Progressing our careers is something we fight fiercely for on a daily basis. Any bit of information we can take in to get to the next step is graciously accepted and worked upon. Training days, home research, and on-the-job experience are the common ways to really get a grasp of your industry in order to take it by storm. But they aren’t the only ways in which to do so.
Thinking outside the box is a skill many employers value in their employees. Taking a project and looking at it differently to progress and make it better is not only sought after but also a skill you can apply in other sections of your life. If it works within the job, why wouldn’t it work when trying to find ways to get better at your job? Webinars are a useful tool to use for some valuable information you might not find elsewhere. Here we take a look at why hosting webinars will boost your career.
What Is A Webinar?
Simply put, a webinar is a video workshop. They’re lectures or presentations that are hosted online using any kind of webinar software. The word webinar comes from the combination of the word “web” and “seminar.” They are used to share knowledge, ideas, and any kind of update with people situated all over the earth. Often business-related, they can be used to build relationships and authority within a brand or even demonstrate a product.
When attending a webinar, the general order of business will start with some sort of inspirational story. A speaker will tell everyone in attendance something that’s happened to them relating to the topic of discussion. Then there’s what’s known as the “meat of the webinar”; the speaker will discuss everything while showing some kind of slideshow—followed by a Q&A where all attendees can ask questions. This is the main difference between a video and a webinar – live audience interaction.
How Do I Host A Webinar?
You aren’t recording a video and sending it out via email to a prepared client list. You’re hosting a live show, a live talk, an interactive performance. Hosting a webinar requires specific software. It’s worth considering that not all webinar software was created equal, and some will leave you with mountains of technical difficulties. Finding the right webinar software for you and your clients is essential for everything to fall into place. Easy to use, fast-loading, clear software is going to make your attendees feel at home and ready to engage.
Why Should I Use Webinars?
If you’re trying to reach as many people as possible in all corners of the globe, then a webinar is the perfect place to start. A seminar limits attendees to anyone that is in the area, whereas a webinar can be done absolutely anywhere. Gone are the costs of plane tickets or any form of travel. All you need is the webinar software, and away you go.
If you’re an industry leader or someone that is influential within the industry, then people are going to want to talk to you. As you share your ideas with others, they can ask questions and respond, ensuring they understand everything you’re saying. The best way to show you know what you’re talking about is by answering questions you might not have prepared for before the webinar. If you can place yourself as knowledgeable, then people will want to work with you.
Being able to answer these questions will establish a form of trust between you and your clients or potential business partners. If you can deliver a webinar that’s captivating, interesting and piques the interest of everyone watching, then they are going to want to look at your paid products.
As signing up for your desired webinar software will require an email address, a webinar event is going to get you the contacts of hundreds of new leads. These are new people to work with, to talk to, to interact with. Who knows what could come from one simple email following your event?
Once the webinar is complete, you’ll have a whole load of content just waiting to be chopped up into smaller segments for other forms of media. Maybe someone asked a brilliant question, and you nailed the answer seemingly without thinking. This is now a post for Instagram, which, in turn, will lead to more business. Repurposing your webinar material will give you heaps of content that can potentially bring you more business.
Think outside the box. Do something different. Don’t stay within the construct of business norms. This way, you’ll be able to do things people haven’t seen before, and when that happens, your career will be at an all-time high. Use webinars wisely and ensure they are captivating and engaging, because if they aren’t, you may find they act in the opposite way.