Webinars are great for sharing information, establishing thought leadership, and generating new leads.
Successful webinars usually have an interesting topic, helpful information, and, perhaps most importantly, a fun and entertaining presentation style.
No matter how well you’ve prepared, though, you may still worry about this question:
What if nobody shows up?
The average webinar attendance rate is only 40%, so it’s normal to feel a little nervous as your webinar approaches.
But don’t worry. There are some strategies you can apply to maximize attendance on your big day. To help you get started, we put together a quick list of five key methods for maximizing your webinar attendance.
Way #1 Pick the Right Day and Time
No matter how great your webinar is, you’re in trouble if it conflicts with potential attendees’ schedules.
Conventional wisdom says to host webinars from Wednesday and Thursday around ~1 PM EST to avoid the busiest times of the work week.
Source: ON24 Webinar Benchmarks Report
We know of a few surveys that support this convention. WebinarGeek learned that people prefer 1 PM EST on Wednesday or Thursday, and StealthSeminar found a similar preference for Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.
But remember that holidays and time zones can make things wonky. Don’t schedule for the Thursday before a three-day weekend and always keep your customers’ time zones in mind.
Way #2 Create a Great Thank You Page
You can prime people to attend the moment they register, with a great thank you page. This should be the page people see right after they submit their information.
What makes a thank you page great?
- Thank them for registering: The simple act of “saying thanks” makes people more likely to reciprocate with kindness (like, say, attending your webinar!).
- Show some personality: Include a video so they can get a feel for your presentation style and build a personal connection.
- Highlight testimonials: Positive remarks from previous attendees create something called social proof.
- Include an “Add to Calendar” button: Busy people rely on their calendars, so you should make it easy for them to add your webinar.
Way #3 Offer an Attractive Incentive
Which sounds better to you?
“Attend a webinar”
Or…
“Attend a webinar and get an exclusive free ebook”
Probably the second one, right?
Exclusive and free are powerful adjectives. “Exclusive” draws people in with scarcity and “free”, well, we all love getting things for free!
Consider creating an ebook or report specifically for your webinar. We know it’s a little more work, but it can be a difference-maker when attendees are on the fence.
You can even get creative with incentives – Lessonly Drives 60% Virtual Event Attendance with eGifts During COVID-19
Way #4 Send Timely Reminder Emails
We all have a lot going on in our lives. Despite our best intentions, it can be easy to forget something like a webinar.
You can help people remember by sending well-timed reminder emails.
Try sending emails…
- One week before: Don’t just remind them of the date – remind them of the value they’ll get, too.
- Day before: Focus more on highlighting the date.
- Day of: Last chance! Send them a reminder about an hour before your webinar starts.
Way #5 Harness the Power of Social Media
Did you know that 76% of American internet users are on social media? That makes it a great way to keep in touch with potential attendees.
In addition to sharing posts about your webinar, here are two other ways to take advantage of social media to increase your webinar attendance:
Create an event for your webinar: Facebook allows you to create events (here’s how!). Attendees can then easily RSVP on their Facebook profile.
Run Facebook remarketing ads: Facebook lets you target only the people who registered for your webinar with something called custom audiences. Show them friendly reminder ads as your webinar approaches.
Our dedicated team can help with graphic design tasks, email marketing integration, landing page design, and automated marketing sequences, to set up your webinar. If you require any of the above, then get in touch with us today.
You’ll never get 100% webinar attendance, but by implementing the tips above, you’ll be set up for a great webinar experience!
