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This is another thing, the importance of which most marketers fail to realize.
Often, some attendees get free a bit early from their pre-engagements. Or they might feel it is better to log in 5 to 10 minutes before the webinar starts to avoid missing anything.
Sitting idly waiting for the webinar to start can create a lot of anxiety in the attendees' minds. Hence, it is advisable that you create a fun and lively lobby for your webinar attendees to “sit in” while they wait for your webinar to start.
This allows your attendees to relax, putting them in a better frame of mind. This builds their engagement during the webinar and ensures increased reception of your content.
Here are 5 ways in which you can entertain the early birds:
Play music in your lobby
BobMarley once famously said, “One good thing about music is when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
Such is the power of having any audio file running in the background while your audience is waiting for the webinar to start.
You need to ensure that if you open your webinar room for your attendees 15 minutes before starting the webinar, the audio file should be 15 minutes long.
Note: Remember to keep the music royalty rules in mind.
Upload a welcome slide
You should have one slide already uploaded on the webinar platform, which welcomes the audience or gives them information about the webinar.
You could also keep this as a slideshow that rotates and loops continuously in your lobby. This could include the title slide, a sponsor slide, an announcement, instructions, etc.
Make slides or hand-outs available for download
It is always easier for your audience to follow the context and content of your webinar if they have done some pre-reading.
You can support that by uploading your slides or some hand-outs before starting the presentation. This builds their engagement during the webinar and increases their attention toward your content.
Display your company logo
Displaying your company logo in the lobby is a great way to promote your company in a non-obtrusive manner. This increases your brand's credibility, helping you build trust with your audience.
Provide open chat
Virtual events bring with them a sense of loneliness. The feeling that we are alone at a place be it online or offline, leads to increased anxiety.
Allowing your attendees to chat with each other before your webinar has even started is a great way to break the ice and warm up your audience. It also leads to the free-flowing of thoughts, thereby easing anxiety levels.
You can ask simple questions like “Tell us where you are joining from. How’s the weather there?” This builds an assurance in the minds of your attendees that someone on the other side is responding to their presence.
Conclusion
Providing a great experience not only during the webinar but also before it can lead to great results for your efforts in producing one.
It eases your audience's anxiety and increases their engagement and trust levels during and after the webinar. Such small steps go a long way in converting your prospects to leads and then finally to customers.
For the most part, you can find a way to replace virtually anything you do during a physical event.
