TWENTY SAMPLE ANSWERS thus far to yesterday’s SURVEY (still open)

What do you believe would be the most compelling presentation within a webinar?

In my training experience, I always found panel discussions to be the best out of the choices you have outlined. Case studies on a webinar sometimes take too long and expert interviews are only as good as the attendee belief that the person is a quote expert. The more you can engage your attendees on a webinar the better. Webinars can be quite boring if you are doing most of the talking.

Chris Lyons
Training Programs Director at EBI Consulting

The major determining factor would be the subject or content to be presented. Another important factor would be the perceived value of a given expert or specific panel members to the target audience’s interest’s and needs. A case study, must include numerous elements (interesting graphs/statistics, photos, expert sound-bytes, etc.) that serve to fully engage and inform the webinar viewers to be most effective.

So, as in all advertising it comes down to your target audience, the topic (product) and finding the best possible way to influence or inform your viewers.

Bret Sanders

President at Strategic Media Investments

It really depends om few factors:
– Who is your audience and what is their tolerance level
– What is the subject of the webinar
– How long is it
– Wbat do you expect your audience to get out from the webinar
When you put all these together then you can figure out what to do, your audience being the very first factor in deciding how to do it
Are you discussing a subject that you can entertain yourself with few examples and explanation then have Q&A
Is your audience advanced so a case study will make sense to them
Would the panel discussion elaborate on the subject or debate each other or complement each other

Sahar Andrade

Out/Inbound Marketing Consultant/ Cultural Diversity Coach/ Speaker- Motivational Speaker

I find that webinars are most engaging when you can bring one or more experts to discuss a topic.

I can find case studies, charts, information from google searches, but it’s very hard to find a couple experts in a live discussion.

Matt Dunlop

Architect of industry altering web applications

In this order:

1) Expert
2) Panel

Mike McRitchie

Director of Operations at RealCom Associates, LLC – Optimist, Synthesizer, Business Builder

It really depends on what you are selling and how big your of an audience you have. It also depends on this being a sale of a marketing effort.

I’ve moved away from webinars as a sales tool because it’s tough to build any type of engagement or dialogue. It always feels flat and the audience leaves uninterrested.

Brian Murphy

Sales, biz dev and blogger

Global conference calls are somewhat facing sinilar challenges today; How to engage the audience, how can it be more meaningful, interactive and achive the set objectives of the Webinar…

It is always refreshing and resonably interesting to have panel discussions. As this has multiple experts and different view points but the downside is it needs to head the right direction to meet the required result of the webinar.

Shiv Kumar

Marcom Specialist

Having hosted numerous web-based product demonstrations, my experience has been that the more “real-life” examples you can share with your audience the better. We have all sat through sale presentations, but the more you can educate and share your working knowledge, the more effective it will be for all parties involved.

Lisa Kenny

Experienced Online Marketing Professional

I believe that the most effective presentation within a webinar would be a panel discussion.
Think about it: your visitors are spending time and energy to attend your webinar so give them a chance to ask questions and interact with your company.
In addition, the web is now becoming a place for active interaction between an organization and its audience so do interact with them!

Rachel Kanat

Marketing & Biz Dev for accountants, lawyers, service providers-Founder at K&A Marketing

As had been said previously, it all depends on what you’re selling and what you’re trying to accomplish on the webinar. We only use case studies with prospects and they function to show the prospect what we’ve done for other companies in their industry and most importantly what it will be like to work with us. Case studies can also work to express your process and evidence.

Lilly Ferrick

New Business Developer at Forma Life Science Marketing & Forma Industrial Design

An expert interview, where the expert was explaining to everyone else how he/she was successful (closed the big deal, booked the order, etc) would be most effective because all others would learn from it.

I’ve done this, called “sales success stories” many times.

David G. Wick

Experienced, Accomplished Sales & Marketing Leader

I have to agree with the first poster, engagement is the key. Any kind of learning experience is heightened when the student is able to interact with the presentation.

It is also extremely important to have solid, relevant content to your audience. If you’re doing an Advanced Facebook seminar, don’t bore your listeners with the basics of setting up a page and posting. They already know how to do those things and are looking for more sophisticated techniques. Be relevant to your audience.

Andrew Gall

Director of E-Marketing at The Gall Group, Inc.

I agree that it depends on the audience, the subject matter and their tolerance. It also depends on the panel and the moderator. Choose them wisely. Personally, I don’t find panels to be a good use of my time. The information might be good, but it takes too long to get there.

Barbara Barker Bjork

Experienced Change Agent and Brand Evangelist

his is a great question, it’s nice to hear some people are putting more thought into webinar content – but it really depends on your audience.
Are they a captive audience (i.e. employees?) Then Case Study is where it’s at to provide them with facts and figures to help them do the best job they can.
Is the audience a mix of clients and employees (Sales Managers and Distributors for instance)? Then I would get high ranking officers of the organization to host an expert panel and also participate themselves.
Is it just clients? Then I would go for a panel – this will be perceived as a valuable “seminar” you have organized for them.

Michelle Marquandt

Social Media and Online Marketing Consultant (Independent Consultant)

The answer depends on your audience. Remember the three rules: timely, relevant, actionable. Whatever your content or format, if you hit these three your webinar will be a success. I’d also say that if your objective is to generate new business or to advance the sales cycle, keep it brief with hooks to compel attendees to engage with you after the webinar – which will yield opportunities to get closer to your client/prospect and increase the odds for conversion.

John Skelly

Founder and CEO, 500lb Marketing Solutions

The content is the key, not really the format. From a comment above

“I’ve moved away from webinars as a sales tool because it’s tough to build any type of engagement or dialogue. It always feels flat and the audience leaves uninterrested.”

A webinar is a sales tool just like a white paper or a piece of collateral. If it is just a sales pitch, I would imagine that the audience will leave uninterrested about 4 mins into the webinar.

Compelling material that is useful and actionable is what will work.

Patrick Mullen

Acting Director of Marketing at OurMed.org

I’d really ask how long is it and is it interactive in any way. Personally I love the really short ones where you jump right to the heart of the matter. Additionally short webinars can be stored for later viewing even on mobile devices or short daily travel