Live webinars are usually better at establishing a psychological relationship between the presenter and the audience. A good presenter who “works the crowd” establishes rapport and credibility while adding interactive elements and responding directly to audience members’ interests. Audience members also get a sense of exclusivity and being a part of an event. They are there with others who have similar interests at a one-time happening. All of this tends to make people a bit more receptive.
As a presenter, you have the opportunity to poll your audience, read their chat questions and comments, and respond accordingly. This can help you with focus, identifying places where the audience may be confused or disinterested and allowing you to adjust your emphasis.
It is easier to drive a call to action with a live audience as well. I do an ongoing series of webinars with one of the major web conferencing vendors. We ask viewers to fill out a feedback form at the end of the webinar. It is available to people who watch the recording as well. But we get more than ten times the response rate from attendees at the live event as from recording viewers. People see a recording as passive entertainment. They sit back and take it in, and are much less likely to interact or take positive action.
The big downside of a live event is that your audience has to be available at the time you offer it. Even if they think they can attend, conflicts can arise that force them to join late or leave early. It can be hard to find a single time that works well for multiple time zones.
Recorded presentations offer a lot more flexibility of access. They work for you around the clock, and interested parties can view them at any time, even watching part and coming back later for the rest.
I think it takes more work to create a polished, professional recording than to deliver a polished live presentation. When making a recording, I usually build a complete script so I am not fumbling for words (preserved for ever more). I also try to condense my presentation and make it much more focused and fact-driven. People will not concentrate on a recording for the same amount of time that they will concentrate on a live webcast. They want to get in and out as fast as possible.
Ideally, you will be able to use a combination of live and recorded presentations in your marketing, sales, or training. If you look at my Webinar Success website, you’ll find short prerecorded presentations on a variety of topics, each no longer than 6 minutes. But you’ll also find a promotional link on my home page and an “upcoming events” page where I can drive people to attend longer, more detailed sessions. The combination of the two lets me take advantage of the benefits each has to offer.
From Ken Molay