Are you ready to get into the exciting world of webinars? Before you get started, there are a few things that you need to know to help ensure that your first webinar goes off without a hitch.

Preparation is the key when it comes to conducting your first webinar. By taking the time to take care of a few essentials ahead of time, you can reduce beginner’s stress and make sure that your final product is polished and professional.

1. Give Yourself Enough Promotional Lead Time.
You’ll need some time to attract an audience to your webinar. The industry-recommended standard is about two to three weeks. Any longer than that, and you’ll run the risk of having participants forget about the event. Any shorter and you may not be able to attract a large enough audience.

2. Do a Few Run Throughs of Your Webinar Content on Your Own.
This step is important for two reasons. First, you’ll be building confidence in your skills as a presenter. Second, you’ll be able to spot any weak points or potential problems in your webinar before you go live in front of an audience.

3. Test Your Equipment The Day of Your Webinar.
You’ll need a microphone for your webinar and if you’ll be doing live video, a webcam. Do a quick equipment test a few hours in advance to make sure everything is operational. This will give you enough time if you should have to replace anything.

4. Send out Reminders to Registered Participants.
Email your participant list a few days before and the day of your webinar to remind them. Make sure to include the time zone you’re in to avoid any confusion. You can also utilize services like Twitter and Facebook to help remind your audience.

5. Always Remember to Smile.
It’s all too common to feel stressed out before and during your webinar. By preparing you’ll be able to lessen that stress, and always remember to smile. Your audience will feel more relaxed and more engaged, and they will feel more engaged with the content you are presenting.

6. Utilize Interactive Elements.
An involved audience is an engaged audience. Remember to include polls and other interactive elements in your webinar. This helps you as a presenter by taking some of the burden off of you, and it helps your audience to feel as though you care about their opinions.

We all have to start somewhere, and while your first webinar may take some time and effort, the process will get easier and before you know it, you’ll be a pro!

Article Source: http://blog.anymeeting.com/webinar-best-practices/6tips-for-hosting-your-first-webinar/