Teaching with Zoom

Are Webinars Worthwhile?

There is a lot of free information on the net. So why your audience want to listen to you?

You have to have something to offer

Something that’s loads better than what is out there on the net. It’s got to be special.

information/advice you cannot get elsewhere
perhaps you have expertise in an area others don’t. Rare knowledge or experience to share.
you’re given handouts and resources not found elsewhere
or perhaps you are doing a one-off special event
You’re offering some advanced training.
a wealth of information all in one place (rather than scouring the internet here there and everywhere).
“This is a one-off opportunity because…”

Something practically worthwhile

If whatever you are offering will help people, then they will be willing to join. But the important thing is that you have a GENUINE desire to want to help people. And those of you who just want to blag through it all just to earn some money – you will be sure to fail.

All the great YouTubers for instance that I listen to have 10s of thousands of subscribers. No doubt they are earning quite a nice sum from Google Ads etc – but I don’t begrudge them for earning all of that. Have you seen how much effort they put into those videos?

They go the extra mile. So should you.

Because your honest and dependable

Some YouTubers have masses of followers because the people delivering them seem like genuinely good honest people who want to help.

Don’t be scared to show your personality. Have fun. Enjoyr your time with your participants and they will come back to listen to some more. You may even develop a loyal regular audience.

Use your webinar to transform ideas and visions.

Top Tips

Pay attention to detail

First of all, if you advert or website where users will sign up (called the landing page) looks bad, then they won’t join because the more professional the look, the greater the attractive factor.

spelling errors and typos
bad grammar
poor formatting
ugly webpage
poor quality video
poor quality audio

Get your IT sorted

Poor IT is a nightmare. A nightmare for you as you will get flustered. A nightmare for your audience who will lose the will to live trying to understand what you are saying.

So, set up things well in advance. Thinks like Zoom meetings – all in advance.
Make sure passwords have been sent out.
Send emails to attendees in advance – telling them how to log in, and if anything needs doing before hand e.g. pre-course work/exercises/videos to watch etc.
Invest in some good audio and video equipment.

If you then do a webinar with a hazy video or poor audio, don’t expect your audience to return. Remember, they are paying for this, so you should be doing your bit by investing in some good equipment.
I suggest:

Microphone – Blue Snowball
Video – Logitech Brio or Logitech C920

Limit the numbers

If you limit the numbers, not only will you have a more interactive time with many of the attendees, but limiting the numbers means that you’re saying your webinar is exclusive. And exclusive means something special – which will whet the appetite for many.

So, sometimes restricting the numbers can get a full house compared to unlimited numbers.

Make it a series of webinars

Rather than doing a 8 hour webinar, how about splitting it up into 4 x 2 hour seminars. And offer them for the same price. In this way…

You won’t be exhausted in the end
Your attendees wont flag or be exhauster neither
£100 for one webinar might seem to many as a bit expensive. But £100 for 4 webinars seems a bargain.

So, create a series of seminars, where one flows into the next. Or make them independent of each other – up to you. The advantage of the latter is that someone who can only attend the 2nd, 3rd and 4th “episodes” does not need to necessarily have attended episode 1.

Ask what they want to know

At the end of the day, the purpose of your webinar is to deliver on what your audience wants to know.

So, to make sure your webinar is fit for purpose, why not ask them? Get them to sign up via a button, which not only signs them up but takes them to a webpage where they are asked the question “What 2-3 things would you like to get out of this session” and the space to reply via a comments section.

Make space for a Q&A session

So, sometimes restricting the numbers can get a full house compared to unlimited numbers.

Make it engaging and enjoyable

Use Zoom’s chat facility for your audience to post their thoughts.
or make use of the whiteboard.
Use interactive methods like polls and quizzes where you can. Create amazing polls with Google Forms.
Break out rooms.
If using Zoom, check out Padlet

Inject humour. Don’t just talk through a PowerPoint. Mix it up. Engage with your audience. Answer their queries. Break up the session and use several educational methods.

Give them something to leave with

This might be something as simple as a certificate.
Handouts and Workbooks.
A free online learning course you have developed.
An e-book you have written.

Make them feel like they’re leaving with immense good value. And make sure it is genuinely worthwhile. You are not here to fake it – you won’t get very far if you’re offering something which looks good on the outside but hollow on the inside.

Get some feedback after the event

Rather than doing a 8 hour webinar, how about splitting it up into 4 x 2 hour seminars. And offer them for the same price. In this way…

You won’t be exhausted in the end
Your attendees wont flag or be exhauster neither
£100 for one webinar might seem to many as a bit expensive. But £100 for 4 webinars seems a bargain.

What price do I set?

Only you can decide. If you know your specialty well (which I hope you do), then you must have some idea of what others are charging. Use that or something lower as a starting measure. People wont join if you’re too expensive. If you’re too inexpensive, you could be underselling yourself. Remember, the aim is to deliver something where EVERYONE is a winner.