The wonder of webinars

The lock-down, and its lesser cousin, the partial-on-off- lockdown, may be challenging for traditional face to face events, but it is driving increased engagement in the likes of the vod, pod and web cast.

As a communications tool, when these online video-based events are done well, they can have real benefits, enabling relevant and timely engagement with your key audiences – from your own staff through to partners, suppliers, and customers.  The medium, which is by nature quite intimate and personal, also has many inherent strengths from enabling complex and technical subjects to be brought alive through to the highlighting of participants’ areas of expertise, knowledge and, crucially, their understanding of what matters to their target audience.  It can also help shape and reinforce your business’s personality – and, quite literally, show the human side of your operation.

But these are not always done well.

As with any communications strategy, no matter what the form of delivery, the content needs to be clear and concise – and ultimately meaningful, relevant and of use to your audience.  You need to know who you are talking to, what you want to say, and understand why it is of interest.

Acceptance of, and engagement with, webinars in particular is undoubtedly on the rise, and the format, due to Covid19 restrictions, has become increasingly relaxed in nature – with panellists often broadcasting from their own kitchens, living rooms and garden sheds.  So, as more and more of our clients, and their customers, enter into the webinar world as part of the new normal, I have been reflecting on some of the more practical tips I have learnt over the years as both a host and a participant.

Do Position yourself

This is all fairly obvious, but many still don’t seem to get it right. Position your phone or computer camera around eye-level and ensure your head, shoulders and a third of your chest is in view, while leaving some space above your head.  Try to face a window if you can, avoiding direct sunlight. Whilst traditional advice is to go for a plain background and a pale/pastel top, in the wake of  the pandemic I think it is now okay to have a more personal background, such as a book case – just make sure it is not too interesting and not too cluttered behind you. Shut the cat out and try not to jiggle in your chair.

And do try to look at the camera, not yourself or the other speakers, if possible; and if you can do that all the way through, then please let me know how…

Do Practice

Set it up as above, and then, practice chatting away. Record it, review it, and then play with the set up and positioning.  If you need to make a presentation, or have something that you need to get word perfect, and can’t work with post-it notes (other brands are available) or prompts, then practice reading from a document at the top of your screen, subtly scrolling as you go.

Do Prepare

If you are a guest, ask for the heads-up on the nature of the questions you will be asked, what areas the host is intending to cover and of course who will, or should be, watching.  Do prepare your answers, but don’t have a script or learn the answers off by heart – just stick to a few bullet points to remind yourself what you wanted to cover, and maybe some killer stats or quotes. As with any live event, the audience warm to people who are relaxed, natural, and authentic. Reading out highly polished answers will just not work. Stumbling over your words is not a problem. And if you don’t know the other participants, make a note of their first names for easy recall.

Do Listen. Listen, listen

Listen. Be present.  It is all too easy when one of the other guests is speaking to switch off and focus on what you are going to say next – after all you have prepared some fantastic answers. However, if you don’t listen, you are not present, and you will be disconnected from the flow of the conversation and may well repeat what someone else has just said or miss a vital cue.

Don’t Prattle on

Try not to waffle, but be authentic, clear, concise – but not too concise. Throw in real examples to highlight your points and help paint a picture in the viewer’s mind. Smile and engage. And if you tend to ramble – and I know I do, especially when under pressure – then pop a note on your screen to remind you to keep it simple. Once you have made your point, stop, and pause - this signals to the chair that it is time to move on to the next point and the conversation can flow more naturally.

Do promote

Webinars work best when they are supported by a co-ordinated and well thought-through social media campaign. This is not only about promoting the webinar itself, and your expertise, but about continuing the dialogue afterwards.  Social media can enable the issues raised and the discussions started to continue online, or can help you pull in new viewers long after the event is over.

And finally…

No matter how much it may pain you to listen to it afterwards and to watch yourself in all your glory you must do it – as that is how you can learn what worked or did not work for you – be that clothing choice, positioning, expression of your points. And be honest in your assessment – and ask others for their honest feedback.

Webinars are a great communication vehicle to have in your toolbox - especially in these unprecedented times and something our clients are increasingly embracing.  

To find out how Full Circle and our PR+ approach can help you develop and deliver impactful communications across a range of channels and engage with your clients please get in touch at info@fullcirclecomms