In our latest episode of Test. Learn. Grow., Level Agency’s B2B-2 Team Lead, TJ Bruno, and Level’s B2B-2 Creative Manager, Dale Riether shared tips from their client success stories of implementing webinars into their marketing efforts. TJ and Dale talked specifically about FinListics, their client in the business of insight-led selling, and the growth they’ve seen since launching webinars.
Rather listen than read? Check out Episode 48 of the Test. Learn. Grow. Podcast to hear all the details of winning with webinars from TJ Bruno & Dale Riether.
Who can benefit from webinars?
Any industry or organization can benefit from webinars! Dale and TJ talked about how webinars are an effective and versatile piece of content since they are visual and interactive. Webinars are especially useful for those who have products or services that are more complex and in need of education around what they offer. The business-to-business industry often requires more involvement before making a purchase, and in the case of FinListics, they take that and use it as an opportunity to educate their customers and potential customers to close that gap.
Why should I put my resources towards webinars?
Webinars aren’t just a single piece of content —think of them as the start, not a stand-alone item. From Dale’s experience with FinListics, 40%-50% of the audience attend the webinar live, but then others will watch the recording later. Webinars let you reach that live audience in addition to those that opt to consume the content later.
Besides being able to benefit from attracting both a synchronous & nonsynchronous audience, the content of the webinar itself can be the base for blogs, social media posts, and other marketing efforts. Here are some ideas for making the most of your webinars to squeeze all the value you can out of them:
- Webinar topic → blog post on your website and/or guest’s website
- Video or audio snippets → social media posts on a specific topic
- Notable quotes → eye-catching social media text posts
- Data or concepts → infographics for newsletters or social media posts
Within LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or any other social platform, there are unique ways to incorporate these ideas. Your organization’s website is also a great space where the content can be broken up and used in various areas.
How do I set my webinar up for success?
Dale & TJ emphasized the importance of mixing paid media with organic methods to promote your webinar from both sides, but don’t force the paid part of it. Dale mentions how while paid ads work well, using organic routes like email, website optimization, and organic social are huge drivers that shouldn’t be overlooked. This came as a shock to him, but he was pleasantly surprised by how well these organic alternatives performed.
While you can’t plan for word-of-mouth, there is potential for these organic options to grow just from individuals sharing them to their network. TJ mentioned how he noticed that emails sent to promote the webinar are being forwarded to their colleagues that work at other companies, which helps broaden the reach. Don’t discount how you can leverage organic marketing efforts in addition to paid advertising.
Timing your promotions is another important aspect to keep in mind. With how fast-paced life is, it doesn’t make sense to start promoting months before your webinar. TJ has seen that 40%-50% of total webinar registrations come in within the week leading up to the webinar, so start promoting around a month out and ramp things up the closer you get. Dale mentioned how 15%-25% of registrants come in the last 24 hours, so don’t forget last-chance pushes to help bump enrollments through the end.
Takeaways
Webinars can show success across industries, so find out how you can provide value to your customers. Traditionally complex products or services can benefit from having an educational component, so leverage that as an opportunity to showcase your expertise. Your webinars have the potential to live on beyond the date you host them by repurposing the content on social media or on your website. Using the webinars as the base of multiple pieces of content can be extremely beneficial for lean marketing teams that don’t have the resources for large-scale productions. Lastly, make sure to take advantage of both paid and organic options to promote your webinar.
For more tips, check out our other blog posts like 6 Must-Haves for Your B2B Marketing Strategy. If you’re still looking for a bit more, reach out to us through our contact form or give us a call
