Recently, the world decided that they’d work-from-home for a while. COVID-19 has forced many organisations (including ours) to revaluate how they could continue to operate online. With the full impact of the virus still uncertain, businesses will likely be looking to make some dramatic process changes that will continue long after this pandemic is over. The need to host discussions and disseminate information is still alive and well. Organisations are going to need to develop new ways of working in order to maintain a consistent approach during these unprecedented events.
Webinars are a form of online communication that have recently increased in popularity even before COVID-19. A webinar is an online meeting or presentation held via the Internet which enables participants to discuss and interact in real-time. Webinars make holding seminars, conferences or meetings possible at any time or place. Anyone can participate in a webinar without leaving work or whilst staying at home.
There are four main types of webinars:
- Educational Webinar: typically modelled after the structure of a lecture. This is often the most popular form of webinar and is used to showcase expertise in a specific subject to help increase the audience confidence. Often the facilitator will share their screen and the focus of the session will be on a specific presentation.
- Audience Driven Q&A’s: These webinars have a more interactive element than educational webinars. They are generally driven by the queries of the audience. These webinars are simpler to prepare for – ensuring that you are prepared with the right information to answer their questions.
- Panellist Discussion: this is where you have a group of panellists discuss a certain topic that is decided beforehand. In these sessions, the moderator drives the discussion and the panellists respond with their ideas or experience. There might be an opportunity at the end for audience members to ask questions.
- Workshop: these sessions involve a facilitator guiding the audience in a step-by-step manner on what needs to be done. In this style of webinar, you can either share your screen or show them a PowerPoint presentation so they can follow along with you.
There are many benefits to hosting a webinar, the most obvious one is cost. By using an online conferencing platform such as Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams or Zoom you are saving hundreds of dollars on additional costs such as venue hire and catering. The other benefit of hosting a webinar is in the area of marketing, particularly in lead generation. An online webinar can help to promote your products and services directly to real-life customers and help you to further establish long-term personal relationships with potential customers.
These are uncertain times, but there are ways to ensure your organisation still reaches its strategic objectives. If you’re interested in understanding how a webinar or online presentation can help ensure you continue to connect your people and your customers, get in touch today!