Webcasts

A webcast is a live video stream of an event or conference. Webcasts are polished, high-quality videos that bring your event to life on the internet.

One of the biggest benefits of a webcast is that it allows you to extend the reach of your event to thousands of people from around the world, rather than being confined to your physical event space. 

Wondering how webcasting works? Essentially, it’s broadcasting over the web. Webcasts can be streamed live or on-demand and require your audience to tune in, watch your webcast video stream, and engage by submitting questions and participating in polls.

If you’re wondering what the difference is between a webinar and webcast, you’re not alone. Although both webinars and webcasts are referred to as online events and help presenters connect with audiences, there are some key differences.

A webinar is a web-based seminar (web + seminar = webinar), which often takes the form of a presentation and utilizes PowerPoint slides, webcam, screenshare, video and audio. The defining feature of webinars is their interactivity and audience engagement, as they are all about two-way communication and allow for audience contribution via polls, Q&A and more.

Whereas, a webcast is a live video stream of an event or conference and is designed to reach large audiences of thousands. Think of webcast more like a television show than a seminar - as it has a TV/studio-like quality and allow you to bring a psychical event to life. 

So, there you have it. When it comes to webinars vs. webcasts, webinars are online seminars that allow for a two-way flow of communication and webcasts are live video streams that provide one-way flow of information.

If you’re wondering how to do webcasting, you can rest assured that you can create a webcast video stream in 10 simple steps:

1. Choose your team i.e. speakers, guests and moderators
2. Select the best day and time to run your webcast for maximum engagement
3. Choose the platform you would like to stream your webcast e.g. the WorkCast platform
4. Set up your webcast studio in the right environment with suitable equipment
5. Secure sponsors for the webcast - if you’re streaming a live event
6. Decide on a topic and create engaging content for the webcast
7. Select whether you would like to stream your webcast live or on-demand for viewers
8. Spread the word: promote your webcast using social media, email marketing, landing pages and more
9. Do several dry runs before you do your webcast 
10. Send your audience a post-webcast email with a link to the posted webcast to extend its shelf life

Webcasts are no longer reserved exclusively for global sports events and large-scale conferences, which is due to webcasting equipment becoming more readily available and inexpensive. As the use of webcasts grows, the more people want to know how to do a live webcast. 

When it comes to live webcasting, whether you’re streaming a small event or conference, the 9 steps for running your webcast are the same:

1. Plan your live webcast like you would any event i.e. choose your presenters and speakers, date and time, studio, topic and content
2. Choose your webcast platform e.g. WorkCast Stratus
3. Promote your webcast via social media, email marketing, landing pages and more
4. Set up your webcast studio in the right environment with the appropriate equipment
5. Set up your webcast in the back-end of the platform pre-event
6. Practice, practice, practice - do a dry run to ensure your speakers and guests are prepared
7. Run a test stream to test your internet and audio levels before you go live
8. Ensure you have a backup plan for video, audio and the internet in case anything goes awry
9. Follow up with your audience post-live webcast with a thank you email and a link to the on-demand version of the live webcast

So, you want to know how much the WorkCast webinar platform will cost? Whatever your business goals, or budget, we have a price and package to suit your needs.

Firstly, we have the Present+ self-service webinar package, which costs £95 (approx $116 USD) per month and allows you to run up to live and on-demand webinars using our platform for up to 500 attendees. Features for this plan include having access to 3 events experiences per month, embedding events on your website, webcam & screenshare, polls, event reporting and HubSpot workflows.

The second tier of our webinar packages is the Producer package, which costs £395 (approx. $480 USD) per month and enables you to run live and on-demand webinars and virtual events for up to 5,000 people. You’ll benefit from the ability to host on-demand recordings and upload video content with this plan, as well as having access to 5 event experiences, 1 custom experience, embedding, polls, webcam & screenshare and more. 

The third tier of WorkCast’s webinar plans is the Enterprise plan, which is considered the “full white glove experience”, as it is fully managed and supported by our Events and Customer Success teams. It encompasses bespoke requirements, allows you run live and on-demand webinars, virtual events, live video streams and webcasts for up to 50,000 people. Features for this webinar package include multiple event experiences, custom experiences, advanced reporting and polling, integrations and much more.

However, the cost of this plan depends on your business requirements, so for a quote you will need to contact WorkCast to speak to one of our experts.

If you’re still in the deciding whether WorkCast is the right webinar platform for you and your business, then you’ll be happy to know that you can try WorkCast for free with our 14-day trial. 

With our free webinar trial of WorkCast Stratus, the most powerful webinar platform on the planet, you’ll be able to run live webinars with no plugins, no downloads and no barriers for attendees, create custom, branded webinars and create bespoke landing pages and event emails.

With our webinar trial you can supercharge your lead generation, increase audience engagement and grow your business - all completely free of charge.

Want a free demo of WorkCast's platform before you purchase? No problem. You can request a free demo of WorkCast Stratus to receive a free customized webinar demo for your project with one of our webinar experts.

You’ll also receive case studies that are relevant to you and your sector and insight into webinar success, best practices, prices and packages.

WorkCast has multiple online event packages to suit your business needs. The short answer is yes, you can pay per use. If you wish to purchase a one-off managed webinar you can speak to one of our webinar experts to discuss your online event requirements, so that we can give you a quote.

In the meantime, you can get a free demo of WorkCast Stratus to determine whether our platform is suitable for your business needs.