7 Key Areas To Maximize Your Webinar Program

The Best Practices Survey for Webinar Hosts was conducted by DemandGen Report and includes feedback from 119 executives in companies who use webinars for Lead Generation, Demand Generation, Social Media and related purposes. The survey was conducted in July and August of 2010.

The feedback came from Directors of VP, CEOs and Sales/Marketing
executives in a variety of verticals, from software and business service to finance, healthcare and media/Internet.

The survey skewed to companies with less than $50M in revenue (62.9% of respondents) and 1-50 employees (40.9%).

New research indicates that webinars, now well-established as a vital marketing tool for many companies, continue to rise in popularity. Almost 75% of companies surveyed recently by DemandGen Report have increased the frequency of webinars they host, with more than 38% increasing hosted webinars by more than 21 %. The “Best Practices Survey for Webinar Hosts” also revealed that companies must differentiate their webinars through interactivity, using social media, Web 2.0, engaging content and compelling presenters.

As webinar technology continues to improve and become more sophisticated, and as more attendees are aware of the benefits of viewing a webinar, the use becomes more widespread. All indicators point to the continued growth of the medium as a successful marketing and educational tool. This white paper will reveal the results of the Best Practices survey, analyzing responses from ‘113 companies that currently host webinars. The paper will uncover the most important trends related to the benefits and use of webinars by these experienced webinar users, including insights and comments from survey respondents and other industry experts.

Best Practices Survey Snapshot
~ 84% use webinars for lead generation
~ 75% have increased frequency of webinars in the past year
~ More than 50% use Linkedln & Twitter for webinar promotion
~ 21 % have had best success with 30-minute format
~ 31 % planning shorter events in 2011
~ Industry analysts and customer case studies draw best response
~ Interactive features are becoming more important
~ Ease of use/setup are top consideration in choosing a platform

1. key areas to maximize your webinar program:

1. Growth of Webinars

1. Webinar’s Role in the Lead Gen/Saies Pipeline: Measuring the Success of a Webinar

1. Integrating Social Media and the Webinar

1. Winning Webinar Strategies (Speakers, Formats, Incentives)

1. The Benefits of Interactivity Before, During and After Broadcasts

1. Improvements in Webinar Technology – Best New Features

7. Post -Presentation Reporting, Follow-Up and Marketing