Everyone knows that if you want to get a job done well, you need the right tools and the same goes for content marketing and webinars.
Webinars provide the most qualified leads of all lead generation techniques, so it should come as no surprise that 60% of marketers use webinars in their content marketing programme.
Having been around since the beginning of the Internet, back in the 1980s, there is a reason that webinars have withstood the test of time.
This reason is simple: webinars work.
So, why is it that webinars have become such an essential part of the marketer’s toolkit? Well, you’ll find the answer lies in the ranges of benefits webinars provide, such as:
→ Running Webinars During COVID-19: Everything You Need to Know
Now you understand the benefits of webinars, you can appreciate why they are an essential component of the content marketing mix. If you're a webinar novice, then you probably find webinars somewhat intimidating and risky, which is understandable. However, as the saying goes: “With great risk often comes great reward.”
Webinars are not without their downsides: webinars require weeks of preparation - from drafting the script to creating the assets and finally, hosting the live webinar. But, the return on effort (ROE) is much higher for webinars than any other component of the content marketing mix. Take this blog for example, it is much more time-efficient than a webinar and provides plenty of SEO value in terms of keyphrase visibility, but it does not encourage the same amount of engagement or high-quality leads and the audience cannot interact with the author directly like they can in a webinar.
However, this doesn’t mean that all webinars are live. In fact, there are several different types of webinars to choose from - each with their own pros and cons - including: live webinars, pre-recorded, or on-demand, webinars, Simulive and sponsored webinars.
Just like their namesake suggests, live webinars are exactly that: webinars that are broadcast live. Live webinars are the most effective type of webinar, as they drive up to 40% more B2B leads and 47% more engagement than any other type of online event. Attendees are also more likely to view your webinar in its entirety, as they have taken time out of their day to tune in live.
→ Learn more about live webinars
On-demand webinars are simply pre-recorded webinars. This means that they are recorded, edited and approved by your team before they are published. Hosting your webinars on-demand makes them more accessible to global audiences and allows you to create evergreen content by extending the lifespan of your content, as 30% of attendees will tune in to the on-demand version of your webinar.
Simulive webinars are on-demand webinars with live interactions, which is why they are often referred to as simulated live webinars. They offer the audience all of the benefits of a live webinar, while providing the presenter with ease of mind knowing they don’t have to present the webinar live. WorkCast saw an 87% increase in Simulive webinar attendance in 2019, and we expect this trend to continue into 2020.
Sponsored webinars are webinars that involve paying a third party to organize and promote your webinar to their audience. Therefore, sponsored webinars are perfect for those who are looking to make money from webinars, as publishers are able to charge tens of thousands for webinar sponsorship. Sponsored webinars are an effective lead generation tool, as the sponsor promotes your content to their audience, while also lending credibility and authority to your brand through affiliation.
Download our Complete Guide to Sponsored Webinars eBook
If we were to summarize the difference between each webinar type in a couple of short sentences, we would say: live webinars are broadcast live and are better for engagement, on-demand webinars are pre-recorded and are ideal for evergreen content, Simulive webinars are the best of both worlds and sponsored webinars generate revenue through sponsorship.
You may be asking yourself: “Well, which webinar type is the best?” The answer is none of them, they are all effective content marketing tools. Each type of webinar boasts its own benefits, so it is dependent on your business goals and objectives. If you’re looking to encourage attendee engagement, then opt for a live webinar, if you’re looking for the highest ROI, then Simulive is your answer, or if you’re still unsure, then you can ask your webinar provider and they can help point you in the right direction.
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