Maximizing Your B2B Webinar Strategy: From Promotion to Post-Event Value Extension

B2B marketing has always been about reaching and connecting with your audience to showcase your credible expertise, and webinars have become a popular method for B2B companies to connect with their audience. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this trend, with companies of all sizes leveraging webinars to engage their audience and do business.

According to data from ClickMeeting, the number of webinars increased five-fold from March 2019 to March 2020, attracting millions of attendees. However, this influx of webinars has also led to a phenomenon known as “webinar fatigue,” where the sheer number of webinar invitations can lead to apathy and lethargy among potential attendees.

It is 2024, and your B2B marketing strategy may feel as though it has outgrown webinars, especially with sales reps now able to meet clients in person again. However, many opportunities still lie in integrating online webinars into your strategies. In a competitive landscape where informational platforms are pots of gold, webinars for B2B decision-makers can dramatically change the game for your business.  

Planning for B2B Webinars

When your webinar can function independently as a promotional asset for your brand without needing additional context, it indicates that your branding strategy is robust. Develop a webinar branding strategy that aligns with your marketing objectives, whether your aim is to draw in more qualified leads or to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.  

A strong strategy begins with defining your brand in relation to your product or service, rather than the reverse. This brings us to another crucial element—consistency. The most effective webinar branding strategies focus on establishing a cohesive voice, image, and presentation.

This way, when your audience encounters a product or service you provide, they immediately associate it with your brand rather than a competitor’s. 

The purpose of webinar branding is not merely to enhance the visual appeal of your webinars; it serves as a means to help you achieve your business goals. Therefore, set your webinar objectives first, and then create a branding strategy that supports these aims to ensure your success.  

Select key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with these goals. For instance, if your objective is to attract leads at the top of the funnel and initiate their first interaction with your brand, you might track metrics such as the number of new email subscribers or scheduled meetings with your sales team. Alternatively, if your goal is to engage qualified prospects and persuade them to purchase your product, you would want to assess attendee engagement levels during the event, conversion rates, and so forth. It’s also beneficial to review examples of successful webinars as you work to identify these metrics.  

Before you embark on crafting your webinar branding strategy, clearly outline the goals you wish to achieve and the methods you will use to measure their success. A successful webinar branding strategy necessitates a well-defined vision of your desired outcomes.  

Crafting a Webinar People Want to Attend 

In a Statista survey of 859 U.S. marketers, more than half said there were too many webinars, while only 13% wanted more. Therefore, to create a successful webinar for B2B companies, it’s crucial to address these challenges effectively.  

When planning a webinar for B2B companies, the first step is to determine a topic that your target audience would find interesting and valuable. Conducting market research can help you identify trending topics or areas of interest in your industry. Look at what your competitors are discussing in their webinars, the topics of popular books or programs in your field, or use tools like Google Adwords or Amazon to identify popular search terms.  

Remember, the goal is to offer value to your audience. Your webinar should provide actionable insights or solutions to common challenges faced by your audience. In other words, your webinar should be a class you could sell and make a lot of money doing so.  

Designing a High-Converting Registration Page  

To capture the interest of potential participants, begin by crafting an engaging title. Your webinar title, along with any email subject lines promoting it, should be straightforward and concise. Additionally, it should prominently feature the logo, tagline, or other elements of the brand being showcased.  

Next, the content of the event must be compelling, interactive, and designed to keep your audience eager for more—while simultaneously fostering a favorable association with your brand to ensure it remains memorable. The content should address a specific customer challenge and cater to the needs of your target audience. Ensure that your brand is frequently referenced during audience interactions, such as through visuals displayed during polls and surveys, or by having the host mention your company’s name while facilitating the event.  

Don’t overlook the importance of case studies and testimonials: Audiences are often more attracted to webinars that incorporate genuine feedback and real-life examples, which can enhance your brand’s credibility and leave a lasting impression on your consumers.  

In your webinar branding, captivating content can attract (and retain) large audiences. To elevate your webinars, consider inviting a dynamic host who can enliven your material. If feasible, use the same host (or group of hosts) for each webinar to establish a consistent face for your brand.  

Once you have a compelling topic, the next step is to design a registration page that converts visitors into registrants. Here are some tips to consider:

• Attention-Grabbing Title: The title should be catchy and directly speak to what your audience is looking for.  

• Visual Appeal: The design of your registration page should be clean and professional. A poorly designed page can turn potential registrants away.  

• Clear Value Proposition: Outline what attendees will learn from the webinar. Typically, three bullet points highlighting the key takeaways can be effective.  

• Credibility Boosters: Include your picture and bio to establish trust and credibility. If people don’t know who you are, they are less likely to sign up.  

• Social Media Share Buttons: Although this doesn’t directly affect your opt-in rate, it allows others to share your webinar with their networks, thereby increasing your reach.  

Overcoming Webinar Fatigue

Organizing a webinar is akin to arranging a live event; it involves a similar sequence of planning, promotion, event design, and execution. Just like in a physical gathering, maintaining audience engagement is crucial for the success of your webinar.  

With the increasing number of webinars, overcoming “webinar fatigue” is crucial for attracting attendees. Here are some strategies to consider:  

• Keep It Short and Concise: People are already suffering from the physical and mental effects of too much screen time. Therefore, keep your webinar short and to the point.  

• Provide Valuable Content: Ensure your content is easy to follow, avoids repetition, and presents the necessary information without being too long-winded. Infographics can be a useful tool to convey complex information in a visually appealing manner.  

• Include an Element of Surprise: To stand out from the crowd, add unexpected elements to your webinar. This could be a guest speaker, interactive quizzes, or live demonstrations.  

• Promote the Live Webinar: While it’s important to offer on-demand viewing options, emphasize the benefits of attending the live webinar to create a sense of urgency.  

• Send Reminder Emails: Humans are often forgetful, so sending reminder emails at strategic intervals can help increase attendance rates.  

How do you promote webinars? 

Webinars serve as incredibly effective tools for promoting a wide range of products and services, offering a unique platform for engagement and education. However, it’s important to remember that webinars won’t simply appear at the doorsteps of potential prospects; they require proactive outreach. These specialized events need to be effectively marketed so that attendees are not only aware of them but also motivated to register and participate.  

In previous sections above, we have delved into the intricacies of producing high-quality webinars, and we will continue to explore those aspects here. However, it’s crucial to emphasize that without a solid promotional strategy in place, your webinars may not reach the audience you desire. Effective promotion is key to maximizing attendance and ensuring that your valuable content is seen by as many interested individuals as possible. 

Email Blasts 

Email marketing is a highly effective channel for promoting webinars, with 57% of marketers rating email as their top driver for webinar registrations. With email marketing, you can greatly influence the turnout of your attendees.  

It is essential to maintain a list of previous participants and potential attendees, allowing you to craft an engaging message that highlights why the upcoming webinar is a valuable opportunity. A fascinating aspect of email marketing is the necessity to send a series of emails in a planned sequence.  

You might start by sharing a relevant blog post or article that connects to the subject matter the webinar intends to cover, acting as a teaser. You can follow up with another email that introduces the topic of the webinar and extends a formal invitation to join. Additionally, when blasting invites, it’s crucial to try out various subject lines, as this can significantly enhance your webinar marketing efforts in the long run. Leverage A/B tests, experiment with different header images, and personalize the body text, along with other components of the email invite. 

If you have recordings from past webinars, consider sharing brief clips or highlights. Additionally, sending reminders just days before the event is crucial. Always remember to incorporate a strong call-to-action (CTA) in every email, enabling interested individuals to register easily.  

Sending a follow-up email just hours before the webinar is another vital step, and don’t forget to express gratitude with a thank-you email after the event, including recordings or feedback for those who were unable to attend. Understanding how to effectively record a webinar is key to enhancing your email marketing efforts.  

Lastly, ensure you obtain consent from participants before adding them to a regular mailing list, and always provide content that is relevant to your audience. 

Display Ads 

Display ads serve as an excellent strategy for increasing awareness of your brand and promoting your webinars to a wider audience. Promoting your webinars through display advertising allows you versatility; you can effectively utilize them at various stages of your marketing funnel. This multi-channel approach allows you to reach potential attendees at different touchpoints in their decision-making process.  

When you combine these display ads with robust email marketing campaigns, engaging social media content, and blog marketing promotions, you can create a powerful synergy that can significantly enhance your lead-generation efforts. 

Furthermore, implement display remarketing ads, especially during a live webinar launch for your products or services. These ads remind attendees and visitors of your own solutions. Remember, people often need to see an offer multiple times before purchasing. Retargeting display ads effectively increase visibility and encourage potential customers to act before the offer expires. 

Social Media Buzz

To ensure your webinar gains maximum visibility, promote your webinars across all of your social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. This is an excellent opportunity to engage your audience and encourage them to share your posts with their own networks. Additionally, social media serves as a powerful platform for mobilizing your network, allowing them to help promote your content by liking, commenting, and sharing your posts.  

On LinkedIn, you might also want to explore the effectiveness of direct messages and InMails to reach out to your connections personally. Utilizing LinkedIn automation software can streamline this process, allowing you to bulk send messages while still maintaining a personalized touch. This approach can significantly enhance your conversion rates, as it enables you to tailor your outreach strategy to fit the unique preferences of your audience.  

Repurposing Webinar Content 

When the live event ends, the value of your webinar should not. It’s easy to overlook the need for post-event webinar promotions. However, to effectively educate and inform your B2B audience and maximize your webinar material, repurposing and syndicating your webinar content is your best foot forward. Repurposing webinar content can significantly broaden its reach and generate leads well beyond the event. Here’s how: 

• On-Demand Webinars: It’s important to recognize that not everyone will be able to attend your webinar in real time. According to Contrast, 5 out of 10 webinar viewers only watch replays. This means offering your webinar as an on-demand resource lets you engage more prospects. You’ve already invested time and resources in creating and holding your webinar, anyway, so this extra mile lets you maximize the reach of your webinars. 

• Blog Posts and Infographics: Some individuals prefer consuming easily digestible content—whether shorter snippets or more visual formats. So, consider breaking your webinar content into multiple blog posts or creating engaging infographics. These assets can be shared across social media, newsletters, and even content syndication networks to drive ongoing engagement and reinforce your brand while reaching new audiences. 

• Whitepapers and E-books: If your webinar covered complex or comprehensive topics, consider creating a whitepaper or e-book to provide deeper insights. This approach not only enhances the value of your original content but also provides a new avenue for engagement with your audience. Syndicating these long-form pieces behind gated content can drive ongoing engagement and serve as powerful lead-generation tools, offering value in exchange for contact information.  

• Online Courses: For webinars that focus on skills or detailed knowledge, transforming the material into an online course presents not only an engagement strategy but also a monetization opportunity. Online courses can keep your audience engaged long-term and provide a steady flow of qualified leads while establishing your brand as a thought leader. 

Repurposing content doesn’t just extend your webinar’s value—it enhances your content syndication strategy and boosts search engine rankings by distributing content across multiple platforms. This approach increases your reach, drives organic traffic, and maximizes the return on your investment by continually generating new leads and engagement long after the live event. 

Webinars, Connecting You and Your Audience

Webinars as part of your B2B marketing strategy is a two-way communication opportunity. It is both a content material and an event platform. For those looking to establish or expand their online presence, webinars serve as an effective, cost-efficient, and engaging method to achieve this objective in a relatively short timeframe. This format allows you to create and share presentations with large audiences effortlessly.  

Moreover, you can vividly illustrate the value of your business in real-time through webinars. Coupled with a question-and-answer session at the conclusion, this approach will help address any objections potential customers may have, ultimately generating excitement about purchasing and utilizing your company’s offerings. 

Webinars are a formidable marketing tool for generating new leads and business opportunities. They can facilitate the acquisition of leads more rapidly than many traditional methods. By offering your knowledge and expertise first, you will cultivate trust and credibility, allowing you to make recommendations for your offerings in a natural and seamless manner at the conclusion of the session.  

Position your business for growth. DemandScience can further help your business gain extensive reach to promote your webinars. Don’t hesitate to reach out.