By Stephanie Walden
The Webinar Gets a Rebrand
Taking Online Seminars from Snoozy to Snazzy
Let’s face facts: “Webinar” is a snoozy buzzword. It feels like it belongs in the virtual broom closet, next to other relics of the early dot-com days, such as “chat room” and “dial-up modems.” But the tool—which, if we’re celebrating birthdays, is quickly approaching the legal drinking age—is still a valuable way for brands to connect with consumers. And with the recent emergence of many sleek new features and services, it’s easier than ever to add a little oomph to this stereotypically
dry platform.
First, let’s talk nomenclature. In 2017, the webinar underwent a rebrand. Today, it’s more common to hear about “webcasts” or “virtual panels.” (And it’s worth noting that even snazzy-sounding platforms such as Facebook Live have webinar functionalities at their core.)
While we’re on the subject of semantics, if we dig into the word “webinar”—a hybrid of “web” and “seminar”—it’s easy to draw a direct comparison to the classroom. As with any class, the professor and the subject are the two most important factors that dictate enrollment, engagement, and, ultimately, educational value. Just as History of Rock and Roll is more likely to garner student sign-ups than Chaucer’s Complete Oeuvre, a webinar titled “What Breaking Bad Can Teach Us about Business Partnership Dynamics” will likely attract more eyeballs than an overly technical topic, no matter how topical.
On the host side of the equation (the professor in the classroom metaphor), webinars are fertile ground for effective influencer marketing. Unlike forced product placement plays on Instagram, webinars provide unique opportunities to use top-tier talent in an engaging (and often ROI-boosting) way.
Geniecast, for example, a relatively new player in the videocast space, boasts an impressive talent roster that includes big names such as Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak. Users can watch informative content and interact with hosts in two-way, live video experiences. The content is intended to facilitate professional development, leadership training, employee engagement, and edutainment.
Playbuzz is another company putting a cutting-edge spin on this old-school technology. The brand incorporates its own product into its webinars, using interactive storytelling techniques that get viewers involved via polls, quizzes, flip cards, and trivia questions.
Shopify does an effective job of product placement within its Facebook Live sessions and Snapchat channel. The brand hosts series such as Meet a Maker and Build a Bigger Business, combining client success stories with utility advice from established entrepreneurs. Viewers ask questions, and the show’s hosts (supplemented by Shopify support staff) respond in real time.
Sprout Social’s YouTube Live webinars are also created with social media in mind. In Sprout Sessions, 30-minute webinars capture sales leads via a virtual conference call, encouraging attendees to ask questions over social sites such as Twitter or YouTube chat. This ensures a ripple effect that keeps audiences engaged long after the session itself has ended.
Modern webinar-hosting software platforms are masters of multitasking. They often include useful features such as mobile screen sharing, text chatting, live-streaming, easy recording (so that content can be repurposed on social media after the fact), app integration, easy landing page customization, and interactive elements such as polls, surveys, and quizzes.
Webinars don’t have to put your audience to sleep—and with the exciting tools available today, it’s easy to go from boring to brand-boosting content in mere minutes.
