4 Tips for Planning the Perfect Webcast for Demand Generation

A webcast can be a highly effective tool for demand generation and lead generation. But only if you can engage audience members to get them thinking fondly about your offerings and create customer loyalty. A basic lecture or “talking head” product presentation won’t cut it for today’s audiences, who expect more from nearly every entertainment experience — even an educational or marketing webcast.

Here are some webcast tips to boost audience engagement which, in turn, should expand the capacity it has for lead generation.

1. Use a Variety of Media throughout the Webcast

   Talking heads on the screen can be boring. But so is a plain old PowerPoint presentation. Mix up the media during your webcast for optimal engagement. Consider creating animations and short videos to liven up the presentation. If you have multiple guest speakers, bring them together for a panel discussion. Anchor your webcast with a personable moderator that can keep things moving.

2. Choose the Right Presenters

   The right presenters can make or break your webcast. No matter how good your pre-event promotions or the technology you use to produce your webcast, your webcast may fall flat if your speaker isn’t fun, lively, and engaging.

   You should be choosing your presenters for their knowledge and dynamic speaking capabilities. But also consider their network. They should be influencers in their field, to a degree, who can use their social media accounts to help you promote the webcast to their fans and followers.

3. Leverage Hashtags for Cross-Platform Engagement

   In addition to establishing social media campaigns to promote the event, use hashtags before, after, and during your webcast to increase engagement across platforms. Make sure your hashtags are memorable and unique. Share them with presenters before your event to start generating buzz. Make sure the hashtags are on all promotional material, including digital and print marketing materials you might share.

4. Make It Easy for Your Audience to Interact

   Once you’ve got your attendees’ attention, you want to keep it. Make it easy for your audience to interact with chat rooms, polling, and Q&As. Make it easy for your marketing team, as well, with technology to create post-event follow-ups that will build loyalty and keep the customer relationship going — and growing — long after your webcast is over.