It feels like webinars are everywhere in B2B marketing right now, and for good reason – they’re a great way for B2B brands to connect with their target audience, share knowledge, and build relationships.
Anyone can host a webinar, but creating one that really ‘wows’ your target audience is a whole new challenge.
If you’re looking to make an impact with your B2B marketing strategy, here’s how to use webinars to your advantage.
Start with what your audience cares about
Before you start planning your webinar, make sure you understand what your B2B audience will want to watch. Webinars that address the pain points, challenges, and goals of your audience will perform best, but don’t just guess what your audience wants! Gather insights by running surveys, listening to customer feedback, and researching industry trends to identify relevant topics. The more relevant and timely your content, the more likely you are to attract an engaged audience.
Choose the right format
A webinar doesn’t have to just be an hour-long monologue – mix it up with different formats depending on your target audience and the content you’re presenting. Here are some formats to consider to keep your audience more engaged:
- Panel discussions: Like a talk show but for B2B. Bring in industry experts and let them debate trends, share insights and provide varied perspectives.
- Case studies or success stories: Showcase real-world examples of how your product or service helped a client. It’s a great way to inspire your audience and leave them thinking: “Maybe I could do that too!”
- Product demonstrations: Got a great new product or feature to show off? A live demo can give your audience valuable in-depth information and instantly answer any technical queries they might have.
- Q&A sessions: Giving your attendees the chance to contribute is a great way to keep them engaged. Just make sure to be prepared, so you don’t get stumped by any tough questions!
Engage your audience before, during, and after the webinar
Engagement starts long before the webinar begins and doesn’t end when it’s over. You can create anticipation and hold your audience’s interest for longer by engaging with them throughout the entire process. Here’s how:
- Before the webinar: Promote your event through email marketing, social media, and paid ads. Create teaser content such as blog posts or short videos, and send out reminders as the date gets closer.
- During the webinar: Keep it interactive with tools like live polls and chat features.
- After the webinar: Don’t drop off the face of the earth! Follow up by sharing the recorded webinar for those who missed it, offering additional resources, and inviting them to a follow-up event.
Repurpose your webinar content
Repurposing the content of your webinar into a variety of different formats extends its lifespan and allows you to reach a wider audience, giving you the most impact for your hard work. Useful ways to repurpose your webinar could include:
- Turning key insights into blog posts or infographics
- Sharing bite-sized video clips or quotes on social media
- Using the webinar recording as gated content to capture leads on your website
- Creating an eBook based on your discussion
Listen to your analytics to improve future webinars
One of the greatest advantages of webinars is the wealth of data they provide. Rather than, for example, a social media post, which might only track likes, comments and shares, webinars measure a whole host of stats. Use analytics tools to track metrics like:
- Number of registrations vs. attendees
- Engagement rates (polls, Q&A participation, chat interactions)
- Audience retention (when people joined or left)
- Conversion rates (how many attendees became leads or customers)
Use this data to assess what worked well and which areas need improvement. Maybe your engagement spiked after a thought-provoking comment, or dropped off towards the end of a lengthy product demo. Tweak your content accordingly to make your next webinar even more of a success.
Looking for new ways to engage your B2B target audience? Embrace Marketing is a specialist outsourced marketing agency for B2B and not-for-profit organisations. Email hello@weareembrace.com for an initial chat or visit our Thoughts page for more on our approach.
This latest thinking article was written by:
Jack Lenton
Content Manager
