8 Essential Live Stream Webinar Production Tips

For a cost-effective alternative to physical events, webinars are the way to go. It’s proven to help around 76% of marketers reach more leads, 75% extend their brand reach, and 69% scale up their marketing efforts. However, some marketers still hesitate to jump in, concerned that only 40% of listeners actually pay complete attention from the beginning of a live stream webinar all the way to the end.

So how do you prevent attendees from treating your event as background noise and reap real rewards? Here are the essentials for producing a live stream webinar that attendees will be eager to take part in up to the very last second.

1. Go with a Reputable Live Stream Platform

While you might not need to waste money booking a fancy conference hall for a virtual event, securing a professional digital space for your attendees should definitely be on your to-do list. A quality live stream platform can raise the tone for discussion—as opposed to ‘going live’ on mainstream social media platforms. Dedicated virtual event platforms allow the streamlining of event operations such as registrations and email marketing while also allowing you to support webinar viewing on various device types. Long story short, a good webinar platform equips you with all the tools you need to deliver a top-notch webinar.

2. Invite Passionate, Influential, and Charismatic Speakers

The personalities lending their voice to your platform can make or break your webinar. Though a compelling discussion topic is a good starting point, your choice of renowned experts and thought leaders is a surefire way to leverage your event and attract your target audience. That said, you should consider the following to help you identify the right speakers to invite:

• Who is the most relevant and accessible speaker to talk about your specific topic?
• Who can actually present a fresh perspective on your topic rather than repeat the same mantras?
• Who can draw in your desired audience and keep their eyes glued to their screens?

To make things more interesting, if you’ve invited several speakers, why not arrange a panel discussion? Conversations between these experts can both entertain the audience and deliver novel insights. And if they differ in opinion? Even better.

3. Assign Moderators and Facilitators

The last thing you want to do is put more pressure on your host by making them juggle other tasks throughout the event. Just because they will be hosting remotely, doesn’t mean they should be multitasking. Unless you want a scatterbrained host, you need not shy away from having moderators and facilitators in your webinar. Consider assigning different team members to handle live chat features, webinar admissions, and troubleshooting. Having a full crew on deck will help your host focus all their energy on engaging with the audience.

4. Encourage as Much Audience Participation as Possible

Your attendees are not just viewers, they are participants. As you outline your program and craft your host’s script, make sure that you will be utilizing your live stream platform’s features to the fullest. Can audiences comment with questions? Vote in polls? Take quizzes during the webinar? Can you arrange breakout rooms after the program? If so, use these elements to create an engaging experience!

To make sure your audience isn't just passively listening, it is crucial to provide opportunities for Q&A and interaction throughout your event. Have moderators on standby to ask insightful questions to speakers and constantly check in with the audience. This helps keep dead air at bay while pointing the discussion in the right direction. And since there’s a lot of room for distractions online, don’t forget to keep reminding participants — early birds and latecomers alike — their reason or end goal for attending your webinar.

5. Create Visually Appealing and Dynamic Presentations

In order to keep an audience’s attention for 30 minutes to an hour, your program’s going to need some graphics-based pizazz.

Out with the all-text basic slides and in with the image-heavy presentations. Make your slide deck aesthetically pleasing. It is commonly advised that you stick to one color palette, use straightforward messaging, space out information, and maintain plenty of white space to improve readability and impact. Also, consider using different types of media throughout your webinar. Maybe you could employ more infographics in your discussion? Or you could utilize the share screen feature for demonstrations? Better yet, why not play a short video or animation to make a point? Don’t be afraid to shake things up!

6. Get Rid Of Faulty Equipment and Stream in a Conducive Area

Here’s a friendly reminder to eliminate any chance of your host looking like a potato in your live stream webinar. For a foolproof connection, we recommend connecting directly to the internet via a dedicated ethernet cable instead of relying on spotty Wi-Fi signals. Having your host stream in a well-lit, soundproof room using an HD web camera and a quality headset with a mic also makes all the difference. Most importantly, be sure to perform thorough audio and video checks before your Livestream.

7. Have a Plan a, B, and C up Your Sleeve

From poor internet connections to no-show speakers, a lot of things can go wrong. That said, you should be prepared to troubleshoot every eventuality. Make sure your host has a printed version of their slides with them so they can continue to present even if they experience connection problems. Always check on your speakers’ availability and have someone in the wings or a new segment ready to fill any unexpected program gaps.

Pay close attention to discussions and have your webinar platform’s tech team on standby. Having several backup plans ensures that when something does go wrong, your team won’t be rattled and the show can go on.

8. Consider Giving Out Webinar Recordings for Those Who Can’t Attend

Statistics show that on average only about 40% of total event sign-ups turn into attendees. Be it conflicting time zones or plain forgetfulness, everyone has their reasons for bailing at the last minute. What a shame, huh?

Well, this is why a growing trend has been to give out the live stream recording to attendees afterward.

When you think about it, it’s actually a win-win situation for all involved. On one hand, those that were genuinely interested in attending but couldn’t don’t have to miss out. Whereas, your webinar still has the potential to reach more people and convert them into future leads. Just make it clear on your registration page that you will be providing a recording of the live stream so long as they sign up.