Subscriber DK writes:
"Have you ever created, hosted, or participated in webinars? If so, can you recommend must do's and don'ts which improve the experience for the host and the viewers."
I have done all three, so while I do not consider myself a webinar expert, here are a few suggestions....
1-Use an established and popular platform.
That usually means www.gotomeeting.com. There may be others but I find this does the job.
2-Have at least two people as presenters...
Either two experts discussing the topic or one expert and one moderator who does the introduction and close.
3-Even if you do a great job, attendees may be shy about asking questions.
So prepare half a dozen good questions and give them to your moderator. If there are no questions at first and he starts asking the prepared questions, audience members will then
start asking questions.
4-Make your presentation slightly longer than needed to fill the allotted time.
If you are running out of time, you can speed up a bit. But if you finish earlier than scheduled, your goose is cooked.
5-For your Powerpoint, figure roughly one slide per minute.
6-Make slides simple -- one topic per slide, and all words easy to read without squinting.
7-Don't just present information, tips, and ideas.
Pack your presentation with specific examples. For instance, if your webinar is about writing headlines, show ads with great headlines.
8-Ask participants whether the sound quality is good.
If not, have your technician or moderator adjust.
9-Sometimes people listening through a laptop will complain about the sound quality. Suggest they use a bigger speaker.
10-Turn off the ringer on your phone and unplug any devices that could make unexpected noise (e.g., in my case, the fax machine) during the webinar.
11-Have a glass of water at hand.
12-Print a hard copy of your Powerpoint in case you lose access to the display of it on the screen.
13-Review your Powerpoint before the webinar so the material and order of the slides is fresh in your mind and you remember the point of every visual you included.
14-If you are afraid that your slides won't fully cue you on what to say, jot notes on the hard copy and have it handy.
15-Don't talk too fast or too softly.
Vary the volume of your voice to avoid a monotone.
16-If someone asks a question to which you do not know the answer, say you don't know the answer but will get it for them, and then do so.
17-After your title slide, the second slide should have the title "What we will cover" followed by a bullet list of the major points your talk covers.
18-Title the next-to-last slide "What we covered today" and repeat the bullet points from the second slide.
19-Say "Thank you" on the last slide.
Include your name, company name, logo, contact information, and even better a special offer.
20-Have at least a couple of slides with numbered lists of ideas or tips.
It adds interest to the promotional copy to have bullets that say things like "7 ways to do X."
Sincerely,
Bob Bly
Copywriter / Consultant
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This post appears courtesy of Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter. Bob Bly is the author of 70+ books and the man McGraw-Hill calls America's top copywriter.