Getting webinar leads and sales without having to sit behind a laptop for a long time sounds too good to be true for most entrepreneurs. Using the power of automated webinars this has become possible.
It becomes tough to manage the time and tasks simultaneously while running your own business and since it is impossible to be present at all times, the virtual webinar helps one to scale without sitting for a long time behind the computer.
Automated webinars also referred to as “evergreen” webinars are amongst the most powerful tools in the business. These webinars also have some pitfalls which need to be studied effectively. This article mentions the benefits and pitfalls of automated webinars and their effect on the business.
PITFALLS OF AUTOMATED WEBINARS
· Duration of the webinar
There are some key differences between automated and live webinars and one of the key ones is the duration for which the user attends. In the case of the automated webinar, the user tends to leave earlier than a live one.
Some people do not stick around in the automated webinars and thus it becomes a necessity to get the point of the webinar across as early as possible. This does not require rushing the presentation, but the planning can be done in a way that helps to move further along the webinar without the audience getting bored.
· Not knowing numbers
The biggest thing about being a successful entrepreneur is knowing your numbers by heart. All the necessary costs including ad costs, registration costs, and conversion rates help to scale and have a bigger product or service impact.
· Checking for the follow-ups
This is a very common mistake that many people tend to make while indulging in setting up a business. Something that needs to be kept in mind is that not a lot of people will buy on the webinar initially but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen ever.
This makes it necessary to have a follow-up, provide value and sell the webinar over and over again. After the webinar doesn’t shy away from sending emails and telling the audience what is being offered. This means letting the audience know how attending the webinar might help them.
· Keeping a check on the deadlines
The best thing to do after knowing your numbers and nailing the virtual events is to set a firm deadline. A firm deadline is a prerequisite before the offer goes up in price.
A firm deadline helps the user to buy or not buy and creates the urgency and demand for the offer. One boundary of setting a deadline is to not create fake urgency but to plan the launches, demand, and desire for the offer.
· Complacency
Getting a hang of the virtual webinar platform, like Dreamcast, helps in many facets of the business. If a webinar has helped in converting and convincing people to go for it, then it is easy to understand how to do the same in the future too. Testing, tweaking, and trying out a new webinar with different topics helps in the long term run of the business.
BEST PRACTICES OF AUTOMATED WEBINARS
For the automated webinars to be successful it is very important to believe in them. If run correctly, the webinars help to free up time and run the business while focusing on every aspect. Here are a few best practices for automated webinars:
· Offering several times
While it is necessary to keep the audience engaged during the virtual show, it is also important to give them an option to set a convenient date and time.
When the time between registering for the event and the actual event increases, the attendance rates go down. Some of the options to solve this issue are-
- Just in Time webinars
- The out time should be 1-2 days at the most.
- Choose the time according to the time zone
· Keeping the audience engaged
Even though automated webinars are great, they are different from live webinars and they don’t help at the same rate as live webinars. Keeping people engaged is the biggest aim of the webinar. Some of the tips to do the same in case of an automated webinar are-
- “Live” training should not be used while making the presentation
- Don’t spend too much time on a slide
- Offer a bonus for the audience who stay around for a long time.
· Simple registration page
To increase the revenue, it is important to increase the number of people filling up for the webinar. For this to happen it is important to remember to keep the registration page as simple as possible.
The ads contribute to a large amount of money being spent on the registration page, but if the audience comes up to the page and does not fill it in because of a difficult interface, then all of it goes to waste.
· Make serving the aim
The virtual webinar hosting platform does not always convert the audience in the same way as the live webinars. One of the main reasons is the lack of a personalized feeling.
This generated the need to focus on serving the audience and giving them more than expected. An automated webinar is a great way to introduce the aim and as the selling possibility is low, it is advised to not push around the selling.
Make a soft pitch that gives the audience a chance to see multiple webinars before making their decision.
· Make the audience aware of the urgency
The follow-up sequence should be given a deadline related to the proposed offer. Make sure that the audience knows the dates of the closing of the offer which helps them to make decisions.
CONCLUSION
Automated webinars are a great tool and if used right, it makes a long-lasting impact on the income of the business. Even though the conversion rates are not as high as the live webinars, they help in scaling and generating income. The pitfalls mentioned in the article above should be avoided which might help in reducing the possibilities of failures on the way.
