Sunday, October 19, 2008

Using Web Conferencing as a Marketing Tool

By Chris Blanchet

Whether your goal is to build a house or a reputation, you can own all of the tools in the world necessary to accomplish these, but it would still not guarantee success. The difference between success and failure is how you use the tools. Therefore, a blueprint of sorts is required.

These days technological advancement, particularly where web conferences are concerned, provide a fantastic alternative for internal and external seminars. Not only does a web conference shave costly travel expenses but it allows your clients or employees to attend without setting foot outside their office or home.

Unsure how popular the webinar has (or will) become? For starters, an Ipsos survey on communication released in May 2008 suggests 5-year growth in the range of 500%. As well, consider a recent article published in Business Week (Sept 2008). Some companies are paying upwards of $300,000 for the hardware needed to host their own webinars (also known as web conferences). With that being said, there are much cheaper quality alternatives that start as low as $25/month.

However, a webinar alone does not "do" anything. Look at it as a seed. You have to plant that seed, water it, nurture it. With a webinar, you need to invite attendees but once everyone shows up you have to give them something. Internally, this is easy. Host a training seminar or new product roll-out. Often, it makes sense to use free trial periods this way so that when you pursue prospects, you will have developed some sort of expertise with the software. For external customers, watching that seed grow to the point where it bears fruit is much less easy.

Making this technology work for you will happen much easier with some good planning. That means coordinating your marketing and message. For attracting an audience, look at a highly targeted marketing program. In other words, don't invite existing clients to a web conference that aims to sign up only new clients.

With these easy tips at the top of your mind, you should offer your attendees a value-added reason to sign up for your web conference. A sales pitch by a mortgage broker, for example, might invite prospects to learn about different mortgage products, some of the difficulties facing applicants in today's economic climate, and how this particular mortgage broker can get the job done properly. Emphasis on your area of expertise and qualifications should be made throughout the web conference so that it will stick with attendees who may not be ready to sign up for a new mortgage at that particular time; either way, they will surely remember the experience as it is unlikely that your competitors are pitching to prospects the same way. Since not all readers are mortgage brokers, you will have amend these strategies to fit your particular niche. If you need help, contact me.

Regardless of how you wish to use a web conference, the technology is now cheap enough and good enough that you can achieve greater sales growth and eliminate a lot of expenses by using this method of targeted, mass communication. Not only will you solidify existing relationships with customers and employees, but will dazzle prospects.

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