What REALLY is a webinar?

Esteemed Community, hello!

We've all heard the term 'webinar' at one point or another in our lives. We all have a slight idea of what a webinar is and what it consist of.

But did we ever wonder what REALLY is a webinar? For example, why are webinars so essential in today's enterprise environment? Well, if the answer is negative, do bear with me for the next several minutes if you'd like to delve deeper into this topic.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

What would be your answer if I asked you to define a webinar? The typical answer would be 'a seminar held on the web, hence the name - webinar'. You're not wrong, but let us look at a more... formal definition of the term.

According to MegaMeeting website, 'a webinar helps businesses bring together a wide and varied group of people, albeit over the internet. To host a webinar, you will need to find a webinar platform that will help you share your presentation with others online. This webinar software will let you create your own virtual online meeting rooms that you and your attendees will use to view and follow the presentation. Presenters can also share their desktop screens, files, and any open applications on their computer or mobile device, with their audience during the presentation'.

Pretty cool concept, right? Let us then find out more about what REALLY is a webinar by exploring the benefits it provides.

A WEBINAR POSITIONS THE HOST AS AN EXPERT

'Authority' and 'credibility'. Two of the essential traits a webinar host harnesses by presenting it. Even though the participants don't have to pay anything to attend, they undertake certain operations (saving the date, clearing up their agenda, etc.) just to see and hear the host speak. Being free of charge doesn't compromise on quality, on the contrary - the host is viewed as 'pro bono' advocate in the industry, giving back their knowledge without being paid.

A WEBINAR BYPASSES GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES

We are witnessing historic times in terms of how connected the world is, as no other generation in human history could communicate any faster and easier than nowadays. Through webinars not only are you able to engage with hundreds of atendees at the same time, but they can connect from any corner of the world! You can already guess the amoun of added value a global audience can bring, right?

A WEBINAR KEEPS THE AUDIENCE ENGAGED

How exactly do webinars managed to maintain people's engagement for longer? It's such a simple answer! Firstly, because they are one-off events that take place ON AIR, the audience will make sure they attend, otherwise there's a thing called 'fear of missing out' (FOMO) which will get instilled in them. Sure, they can watch the recording and pause it whenever they like, but they'll never be able to get in touch with the presenter, ask questions and engage with our participants unless they attend.

A WEBINAR REACHES THE RIGHT TARGET AUDIENCE

Speaking of audience, it is but a known fact in the industry that webinars always reach the right audience for the message. Why? Because only the participants who are truly motivated by the topic will take their time to register and then attend the webinar; if they're not genuinely interested, they will just ignore it and move on with their lives. Not to mention the fact that webinars are an invaluable source of target audience information and insight, unlike physical meetings and events where attendees often merely listen passively.

A WEBINAR CAN EDUCATE / TRAIN

Last but not least, webinars have this undeniable ability to educate and/or train the audience. At the end of the day, that is why they're there - to learn something valuable. Be it to present information on a new product or service, online masterclasses or simply online schooling, webinars are a great tool for presenting stuff in a cheap, user-friendly manner.

THE BOTTOM LINE

In the digital era and especially during the global pandemic we are currently facing, webinars have proven to be an indispensable tool for information sharing. Get your weekly digest on new trends and technologies by subscribing now to the Community blog!