I attend several webinars each month to stay current on user experience, web work, accessibility, and WordPress. And I really appreciate it when they’re run well.
There’s a lot of work to do when you’re planning a webinar to make sure it’s run smoothly.
As a webinar attendee, I expect it to
- Start and end on time
- Have several takeaways I can act on in my projects or reinforce something I already know
- Provide time for questions
- Have a moderator who manages the webinar and responds to issues/questions.
If you’re planning a webinar, you can’t go wrong following the tips in this infographic from ClickMeeting.
If you prefer, check out the text version of the infographic.
Powered by ClickMeeting Online Videoconferencing
Key Takeaways
Tip 1: Don’t Panic
Well, maybe just a little. In real life, people take bold steps, stumble, and recover.
Learning to deal with annoying glitches is part of becoming a great webinar producer.
Tip 2: Present Your Agenda
Show them how organized you are. You remembered to get organized, right?
Tip 3: Get to the Point
“Um, let’s see. What’s first? How’s everyone doing?”
Get to the point, or your audience will soon disappear.
Tip 4: Engage Your Audience
Dramatize the pressing problem you’re here to solve. That’s why they showed up.
Tip 5: Watch the Clock
You want them to say, “Please, don’t stop,”, not “Please, no more.”
Tip 6: Organize Your Q&A
You can’t read, type, speak, chat and type chat all at once.
Appoint a chat assistant to free you up, so you can respond to questions intelligently.
Tip 7: Dread the Dead Air
If things go haywire, just talk about it.
They need smart-you, not perfect-you.
Tip 8: Be Confident
And if you don’t feel confident, fake it!
Gradually, you’ll feel more confident and become a better presenter.
Tip 9: Keep it Positive
Don’t advertise mistakes by dwelling on them.
You can obsess after the webinar.
Tip 10: Summarize and Say Goodbye
Build momentum until you cross the finish line, then wave, bow, and go.
Added Bonus: Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 Rules
- 10 slides. Cover 10 fascinating ideas, not 132 boring ones.
- 20 minutes. Brevity allows for pre-show dilly-dally and post-show Q&A.
- 30 point. Big clear fonts reduce wordiness and assist elderly eyes
Love your tips. I think I have horribly violated Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 rule – but next time!
Hey, Virginia! Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the tips. My favorite tip is to make sure there’s a moderator to troubleshoot connections, track questions, and be aware of the time. I’m looking forward to your ARIA webinar March 27!