Webinar Software FAQ

The word webinar comes from the combination of the words “web” and “seminar”, and literally means hosting a seminar over the internet. Therefore, a webinar platform is used to gather a certain number of people in one virtual room and present something to them. Consequently, webinar software provides the ability to gather up to thousands of people online who can follow the host through a variety of presentation-sharing tools such as a whiteboard, screen sharing, handouts, and live chat.

Webinars are a proven method to create and nurture long-lasting relationships with customers. It’s therefore no surprise that companies have been taking advantage of this software to increase their sales. Furthermore, since webinar platforms provide various features to enhance attendees’ engagement – including polls and Q&As – calls to action are more likely to be followed by possible customers, translating into high-quality leads with a high conversion rate.

There are various occasions where webinars make complete sense. They can be used by marketers to showcase a new product, by teachers or field experts to teach an online class or course, by customer support to offer training or share a product update, and the list continues. Regardless of the session type, hosts can opt between giving live or on-demand webinars. The former is the typical webinar, but the latter offers the possibility of sharing pre-recorded presentations with attendees either via email or uploaded to the host’s website or social media profile. On-demand webinars also make hosting recurring sessions a piece of cake since everything can be set up beforehand.

Although it changes depending on the provider, webinars usually can be hosted and attended from any device. Moreover, in most cases it isn’t even necessary to install an application: participants can join through any modern browser by clicking the link shared by the host. Presenters, on the other hand, will most likely have to install the software on their computer or mobile phone to have access to all the necessary features to run a successful webinar.

Hosting a webinar is not that different than hosting a live event. It starts with a lot of planning, and when the big day arrives, you muster your courage, appear, and try to do the best presentation of your life. The big difference is that instead of being in a room with hundreds or thousands of people, you are in front of your computer in the comfort of your home or office.

When it comes to planning, webinar software providers usually offer an online dashboard where it’s easy to schedule and create the shareable links for the session. Once that’s done, you can enter the webinar room and start preparing all the necessary materials for the webinar, such as uploading handouts or creating polls. Everything can be prepped beforehand and it’s always advisable to double-check your webcam, microphone, and internet connection before starting the event.

As with any live presentation, it’s also essential to run interactive webinars. This type of software comes prepared for that, offering a vast number of features with the objective of increasing audience participation. By taking advantage of interactive tools such as polls, Q&As, and live chatting, you’ll enable participants to engage with you and each other.

There are also times when it makes more sense to have recurring pre-recorded sessions than a live one. Webinar platforms are ready for this too and usually offer a user-friendly dashboard where you can create, schedule, and automatically send reminders to participants.

When the session is finished, there’s still one last thing to do: the follow-up. Webinar software providers know how important this final step is, so they provide the option to set up the automatic sharing of recorded webinars on social media or via email.

How to participate in a webinar

Depending on whether you’re the host or one of the attendees, the number of devices that you can use to join a webinar may differ. For attendees, there’s nothing to worry about – most webinar software providers offer the possibility to join a webinar through any modern browser, working on both desktop and mobile. However, that’s not true if you’re the host. Besides the online dashboard, most companies offer desktop and mobile applications that you can use as you see fit, but the user experience often varies. While the mobile app is perfect for checking something quickly on the go, it often lacks all the features found on the desktop or online platforms. Furthermore, some webinar software providers only enable their customers to play with general settings online, while the desktop program is only focused on in-webinar configurations.

How is webinar software different

Webinars are just one of many ways to connect with other people online, allowing users to host live or prerecorded presentations for up to thousands of attendees. Web conferences and live streams are also popular ways to connect online but are built for different purposes. Consequently, it’s essential to understand the differences among these three distinct communication platforms. Web conferencing software centers on online meetings, so it supports a limited number of attendees while also lacking some of the unique features found in webinar software. And while social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram also enable users to host live streams, they are much more limited when it comes to engagement since they lack features like audience polls, Q&A functions, and whiteboards.

It can be a little difficult to tell the difference between webinars and webcasts: both involve hosting an online presentation or seminar, they share some of the same features, and even have similar names. With webinars and webcasts, you’re able to go from sending out invitations to rehearsing, presenting, and then analyzing feedback and reports. Both can be monetized too, with the ability to charge for registration fees or simply boost sales through a great presentation. Although webinars and webcasts may sound very similar, there are some key differences that separate the two.

Webinars

Generally, if you’re attending a webinar there’s a good chance you might be required to join in for some audience participation at some point. This is one of the key aspects that separates a webinar from a webcast and is why webinars are often a favored method of businesses to pitch to clients or make sales directly. However, webinars don’t always have to be live, you’re able to host prerecorded webinars as well – although at the cost of interactivity.

Webinars use specialist software, so you’ll have plenty of tools on hand to help boost interactivity and audience engagement. Like with webcasts, you’ll have polls or Q&As to get instant feedback, but you’ll also be able to share screens, share files, and add live chats. Webinars also enable you to change which camera is showing so participants can take center stage.

Webcasts

While webinars focus more on audience participation, webcasting is more about presentation. Generally, webcasts are done by a single host (unlike webinars where the focus can frequently shift) and can be more open, encouraging as many viewers as possible. While webinars may only be able to host a few thousand attendees, webcasts have the capability to reach an even bigger audience. However, there are times when webcasting may be more restricted, like when a company provides online staff training.

Another feature of webcasting is audience feedback, including polls and Q&As. There are also a lot of tools designed to help you deliver your webcast in the way you want, like hosting it on your own website, adding on-demand delivery, and allowing you to broadcast from different sources (for example, a webcam or satellite feed). Perhaps the most important feature of webcasting is you, the presenter, who will need to grab the attention of large audiences with an eye-catching presentation including slideshows, videos, and other types of media.

So, while there is a large overlap between what webinars and webcasts do, each differs depending on your goal. If you want to maximize your audience’s engagement, go for a webinar. If you want to put on a show, then webcasting is the choice for you.

Another common mistake is thinking that web conferencing software and webinar software are the same thing. They may both work over the internet and be capable of gathering people from all over the world, but they’re built with different purposes, and therefore have distinct characteristics.

From the descriptions provided earlier, you already know that web conferencing software is built with team collaboration in mind, while webinar software focuses on events where the host is most likely presenting something to a large audience. Consequently, both platforms provide tools to reach these objectives the best way possible.

Webinar software providers are known for offering solutions that support up to thousands of attendees. On the other hand, web conference software solutions tend to max out at participants numbering in the hundreds. That being said, you’ll usually find that the latter supports a higher number of shared webcams and audio feeds.

One of the main reasons people mistake web conferencing and webinar software so much is because they have various features in common. Nonetheless, there are some characteristics that you’ll only find in one that it wouldn’t make sense to have in the other. For example, webinar software provides the ability to run paid webinars, and web conferencing software enables users to lock their meetings a few minutes after starting them.

Evergreen content features information that is relevant for years to come. For example, a guide explaining how to cook rice is considered an evergreen page on a cooking blog because the technique won’t change much in the future. Evergreen webinars are basically the same. In other words, you can easily repurpose these webinars for a long time, allowing you to offer interesting content to potential customers with minimal effort, time, and cost.

Some examples of evergreen webinars are tutorials, FAQs, and how-tos. For instance, you can record a live webinar going over how to use your software and send it to new users after they sign up for your service. This lets you onboard new customers without spending time preparing and hosting a new webinar every week.

Evergreen webinars are also the backbone for any automated webinar strategy. In this case, users go over a list of prerecorded webinars as if it was a course. It can be a simple way for new users to fully understand how to utilize your service or to tackle a broader concept, such as how to solve specific problems in certain industries.

Finally, edited evergreen webinars make great YouTube videos and tutorials. You can expand the value of your recorded webinars to other platforms, maximizing their output. With just one webinar, you not only get content for a live audience but also social media, blogs, self-service customer support, and more.

When planning an evergreen webinar, the first thing you need to consider is making sure you don’t include information that can be quickly outdated, such as dates or mentions of current events. Then, you just need to make sure you use a webinar platform that records your online sessions and provides on-demand webinars. Finally, set up a registration page for lead generation, where people can access the content after signing up.

While it’s common for webinars to be live presentations, it doesn’t mean they always need to be this way. In fact, most webinar software providers also offer the option to pre-record webinars, which are the perfect type of sessions to provide training. Of course, recorded webinars are very different from live ones, and each type has its advantages and disadvantages.

A live webinar’s main advantage is audience connection. Since everything is happening in real time and you can take advantage of interactive features such as live Q&As, attendees will feel a greater connection with you and the brand. Live webinars are also faster to produce. And while they might not be perfect since there are always a few unexpected setbacks when doing something live, they don’t take as much time as pre-recorded ones, as editing can be very time-consuming.

On the other hand, pre-recorded webinars offer the possibility of doing everything on your own terms and taking some time to perfect your presentation. Besides not being visited by unpleasant surprises while presenting, you can also edit out your mistakes in post-production. Furthermore, if you’re not happy with the final product, you can always go back and re-record everything. Due to this, there’s not as much anxiety to be felt compared to hosting live webinars. The final product can be uploaded only when you’re 100% content with it.