The Pros and Cons of Automated Webinars
Webinars are an ideal way of delivering information to a large group of people simultaneously. They are also great for introducing your audience to products and services that will help them put any advice given in your webinar to action, but it’s important that webinars retain a high level of quality. Of late, a trend of automated and rolling webinars has been unearthed. What this means is that pre-recorded webinars are presented to a selection of different audiences. There is nothing wrong with pre-recording your webinar, in fact, it is something that we recommend that you do. But you need to ensure that when you do pre-record your webinar that you are aware of any potential pitfalls.
The Cons of “Fake” Live Webinars
Don’t Try And Fool Your Audience
If you are showing a pre-recorded webinar to an audience, they will more than likely know that it is pre-recorded. There is a certain quality of a live call that doesn’t carry over into a pre-recorded webinar. So if you were to advertise your webinar as live, then you simply played a pre-recorded version of your webinar, you could leave your audience feeling cheated. Evidently, this will lead people to mistrust you and lose faith in any product you have to offer.
A Pre-Recorded Webinar Can Feel Like a Sales Pitch
When you present a webinar live, you can adapt and change to your audience and make everything feel natural. You will be open to questions and you can engage with particular members of your audience. A pre-recorded webinar can undoubtedly offer the same rich information, but it won’t be tailored to meet a particular audience’s expectations. In this regard, you may find that some of your audience becomes alienated, which in turn can affect your sales conversions.
People Don’t Like Feeling Alone
If you pre-recorded webinar has been viewed by a number of people over a certain period of time, you will no doubt see your audience numbers decrease over time. In such cases, you may find that in some instances only one person attends your webinar. If they become aware that they are the only person in attendance, it is more than likely that they will simply leave or quickly lose interest. In this instance, it is important that your audience is not made to feel lonely.
There Is No Live Interaction
Webinars offer a great opportunity for boosting conversions by allowing the person hosting the webinar to easily interact with their audience. This is lost with pre-recorded webinars as there is no way to tailor the webinar to suit everyone.
People Don’t Feel The Sense of Urgency
If people know that a webinar is pre-recorded, then it will give them the opportunity to put off listening to it. In some instances, the webinar may never get listened to. A live call will ensure that your audience not only feels the urgency, but they will be fully engaged in what you have to say.
The Pros of Pre-Recorded Webinars
You Save Time
Recordings of a webinar can provide benefits. For example, a pre-recorded webinar means that you don’t have to be in attendance for every single webinar, thus freeing up your time to focus on other important areas. If implemented correctly, it can also help streamline your sales process. Ensure that you have answers to frequently asked questions within your webinar. Also include some basic information and the products or services on offer, this will ensure that your sales process is a smooth one.
You Will Be Able to Create The Perfect Webinar
Hosting a live webinar can have its drawbacks, and one of those is that it is very unlikely you will ever perform the perfect webinar online. You could forget what you were saying or there could be a technological fault. Although neither would jeopardize the webinar overall, it evidently won’t be perfect. However, thanks to technological advancements you can simply edit your webinar to cut out any mishaps, and ensure the best bits are on show for all to see. You can also make amendments where necessary.
An Automated Webinar Can Make Better Conversions Than a Website Alone
Despite there being some drawbacks to pre-recorded webinars, it is better to have such a webinar in place than nothing at all. A website may have the text to make its sale, but nothing comes close to a webinar when engaging an audience. A webinar has the potential to convert a cold lead into a sale by being able to offer a series of answers and solutions to any reservations they may have had.
You Will Be Able To Sell Your Products 24/7/365
Being able to schedule your webinars for a time that suits your audience means the constraints of time zones and personal schedules are a thing of the past. In this regard, you could effectively be making money as you sleep.
You Can Add People To Your Sales Funnel Automatically
A person’s email address can be a great asset for those selling online, but acquiring them can be something of a challenge sometimes. If people have enjoyed your presentations in the past, then the task is made a little easier. However, if you’re looking to reach a new audience, then it’s worth having something to offer in return. An automated webinar offering rich and relevant information is a great way to secure that all-important email address.
It can be a little difficult to know how to overcome the downside of the technology, but still implement its positive features. One solution is to employ the use of automated webinar software that has a built-in chat facility. The Evergreen Business System is a favorite among users due to its many features, which include a chat facility.
The use of such software can ensure you stay connected to your audience despite the webinar being pre-recorded. You can advise them that the webinar is pre-recorded so there are no expectations of it being live. You can also advise them that you’re free to answer any questions via the chat facility. Another positive feature of the Evergreen Business System is the listing of people’s names, so it reassures everyone in attendance that they are not alone.
When it comes to scheduling, by all means let an automated system taker charge. This will free up time for yourself and automating such tasks has no direct impact on your audience. Just ensure that you instill human interaction into your webinars so they don’t feel like part of the system.