Online Webinar: 10 Mistakes to Avoid

As we have come to understand in depth during this particular period, organizing effective online webinars is a true art form.

Many of us thought: well, what does it take, just take Zoom or Google Meet or Skype, and organize an online meeting . Only to discover later – usually after the fact – that it wasn’t exactly that simple.

Yes, of course, you don’t have to deal with those “concrete” aspects like booking a room or managing the speakers’ travel or the buffet for the guests, but there are many other things that shouldn’t be underestimated for the success of your online meeting.

In this article, we will talk about some of the most common mistakes we have encountered during our experience, in which we have organized and coordinated online webinars for clients such as Jacobacci & Partners, Studio Legale Jacobacci & Associati, Studio Legale Merani e Vivani and Gualapack.

In addition, we will be helped by the valuable suggestions of the HubSpot international team.

1. Confusing webinars and online meetings Online Webinar: 10 Mistakes to Avoid

Let’s repeat together: the online meeting is a meeting, aimed at a small number of participants, in which everyone speaks, comments, interacts in (anarchic) ​​freedom.

A webinar, on the other hand, is more like an event or seminar – but online instead of in a room.

So: when you think of a meeting you imagine a small room with a maximum of 10-20 people gathered around a table, when you think of a webinar you imagine a large room with a stage and 3-4 speakers who take turns, while a group of listeners listen – precisely – and interact at a very specific moment, the classic “are there any questions?” at the end.

When choosing the platform, therefore, it is important to take care to choose the “Webinar” option, which allows you to separate the speakers from the spectators, so as to be able to define the different roles they will have. The spectators, for example, must not be able to see the list of all the other spectators, and must be able to intervene only by raising their hands or through the chat visible only to the presenters.

One of the first differences that “jumps out” is that in a meeting all participants are visible, with webcam and microphone, while in a webinar only the speakers are visible, not the participants.

2. Not planning ahead

If the webinar is, say, October 1st, you need to start working on it at least 1 month in advance. Create a registration page with a well-designed form, send invitations and reminders well in advance, choose the platform on which the meeting will take place (Zoom or others)…

For full details on how to plan a webinar, read this article .

3. Invite only those you know
Webinars are often a way to convey information to your current customers, but also to potential customers, who don’t know you yet or have never purchased your product or service. Whether it’s a regulatory update or the launch of a new product, it’s a great opportunity to make yourself known to new potential customers. For example, you could do a little promotion on LinkedIn , even with a sponsored post aimed at a well-defined target.

Among other things, the advantage is that it is much easier for a potential customer to connect to the webinar from his computer, rather than physically travel to participate in an in-person event, so it is easier to “do the numbers”.

3. Not having a director

A broken microphone won’t ruin your in-person presentation, but the same can’t be said for online presentations. That’s why Ashley Ladd, Manager of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at HubSpot, says not having a backup plan for technical issues is a big mistake. “The internet is always solid until we really need it.”

Sometimes we think that since we are online, “everyone who speaks can do everything”. It is better, instead, to provide a support person who can take care of the direction or solve technical problems.

For our clients, we guarantee the online presence of one of our people, ready to intervene promptly in case of technical problems, or to support the speakers if they have any problems with the microphone or with the slides.

4. Pretend that mistakes don’t exist

If, despite all the precautions taken in advance, something unexpected still happens, it’s embarrassing… it’s ok.
Nobody’s perfect and one of the first mistakes in general that can be made is not to acknowledge one’s own mistakes.

Ignoring a mistake during an online webinar can be even more embarrassing than the mistake itself. It’s better to calmly admit the unexpected, especially given that this is a new reality for everyone.
Jon Dick, Senior Vice President of Marketing at HubSpot, also thinks so: “As the old saying goes: if you can’t hide it, include it! If you can’t share a slide, if your kids barge into the room, if you’re not on mute, don’t stress, relax, laugh and acknowledge it . ”

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5. Everyone to the open microphone

Let’s go back to point 1. If it’s already iceland phone number resource terribly annoying in online meetings when everyone keeps their microphones open, resulting in assorted background noises, think what can happen in a webinar with 300 participants!

The difference is that in seminars it is good bqb directory practice for listeners to simply be muted by default by the administrator/director of the event. They will have the opportunity to interact, for example, by raising their hand or writing a direct message to the administrator.

Speakers, on the other hand, will have the burden and honor of muting their microphone when they are not speaking.

6. Ignoring Q&A time
We mentioned earlier that spectator microphones are muted by default, but this does not necessarily mean that they should remain off for the duration of the event.

Every self-respecting seminar will have its Q&A session, also called Questions & Answers or Questions & Answers.

These can be managed in different ways Online Webinar: 10 Mistakes to Avoid

The administrator can automatically activate the microphones of all participants at the end (it works if there are not too many), or you can use the “raising of hands” option present on many platforms, such as Zoom, or you can collect all the questions that arrive in the chat during the event and answer each one. If there is a speaker who acts as coordinator, he can be the one to ask the questions to the other speakers.

It is essential, however, to “time” the webinar so as to be sure not to arrive too “long”, thus reducing the time for dialogue and sharing to the bare minimum.

Becca Stamp, Senior Global Learning & Development Onboarding Specialist at HubSpot, says a common mistake is not carving out enough space for conversation.

Jill Noonan, Senior Facilitator at HubSpot, also supports this: “Create interaction whenever possible. Whether in person or online, listening to just one person without any interaction or conversation can be very annoying for the listener” .

7. Being too impersonal

There are some virtual meeting contexts where being as formal as possible is almost mandatory.

In many other cases, during an online seminar, pushing too much on this aspect could have a dehumanizing effect in the eyes of your listeners.

Noonan’s advice is to show humanity by leveraging personalization. As she says, “a sense of humanity is very important. Knowing when and where to use personal examples or show your own vulnerability builds trust and shows that we are all on the same page . ”

It’s fine to prepare slides and show them, but it’s better to also make sure to show your face while you speak!

8. Don’t record the webinar

Online meeting and seminar organization platforms generally offer the possibility of recording the event. This is an opportunity not to be missed, because the material may be useful at a later time, as we will see shortly.

9. Not following up
Ok, the webinar is over, the cameras are off. Goodbye everyone? Absolutely not. One step you should never forget is the follow-up.

A few days (no more than a week) before the online event, be sure to send all participants a dedicated email, containing a thank you for participating, but above all a link to download the slides or to review the recording of the webinar.

It will be a good way to keep in touch, especially if they are customers, current or potential.

10. “Wasting” Webinar Content

Without a doubt, your webinar is full of interesting content for participants, but not only that… With the “cameras off”, take a moment to reflect on what emerged and how you could use the materials produced.

For example, you can use the content to create one or more “highlights” posts to share on your social channels, such as highlighting some memorable numbers or quotes.

You can choose to publish the full transcript of the webinar on your website: it is a super strategic move in terms of SEO, and to “extend” the life of your content. Memo: using automatic dictation in Word or other similar programs, the work of “transcribing” becomes much easier.

Or, if you don’t want the information to be visible to everyone, you can publish a follow-up page on the site, inviting those interested to register to receive the slides and/or the webinar recording, in order to acquire new leads.

Read also “ Circular economy of a webinar: the content that produces content ”.

How many and which of these mistakes have you already made? Keep this list in mind and think about it the next time you schedule a webinar for your company.