Getting even more conversion out of webinars
So, you carefully designed and executed an engaging, informative webinar. You got lots of new sign-ups and attracted some social media attention. Good job! All those leads are just a few precious clicks away from becoming new customers. Now that you’ve got their attention, how can you get them over the threshold and get them to convert?
It’s all about the follow-up. Your webinar is a powerful tool for getting people excited about your brand. But it takes a well-planned follow-up strategy to maximize the impact. Here are some ideas on how to follow up your webinar with smart, effective actions for boosting conversion.
#1 Provide excellent follow-up content
Your webinar offers leads a clear view of your thought leadership. Build on that initial trust by backing up your webinar with smart content. Experts say that you should always send out your first follow-up within 24 hours after the webinar. That means you’ll want to have content prepared and ready to go. Send out small pieces of follow-up content by email, or draw your audience’s attention to existing content on your site or social media channels.
It’s also a great idea to target in on specific questions that may have come up during the webinar. So, keep your follow-up flexible. Reframe your content as necessary to ensure it addresses concerns and interests that you picked up on among your audience during the webinar’s Q&A.
#2 Make it interactive
Be sure to include a survey either immediately following the webinar, or with a follow-up email sent within 24 hours. There are many excellent online survey tools out there to choose from. Look for one that you can embed into your follow-up emails.
Be sure to keep the survey short. Ask your audience just a few concise questions about their experience. Try asking things like this:
- Did you find this webinar useful?
- Would you recommend this webinar?
- Did this webinar answer all your questions on the topics?
- How did you find out about this webinar?
You can’t expect that every audience member will respond. But those who do take the time are likely to be among your strongest leads. That means their opinion really matters. And the insights they give you can help you improve your future webinar strategies.
#3 Make the playback easily accessible
The webinar itself is a great way to interact with leads in real time. But the playback is also an important content marketing tool. Most modern webinar platforms make the playback immediately available once the live stream ends. Be sure to link to the playback in your follow-up messaging.
Encourage sharing by including social media sharing options. Prominently display webinar playbacks on your company’s blog and social media channels too. It’s also a great idea to link to the playback in related content that you produce, such as blog posts or articles on similar topics.
#4 Give a free gift
Your webinar attendees are obviously interested in what you’ve got to say. A small free gift, such as an exclusive discount or trial offer, can be a great way to get them over the conversion threshold. You’ve already sparked their curiosity. So, now give them a little extra incentive to get to know your brand and its products better.
Exclusive in-depth content, like a whitepaper or eBook, can also be an attractive free gift. This gives you the chance to back up your thought leadership even further. Gated content like this can also play into your broader content marketing strategy. You’ll probably already have blog posts and social media posts out there that draw leads towards this gated content. Think of your webinar as a similar entry point into your brand’s thought leadership.
#5 Invite leads to your next webinar
Webinars are a very effective method for attracting leads. Once a lead has attended one event, be sure to follow-up with an invitation to your upcoming webinars too. People don’t sign up for webinars unless they’re interested in the topic. And if you make a strong impression during their first webinar experience with your brand, they will be more likely to return or refer people in their networks.
While you’re planning your future webinars, you may also want to remember some useful statistics from GoToWebinar. They find that 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. are actually the most popular times to schedule webinars, and that Wednesdays and Thursdays are the most popular days. They also find that people are most likely to sign up for a webinar just a few days in advance. You should start promoting as early as possible, but be sure to gear up your invitations especially during the week before the webinar.
Following your leads pays off
By applying these follow-up tips and tricks, you increase your chances of turning webinar leads into paying customers. Your follow-up shows that you care and also gives you a chance to show that your brand is a serious, organized thought leader in your field.
Always remember that webinars are not an isolated event. They should be fully integrated into your company’s content marketing strategy. This is the key to getting those leads across the conversion finish line.
