8 Engagement Strategies For eLearning Companies To Hold Webinar Audiences' Attention

9 Engagement Strategies To Hold Webinar Audiences' Attention
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Summary: Successful webinars that generate leads and attract customers manage to keep audiences engaged and focused on the end goal. Learn about the crucial steps you need to follow to keep your audience hooked on your webinar.

Webinar Engagement Strategies Increase Profitability

According to a survey, 89% of respondents have proof that webinars are more successful in lead generation compared to other channels. But how can you make an engaging and interactive product that attracts customers and increases your business's profits? You should start crafting your webinar's engagement strategies long before the main event to ensure active participation and get more signups. Remember that, typically, only half of those who register attend webinars, and even fewer stay until the end of the presentation. That is because many webinars disengage attendees with long lectures and text on screen without interactivity. On the other hand, webinars that keep participants on the tip of their toes have higher retention and conversion rates.

Strategies That Improve Webinar Engagement Levels

Before The Webinar

Create An Attractive Landing Page

Marketing experts know how to create an appealing landing page that generates leads and increases webinar attendance. However, companies are responsible for providing engaging and detailed text. When someone clicks on your webinar's landing page, they must understand exactly what the discussion points are, the date, time, and duration of the event, and the list of speakers, including a short bio for each. Your title should also be specific and highlight the core benefits of the webinar. This tactic helps potential customers know exactly what to expect.

Send Email Sequences

Creating an email campaign is a marvelous engagement strategy for your upcoming webinar. You may send out emails to existing audiences who have participated in past events or have subscribed to your newsletter. After someone registers, it's essential to email them a confirmation so they can add the date and time to their calendar.

During The Webinar

Live Chats And Q&As

When attendees participate actively in the live chat, they form a sense of community and show their interest. They may communicate with one another or with the hosts. Getting answers encourages them to keep watching and engaging in conversation. Based on each participant's interests, you may create various group chats and provide targeted deals. Therefore, you push them gently down the funnel without being too promotional. In addition to live chats, you should incorporate Q&A sessions at the end of the webinar. Attendees submit their questions along the way, and speakers are allowed to answer when their presentations are over.

Slide Deck

Long lectures often disengage audiences, especially when hand and facial gestures are not visible. A carefully crafted webinar slide deck is a great engagement strategy. Ensure that each slide features only one key point instead of adding multiple pieces of information that overwhelm participants and create confusion. Also, texts should be placed at the center of your slides to guarantee full visibility across multiple devices. If you feature links in your slides, you may incorporate QR codes that anyone can scan instead of rushing to note down addresses. Lastly, focus on your visuals, including appropriate colors that are attractive, but not too flashy or annoying, and entertaining and relevant icons instead of the usual bullet points.

Interactive And Gamified Elements

Interactivity is vital if you want to maintain high attendance rates and increase conversion figures. Polls offer hosts invaluable insights, while quizzes test the participants' memories based on what is discussed. Whiteboards are an element often overlooked, but they can foster collaboration and captivate audiences. A speaker may share their screen and start drawing on a whiteboard while other speakers and participants pitch in to offer their ideas. Another immersive strategy is showing videos whenever words are insufficient to explain a concept.

Include A Call-To-Action (CTA)

Adding a CTA at the end of your webinar is another engagement strategy that directs participants to your sales funnel without pressuring them. You can allow people to schedule a live demo, sign up for a free trial, subscribe to your newsletter, register for an online course, or download a free eBook. You may even launch a giveaway to attract more social media followers. Whatever you choose to do, ensure that your CTA aligns with your business objectives and does not sound too promotional.

After The Webinar

Collect Feedback And Share The Replay Link

After the webinar, the email sequence continues by asking attendees for their feedback. More specifically, you should ask them why the webinar topic interests them, how they came about it, and whether they have any improvements to suggest. Additionally, hosts must share the replay link to the event along with the key takeaways. You may also include relevant links from your website and details about future webinars that may interest people. Lastly, adding trivia or a game to recap what they learned during the event is a great idea.

Encourage Social Media Sharing

Increased social media attention brings more attendance and potential customers to your company. Toward the end of your event, encourage attendees to share the webinar landing page link with their social media networks. Alternatively, you can create a custom hashtag for them to use on their posts and stories regarding the webinar. You should also utilize social media to promote your events and even add timers to create a sense of urgency for registrations. Sharing clips of your events will also provide a glimpse of your work and high attendance rates to future participants.

Conclusion

Keeping your audience's interest alive before, during, and after your webinar is essential for growing lead conversion and increasing profitability. It's crucial to thoroughly research your core audience's preferences and check which topics appeal to them and which engagement strategies will be your vehicle to success. The more satisfied potential customers are, the more likely it is for them to recommend your services to others and promote you on social media.

Check out our webinar marketing solutions if you're interested in capturing high-quality leads by hosting a webinar with eLI. Pre-recorded webinars, demo presentations, or bespoke premium eLI webinars can help you expand your customer base.