights boredom. 
   
   You have to change the pitch, tone, speed, and volume of your voice. Otherwise, you're droning.
   
   If you deliver every word the same way, no one will hear them. When you modulate your voice, it keeps the audience on their toes.
   
   When you rehearse your workshop, be mindful of how pitch, tone, speed, and volume vary. Pay special attention to the "5 P's" (credit to this random science equipment blog):
   
   Projection: You should speak at slightly-above-conversational volume.  Attendees control their own speaker volume, so don't worry.
   
   Pace: Nervous people talk too fast. Slow. Down.
   
   Pitch: The more varied, the better. Just don't "uptalk."
   
   Pronunciation: Don't talk like a recorded phone menu. Don't over-enunciate. But don't under-enunciate either.
   
   Pause: Notice how much space there is between the written lines of this guide? Speaking works the same way. Again, nerves may tempt you to speed up. But give each sentence space to breathe, and to be digested. Don't be afraid of silence.
   
   Stand: don't sit down for webinars. This saps energy, and makes me less dynamic. 
   
   Think about it: you don't see conference or motivational speakers talking from a chair on stage. "Stand Up" comedy works the same way.
   
   Your whole energy changes when you sit. Unless you're physically unable to stand the whole time, stay on your feet.
   
8. Study
   
   Consider reading up or taking a course.
   
   I studied public speaking with Micheal and Amy Port of Heroic Public Speaking. It was worth every minute. 
   
   Michael's book, Steal the Show, draws on his time as an actor to help you overcome shyness. You can also check out his podcast.

Your webinar should be a conversation, not a lecture.

Being a great presenter is all about what you do. But the other half is influencing what the audience does. Here are the best ways to get authentic engagement from your crowd.

1. Get Personal
   
   As we mentioned, it's important to establish what qualifies you to teach. But you also want to share something personal and relatable.
   
   I say where I'm from, and then tell the story of how my partner Nicole and I founded WebinarNinja together. The story establishes my credentials, while sharing a peek at something human.
   
   I then ask all the attendees to share something about themselves. Usually it's where they're from and something they hope to come away from the webinar with.
   
   I invite people to share these tidbits before the webinar starts, in the reminder emails. That way, everyone comes primed to converse.
   
   It only takes a few minutes, and it serves as an early invitation to do more than just watch.
    
2. Ask Questions
   
   Questions put the ball in attendees' court.
   
   By asking simple, relevant questions, you encourage participation. You show that you care about your audience's experience. For example:
   
   “Who here has never [done the thing you're teaching them about] before?”
   
   “Who here has no idea how to [ achieve the intended outcome of the lesson, e.g. 'grow your email list']?”
   
   Has anyone here [experienced a common pain point you identified when you chose the webinar topic, e.g. 'gotten totally frustrated trying to build your own website']?
   
   This isn't just a way to get the chat going (though it's totally that, too). It's a signal.
   
   Questions like the ones above say to the audience, "I give a sh*t about what you're going through, not just what I want to say."
   
   
3. Get Them Guessing
   
   This technique is especially effective when you're using presentation slides.
   
   Don’t just reveal your info to your attendees; ask them what they think the answer is before you give it to them.
   
   For example, you might have a slide that says, “THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE OF PHOTOGRAPHY.” Instead of revealing the next slide, ask your attendees to pop their guesses into the chat. Remind them now that there are no wrong answers.
   
   Give them 30 seconds or so to enter their answers. Then, reveal yours.
   
   Compare audience answers to your own. Acknowledge what they got right, and validate what they got wrong ("I can see why you'd say that..."). Praise any and all answers, because at the end of the day, it’s not the answers that matter.
   
   It’s the engagement.
   
   
4. Check In
   
   Don't steamroll through lessons. Stop to see if the audience is understanding, or finding your info useful.
   
   Are they getting it? How do you know?
   
   A good rule of thumb: Don't let 10 minutes go by without checking in. Ask something like:
   
   “Does that technique I just shared with you make you feel better about starting a blog? Say YES in all caps in the chat if it does!”
   
   “So what are some ways you could apply [whatever principle you just explained]? Type them into the chat!"
   
   For some extra credibility, invite your audience to challenge you on your advice. Prompt them to share their doubts, so you can address them. This can be very powerful, because it shows that you're listening, not just talking:
   
   "Who can think of a reason this technique wouldn't work? What obstacles could get in the way?"
   
   "Who's doubtful or apprehensive about trying this? Can you say why?"
   
   
5. Bring in an Existing Customer
   
   Invite a customer who loves your product or service to your webinar as a co-host. Your platform should have a way for them to "call in" and share their webcam and mic.
   
   Your customer can share their experience using your product. They can also invite attendees to ask questions.
   
   You'll be shocked at how attendees open up to fellow consumers.
   
   Remember: we live in the Social Proof era of marketing. You can never sell your product a well as a happy customer can.
   
   
6. Invite Attendees "On Stage"
   
   Some webinar platforms let attendees share their webcam and speak to your audience. That's with your permission, of course.
   
   This is an excellent way to get the crowd involved — and not just the person "on stage' with you.
   
   Again, people instinctively trust an avatar of themselves as consumers. You have an agenda; attendees don't.
   
   This obviously means you have to be comfortable improvising. Nothing says "expert" like someone who can go "off script."

If you want attendees to become customers, it takes more than personality.

I mean, you’re gonna need that, too. But you’re also gonna need a little strategy.

For live webinars, a 15% sales conversion rate is realistic. We’ve seen even better reported averages, as high as 19% depending on the variables. But I’ve never seen a credible analysis that went below double digits.

To maximize conversions, I stick with a 5-step system.

First, Though: Respect Your Live Webinar Attendees. Before we do anything else, we have to establish one thing about selling on webinars: The webinar can’t only be about sales.

Before you ask, you have to give. As I like to say, Teach, Don’t Sell.

Even the most warmed-up potential customer wants to learn something. That's true even if that "something" is whether they should buy your product. So put empowering information first, pitch second.

Draw a clear line between where the lesson ends and the offer begins, from the outset.

Literally announcing this earns trust. "I’m gonna teach/show you x, y, and z. Then, I’m gonna make you a sales offer." Establish this at the beginning, rather than ambushing attendees. To do otherwise is disingenuous, scammy, and murders trust with a rusty pair of hedge clippers.

I usually start my slides with a little “table of contents." It lays out exactly what I plan to show/teach, broken down by subtopics like we discussed in Chapter 4. It also lays out the special, valuable, exclusive sales offer that follows, and finally Q&A.

No surprises.

But what, you might ask, if people are primed to buy? Shouldn’t I get to the offer as fast as possible?

No. Because:

• Most of them aren’t ready to open their wallets yet. If they were, they wouldn’t take an hour to investigate your product.
•  Making sure that your audience understands why and how your product works is key to lowering churn. That's the rate at which you lose existing customers in the future.
  

You don’t want a premature decision, even if it puts money in your pocket in the short term. You want people to click “buy” knowing exactly what they’re getting — and how to use it to get the results they want.

Put that time in up front, and you’ll have satisfied customers, not just customers.

Ok, on to the steps. Here's how to sell more on your webinars:

Step 1: Define Your Offer

The easiest way to craft your offer is to answer the following questions:

• What’s the problem? Start with pain points, as always.
• What’s the difference? How does your product solve the problem more easily than they could on their own, or with a competing product? Why is your thing more efficient, effective, easy?
• What’s the investment? Which is a more constructive way to refer to the cost. “Cost” implies loss. “Price” implies exchange. But “investment” implies a future gain.
• What’s the ROI (Return on Investment)? ...literally, in dollars and cents. How much value is your customer getting in return for their investment? People buy things only when the perceived value is way greater than the price. So if your product costs $1,000, you need to make the case that a customer stands to gain $5,000 or $10,000 in revenue, savings, or other costs avoided.
• What’s the rush? There has to be a reason to buy on the webinar, rather than sleeping on it. The reason you can give is a special discount or bonus (that’s only available on the webinar).
  

Once you have those answers in mind, you can move to the next step.

Step 2. Objection Overruled

“Objections” are whatever’s stopping attendees from pulling the trigger.

Most people only have one objection each. But your offer has to address them all — or as many as possible.

For some, the objection is the lack of information that your webinar provides. Problem solved. But for most, something else is keeping them on the fence.

Your have to anticipate what those objections are, and refute them in the offer. Objections will vary from product to product and person to person, but there are a few “Greatest Hits":

• Price, of course. Every attendee who hung around for the offer is sold on your product, in principle. But remember that whole price/value thing? They still need to feel like they’re getting a steal.
  
  A note on price though: don’t try to be the undercutter. “Who can charge less?” is a game you’ll never win, especially when there’s competition.
  
  So when in doubt, don’t lower the price. Raise the value. Find ways to package your knowledge that are low-overhead for you, but high-value to the customer. Think an e-book or course.
  
• Complacency. This one's ironic. Sometimes, the fact that they don't have your product is what keeps them from buying it.
  
  They’re alive. They’re breathing. The Earth is still spinning — all without the benefit of what you’re selling.
  
  When someone doesn’t buy something, it’s not the end of the world for them, because they’re exactly where they started. So you have to show them what’s wrong with where they started.
  
  This isn’t about making anyone feel inadequate or creating phony urgency. It’s about showing people what’s possible by showing them what’s missing.
  
  Is your product business-related? Not having it leaves you with a disadvantage against competitors. Is it personal, like life or health coaching? Not having it means you're not reaching your highest potential.
  
  It’s crucial to do this from a place of supportiveness.
  
  You want the best for your audience. They want the best for themselves. The status quo is ok — but they deserve better than ok.
  
• Overwhelm. Starting a course, learning software, or getting coached can seem like…a lot. People often aren’t ready for the effort necessary to implement your solution, so they don’t buy.
  
  This is where more of that supportiveness comes in. Your job is to reassure.
  
  Show the ease and painlessness of using your product. If applicable, highlight any customer support included.
  
  Do whatever it takes to make it clear that they can do this, that it’s not that difficult, and that you’re in their corner.
  
• External Approval. You may present to people who, themselves, are totally sold. They want to buy — they just aren’t authorized to do so. They have to get approval from a boss, a spouse, etc.
  
  The answer to this one is easy: risk reversal.
  
  A free trial, free version, money-back guarantee, or ironclad return policy negates this objection. As long as there’s no financial risk, there’s no reason not to take advantage of your offer.
  
• Bad timing. They like the product. They agree the value far exceeds the price. They’re in. They just don’t have the time or space to take you up on it today.
  
  Ask the rhetorical question: “When is the right time?”
  
  Attendees are unlikely to be less busy in a week, month, or year than they are today. If there’s an actual valid answer to this question, you can always follow up. But most of the time, “busy” is just an excuse.
  
  The best time to improve your life, yourself, or your business is always now — sometimes, it’s the only time.

Step 3: Plan the Transition

Remember how your lesson and pitch are separate? You need a smooth way to get from one to the other.

The key is to make the case that your product is the “fast lane” solution to their pain point. Yes, you can lose weight, or learn to code, or host webinars without my product. But it’s gonna happen faster and easier with my product.

Then, get specific.

Describe the difference between tackling their pain point with you, and without you.

Move into your offer, and show exactly how you’ll speed up their win. This is very low-pressure. It’s a simple choice between a hard way and an easier way.

Step 4: Write the Webinar Offer Script

Yes, a full-on script.

Not that I want you to read during your webinar (that will sound robotic and salesy). But you should outline the broad strokes, progression, and key phrases of your offer.

The wording matters. Your words have to push certain psychological buttons. They must appeal to the right emotions. They have to lay out your argument digestibly, convincingly, efficiently.

In other words, you shouldn’t improvise.

Your offer script should be about 100 words. If it takes any longer to say than that, it’s too much to process and your message will get lost.

That’s not to say you can only speak 100 words during your offer. It’s to say you should be able to summarize the offer in 100 words if you expect to convince anyone. Everything you say during your offer should be a variation on those 100 words.

Use the language of pain points, empathy, and support. For example:

It’s finally your time to break into the Pet Stylist industry! All you need is knowledge.

Our $500 Pet Stylist Boot Camp Course maps out every step, from getting certified, to booking clients, to controlling high-humidity Labradoodle friz. You’ll also get:

- 2 free hours of coaching from Dr. Lloyd Braithwaite (founder of the Wisconsin School of Professional Terrier Fluffing)

- Our proprietary Iguana Formalwear Templates

- Our cockatiel-safe Feather Bedazzling Kit

That’s a total value of over $2,000.

The average stylist charges over $300 per consultation; at 5/week, you can make over $6k per month! This is your time — you just need the tools.

Here’s a trick: by this point, most attendees who’ve stayed on the webinar suspect that your product is right for them. They want to trust you. So don't use the language of persuasion, which is salesy. Use the language of confirmation.

People take action when they feel empowered to act on their own belief, instead of convinced to act on yours.

So write your offer with that mindset. Imagine you're writing it for someone who just wants to be proven right about your product.

Step 5: Prove It

Social proof is just as important at the bottom of your funnel as the top. In today’s marketing, you can’t expect consumers to take your word for it.

So give them someone else’s.

Gather testimonials from happy customers, or anyone you’ve ever helped. Other consumers are the single most trusted source of information. No offense, sales people.

If you’re totally new to business, and you don’t have any customers, that’s ok. Like I said, get testimonials from anyone you’ve ever helped. Even if you’ve done it for free or in some beta version of your service, it's ok. Whoever can vouch.

That’s it! If your webinar software has a solid ‘Offers’ feature, use your 100-word script and images to create an offer. Then, pitch when the time comes.

Other tips to get more sales:

Don't forget the replay. As mentioned, a lot of people will actually "attend" the replay. There are sales to be had after the webinar is over.

For those who don’t buy (which will be most attendees), follow up via email. Send a final chance to get the original offer (something that expires within 24 hours of the webinar). Or, send a modified offer that’s still better than the off-the-street deal.

Choose a webinar software that smooths out the friction in your selling process. Make sure it has:

• Payment processing integrations
• Q&A timestamping for replay attendees
• Built-in or integrated email CRM
• Offer tools

Congrats! You made it all the way through guide!

Or you just skimmed...

Either way, let's take a look at a few people who boosted their business with webinars.

As we marketers say, "Don't take my word for it." 

Check out what these go-getters accomplished!