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Guide to Using Webinars
Take your seminars online to create rewards with virtual proximity
By Geoff Kohl
The following article is excerpted from work.com
You can do a lot more on the Web than simply put up a static Web page telling the world what
kind of widgets you sell. And one of the best ways to use widespread Internet connectivity is to
host live content programs that are a mix between TV broadcasts and seminars. The term for
these programs varies from “web conference” to “webinar”, but there are really no differences
other than syntax.
A webinar, or “web seminar”, allows you to hold a live presentation for a group of people without
everyone in the same room, or even the same state. With a webinar, attendees watch a
presentation (much like a PowerPoint slide show presentation) and simultaneously listen to the
speaker(s). Attendees also can offer live input back to the program (like a conference call, or via
emailed questions). The events are usually recorded for archival purposes and can last anywhere
from a few minutes to hours. The audio portion can be provided via a dial-in conference line, but
many commonly stream it over the Web along with the visual part of the presentation. Some
companies are even adding live video to their webinars. You can use webinars for:
1. Training – Businesses find it cost efficient to talk to outside technicians, sales staff and others
about their services and products over the Web, rather than doing a road show or arranging travel
for everyone to be in the same location.
2. Marketing – Webinars can be a great way for potential customers and sales executives to
interact. You get the benefit of being able to present a massive amount of information, while your
potential customer enjoys being able to take in the information on their own terms at their own
desk.
3. General business discussion – The PowerPoint presentation has long been established as the
core of business discussions and collaborative meetings, and the webinar format brings employees
together without moving them from their desks.
Here’s how to start:
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Find a provider
Sure, you could host your webinars yourself, but unless you’ve got a very Web-savvy staff with
plenty of time on their hands, you’re probably better off outsourcing to a specialized company that
can handle logistics, hosting, archiving and results tracking.
I recommend: On24 has been the company I’ve worked with extensively in doing webinars for my
Web site, and I give them a thumbs up. WebEx is another popular solutions provider, which has a
nice function in that you can show others what’s happening on your computer (you can jump
between your own programs and Web sites – whatever you choose) as you all chat in a
teleconference. Intercall is another of the larger providers of webinar solutions; they also handle
video conferencing and other cutting-edge interactive meeting options. Bulldog Solutions is a B2B-
focused webinar solutions provider, and is especially focused on sales lead generation.
Start creating your presentation
Webinars are usually patterned around delivering slide-type content. Fortunately there are
common business programs for helping you put your content in that format. Webinar solutions
providers usually convert your slide presentation into their own format, so you don’t have to
create the presentation in one specific program.
I recommend: You probably already have a copy of Microsoft’s PowerPoint software on your
computer if it’s running a Windows operating systems and has the Microsoft Office suite of
software. If not, order a copy. For Apple Macintosh users, the slide creation program that gets rave
reviews is Apple’s own Keynote program.
Liven it up
You’re asking for people to sit at their desks for a period of time to stare at a slide show and listen
to the discussion either via their PC or by a call-in line. Don’t let them fall asleep. Make your
presentation lively and design your slides well in addition to providing great content.
I recommend: PowerPlugs is a nice addition to PowerPoint to create dramatic slides and graphics,
though it may or may not work with all webinar solutions providers, some of which do not support
transitions within slides. PowerPoint Heaven is a funky site with tips to do some outrageous
graphical animations to keep your attendees awake. Road Tools has a nice page that actually
shows you what the effects of different font colors and sizes can have on legibility.
Get it archived
Most webinar solution providers will handle the archiving for you, and if not, you may want to look
at a different solution provider. Typically the archive versions offer an audio recording that
simultaneously updates images on the web page the viewer is on. It’s not a video or film as much
as it is an audio file that is playing while graphics (the slides themselves) change at specific points
in the audio program.
I recommend: Archived webcasts should be available via popular players like a Windows Media
Player format or a Real Player format. You may also want to make the entire program available in a
format like a Quicktime movie, a Rhapsody movie or a Windows Media Player movie if you involved
real video like a live presenter on camera.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
• Don’t operate in a vacuum; check out some webinars yourself before you try to do one for your
business. Make a checklist of what you liked and what you would have put in the PC “recycle bin”.
• If you’re mainly conducting a one-way presentation, don’t forget to get your audience involved at
some level. You can poll them with some systems, and you’re well advised to host a question-and-
answer period at the end, just like you would at a real conference. Remind your attendees to
submit questions during the presentation.
• Involve others. Pass the microphone around virtually. Webinars bring people together, and you
can use different voices from your business to emphasize different issues, elements or attributes.
Take your seminars online to create rewards with virtual proximity
By Geoff Kohl
The following article is excerpted from work.com
You can do a lot more on the Web than simply put up a static Web page telling the world what
kind of widgets you sell. And one of the best ways to use widespread Internet connectivity is to
host live content programs that are a mix between TV broadcasts and seminars. The term for
these programs varies from “web conference” to “webinar”, but there are really no differences
other than syntax.
A webinar, or “web seminar”, allows you to hold a live presentation for a group of people without
everyone in the same room, or even the same state. With a webinar, attendees watch a
presentation (much like a PowerPoint slide show presentation) and simultaneously listen to the
speaker(s). Attendees also can offer live input back to the program (like a conference call, or via
emailed questions). The events are usually recorded for archival purposes and can last anywhere
from a few minutes to hours. The audio portion can be provided via a dial-in conference line, but
many commonly stream it over the Web along with the visual part of the presentation. Some
companies are even adding live video to their webinars. You can use webinars for:
1. Training – Businesses find it cost efficient to talk to outside technicians, sales staff and others
about their services and products over the Web, rather than doing a road show or arranging travel
for everyone to be in the same location.
2. Marketing – Webinars can be a great way for potential customers and sales executives to
interact. You get the benefit of being able to present a massive amount of information, while your
potential customer enjoys being able to take in the information on their own terms at their own
desk.
3. General business discussion – The PowerPoint presentation has long been established as the
core of business discussions and collaborative meetings, and the webinar format brings employees
together without moving them from their desks.
Here’s how to start:
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Find a provider
Sure, you could host your webinars yourself, but unless you’ve got a very Web-savvy staff with
plenty of time on their hands, you’re probably better off outsourcing to a specialized company that
can handle logistics, hosting, archiving and results tracking.
I recommend: On24 has been the company I’ve worked with extensively in doing webinars for my
Web site, and I give them a thumbs up. WebEx is another popular solutions provider, which has a
nice function in that you can show others what’s happening on your computer (you can jump
between your own programs and Web sites – whatever you choose) as you all chat in a
teleconference. Intercall is another of the larger providers of webinar solutions; they also handle
video conferencing and other cutting-edge interactive meeting options. Bulldog Solutions is a B2B-
focused webinar solutions provider, and is especially focused on sales lead generation.
Start creating your presentation
Webinars are usually patterned around delivering slide-type content. Fortunately there are
common business programs for helping you put your content in that format. Webinar solutions
providers usually convert your slide presentation into their own format, so you don’t have to
create the presentation in one specific program.
I recommend: You probably already have a copy of Microsoft’s PowerPoint software on your
computer if it’s running a Windows operating systems and has the Microsoft Office suite of
software. If not, order a copy. For Apple Macintosh users, the slide creation program that gets rave
reviews is Apple’s own Keynote program.
Liven it up
You’re asking for people to sit at their desks for a period of time to stare at a slide show and listen
to the discussion either via their PC or by a call-in line. Don’t let them fall asleep. Make your
presentation lively and design your slides well in addition to providing great content.
I recommend: PowerPlugs is a nice addition to PowerPoint to create dramatic slides and graphics,
though it may or may not work with all webinar solutions providers, some of which do not support
transitions within slides. PowerPoint Heaven is a funky site with tips to do some outrageous
graphical animations to keep your attendees awake. Road Tools has a nice page that actually
shows you what the effects of different font colors and sizes can have on legibility.
Get it archived
Most webinar solution providers will handle the archiving for you, and if not, you may want to look
at a different solution provider. Typically the archive versions offer an audio recording that
simultaneously updates images on the web page the viewer is on. It’s not a video or film as much
as it is an audio file that is playing while graphics (the slides themselves) change at specific points
in the audio program.
I recommend: Archived webcasts should be available via popular players like a Windows Media
Player format or a Real Player format. You may also want to make the entire program available in a
format like a Quicktime movie, a Rhapsody movie or a Windows Media Player movie if you involved
real video like a live presenter on camera.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
• Don’t operate in a vacuum; check out some webinars yourself before you try to do one for your
business. Make a checklist of what you liked and what you would have put in the PC “recycle bin”.
• If you’re mainly conducting a one-way presentation, don’t forget to get your audience involved at
some level. You can poll them with some systems, and you’re well advised to host a question-and-
answer period at the end, just like you would at a real conference. Remind your attendees to
submit questions during the presentation.
• Involve others. Pass the microphone around virtually. Webinars bring people together, and you
can use different voices from your business to emphasize different issues, elements or attributes.