Live webinars are a vital content marketing tool that almost all companies can benefit from. But although this marketing platform offers numerous advantages, it does have a few downsides as well.
Chief of those is the number of resources required just for one live event. Even if you host one live webinar a week, you will still need to allocate time, effort, and resources and do everything again the next time you host a webinar.
Suppose you want to reap some of the benefits offered by a live webinar (plus a few added perks) while investing fewer resources. In that case, you should strongly consider making an automated webinar.
Webinar recording tips for newbies
Using automated webinar platforms enables you to take advantage of the momentum you have built. This allows you to turn your focus on other aspects of running your company.
Ready to record your first webinar? Here are the steps that you need to take (plus a few webinar recording tips).
Step 1: Brainstorm a topic for your webinar
It is tempting to cover a lot of ground, especially if you are recording your very first webinar. And understandably so because you are passionate about your company and your products or services.
However, your attempt to cover as many topics as you possibly can in just one go can backfire. For starters, you might not be able to discuss important things. Or if you can talk about numerous topics, you might only be able to do so on a superficial level.
Even worse, you might create the wrong impression in your viewers. Your viewers might perceive you as an amateur because of the lack of depth of your presentation.
The easiest fix for this issue is to stick with the main topic and break it down into three subtopics. But why narrow down your focus on just one topic?
The main reason you should cover one topic for your webinar is that you will effectively discuss such an issue, allowing you to provide value to your audience and boost your reputation as an industry expert.
Second, a keen focus on a single topic enhances your viewers’ ability to grasp and understand the concepts you present.
And finally, narrowing down your talk to a single subject allows you to ensure that your webinar does not run more than it ought to. Remember, your viewers have limited time, and you have to respect that.
Step 2: Write a script for the webinar
Before you record a webinar, you should take the time to write a script based on the topic you have selected previously.
But why even bother writing a script if you know the topic you are going to cover by heart?
Whether you are hosting a live event or recording a webinar, it is always a good idea to start with a script. The script acts as the anchor of your webinar, allowing you to stick to your topic and deliver your message consistently.
Although the actual script that you will write and use to record your webinar will depend on a few factors like your chosen topic, format, etc., there are a few key principles that you should know.
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Know your audience
Specifically, find out which topics resonate with your target audience. Log on to online communities on platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and Quora and lurk to get an idea of the common questions you can cover in one of your webinars.
Welcome your viewers
Start your webinar by greeting your viewers and introducing yourself. During your introductions, mention your name as well as your credentials, including your experience. This will help establish your expertise on the subject you are going to tackle.
You may also want to give attendees who are not familiar with the webinar platforms a quick primer on how it works and what to expect from your event.
However, you have to ensure that you keep the introductions short and sweet.
Set the webinar’s agenda
After the introduction, give your viewers a rundown of what you will cover for your talk. This will help you make sure that your audience’s expectations are set and met accordingly.
Flesh out your content
The main portion of your webinar should break down the main and subtopics at a granular level.
For example, if you will demonstrate how to use a product or service, you should outline all the steps involved.
End with a CTA
Although it is tempting to prompt your viewers to perform a few actions, you will get better results using just one call-to-action.
Limiting your CTA to just one will prevent confusion on your audience and boost the chances of them performing your desired action.
Step 3: Prep your slide deck
You’ve written a script, why then should you create a slide deck?
Apart from helping you keep pace with your talk, a high-quality slide deck can help mix things out, enabling you to show exactly what you want instead of just telling or narrating something.
A good slide deck contains four essential parts: title, introduction, agenda, and the main presentation.
Title
The title deck should contain the title of your talk and a few details like your name and contact details.
Introduction
This slide deck contains the picture and important information about the speaker. If you have guests joining you for the webinar, you should also include an introduction slide for each of them.
Agenda
This slide deck gives your event attendees a quick snapshot of what to expect from your webinar.
Presentation
The rest of the slides in your deck will complement your talk, offering visual representations of the ideas you are covering.
In creating a deck, be sure to keep things simple. Use fonts that are highly readable and avoid flashy graphics and transitions.
Step 4: Practice
The great thing about recording webinars is that you will have ample time to polish your presentation.
Before you record your webinar, set aside time to go through your script and deck to make sure that you have covered everything you want.
This is also a great opportunity to edit and weed out the non-essentials. Be ruthless so that you will end up with a taut script before you record a webinar.
Go through your slide deck, watching out for typos and mistakes that can hurt your reputation. When in doubt about a piece of information, it doesn’t hurt to spend a few minutes online to check.
Enlist someone for a table read. This will help you practice your delivery. Plus having someone listen to you means you will be getting instant feedback.
Step 5: Record your webinar
Once you have polished your script and deck and practiced a few times, you can now record a webinar.
While recording, there are a few things to bear in mind to help you record the best webinar.
Look at the camera
During your presentation, do not forget to look at the camera, especially at the start of the webinar. It may sound fairly simple, and yet it is easy to forget. Looking at the camera during all of your webinars enables you to connect with your audience by showing sincerity and credibility.
Use visuals wisely
The correct visuals can drive your point home. But as with most things, too much of a good thing can be bad. Use visuals only when you need to. Do not let your webinars turn into a slideshow.
Speak slowly and clearly
Some people tend to speak faster when they feel nervous. And when you talk fast, your audience will have a difficult time understanding you.
Try to speak slowly and deliberately, enunciating your words clearly. There is no need to hurry.
It is also a good idea to vary your presentation’s pace, giving your audience room to pause and digest what you have presented.
Don’t make logistics an afterthought
Before recording a webinar, take the time to find a suitable area for this purpose. Ideally, this location should be free from unnecessary noises and interruptions.
Although you can edit automated webinars, it is better to get things right from the start.
Watch your recording before uploading
Once you are done with recording the webinar, watch it in its entirety. Pay close attention to mistakes that you need to polish during editing.
Step 6: Publish and promote your webinar
Now that you are done with the harder parts needed to record a webinar, the next order of business is publishing your final output.
Start by uploading your video file on your chosen webinar software. After that, you can develop a landing page for it as well as outline your promotion strategies.
You can start by promoting your webinar on your social media platforms. You might also want to use paid advertising to widen the reach of your webinars.
Start recording your first webinar
Webinar recording can be a daunting task, especially if you have little to no experience.
But if you follow the steps outlined here for recording webinars, you will find that the task is not as scary as you first thought.
With practice and feedback, you will be doing webinars like a pro.
