Content marketing has seen explosive growth in recent years, and for good reason: the majority of content marketers tout its effectiveness in generating leads and expanding their reach. But in all fairness, the content marketing space is getting more crowded each year, which waters down its overall effectiveness. Could adding webinar platforms to your content mix help you combat content fatigue?
What is a webinar?
We get the word ‘webinar’ from the words ‘web’ and ‘seminar.’ It’s an online-only event that people tune into, either live or during a replay, to listen to a presentation on a particular subject. Webinars are usually very educational in nature, but they can also be used to market a product or solution to help generate leads and sales.
The benefits of hosting a webinar
Webinar platforms have been a popular content marketing tool for years, but the shift to virtual events have made them even more attractive. Let’s look at some of the top business benefits of webinars as part of your content strategy:
1. Reach out to a larger audience
Because webinars are hosted virtually, businesses and brands can tap into larger audiences compared to in-person events. Geographic restrictions no longer matter, plus attendees can work in a webinar around their own schedule rather than having to tune in at a certain time.
2. Boost brand awareness
Webinars add context to your brand and product because it’s more like a conversation rather than a sales pitch or advertisement. This helps attendees get to know your brand on a deeper level.
3. Generate new leads
Webinars offer an easy way to generate lots of high-quality leads at once. People sign up based on the topic and what they hope to take away from the webinar, so you know they’re already interested in what you have to say. After the webinar, it’s a matter of following up with your new connections and helping them take the next step.
4. Nurture quality leads
For those leads that aren’t ready to buy on the spot, you can still hold onto those leads and nurture them until they are ready. When using webinar platforms, you have all their contact information in one place and can track your communications with each lead.
5. Position as an expert in your field
Webinar hosts are usually those who are authorities in the subject being discussed. You will have a captive audience for the duration of your webinar, and attendees will trust your expertise and advice simply because you’ve put yourself on the stage. Your participation as a host also adds to your professional marketability. Use it to drum up some positive PR and grow your authority.
6. Increase audience engagement
Virtual event software helps you maximise your attendees’ engagement with purpose-built features like polls, Q&As, and breakout sessions. These small but powerful tools help you keep their attention and turn passive listeners into active participants. It’s more interactive than a traditional advertisement and pulls your audience into the conversation more effectively.
7. Product promotion
Webinars give you a chance to show off all angles of your product or service in a way that a simple static ad can’t replicate. You can make your webinar directly related to your product, such as showing features and tutorials. Or, you can keep it more subtle and weave your product into problem/solution scenarios.
8. Cost-effective
A virtual event platform is a cost-effective way to market to many people simultaneously at a very low cost. Instead of paying per view or click, you can pay a flat rate for the event software and host as many webinars as you like. The cost per attendee is very low, and the price doesn’t increase as your audience grows.
9. Repurpose webinar content
The content marketing space is noisy enough, which is why marketers are prioritizing the content stretch — expand one piece of content as much as possible. Webinars are prime for stretching your content (and your marketing budget) because there are so many ways you can repurpose them. Turn your conversation into blog posts and white papers. Send out a press release. Snip clips of your webinar to share on social media. The longer the webinar, the more value you can get from it!
10. Earn more revenue
When more people are exposed to your brand or product, they can start seeing how it will fit into their lives. Webinars bring in qualified leads who are most likely to result in sales, which will drive more revenue.
How to host your own webinar on Canapii
Ready to add virtual webinars to your content marketing mix? Canapii delivers turnkey features to help you create your first webinar with confidence. Contact us today for a free demo.
