Technology
webinars
changing the way you promote and learn
By Leann Harms
They seem to be popping up all over the Internet these Social networking has played a leading role in the
days, and people are wondering what a webinar is, how it growth of webinars. Social media platforms such as Twit-
works and what the benefits are over attending a traditional ter and Facebook, allow attendees to interact and converse
seminar? DTM decided to explore the upsurge in webinars with one another while they are listening to presentations
in the design industry and see how they measure up to con- online. These tools provide a more enriching experience
ventional seminars. We spoke to Design Success Univer- and help to offset the idea that webinars take away from
sity’s Chief Vision Officer Gail Doby, ASID, and Strategic the networking that occurs at off-line events. With tradi-
Vision Manager Erin Weir for the inside scoop on conduct- tional seminars, most of the attendees are from the local
ing a successful webinar. design community, limiting your networking potential to
Webinar has become a blanket term to define meetings, your own area. While most webinar hosting companies of-
presentations, seminars and conferences that are hosted on- fer some form of chat messaging, attendees can use social
line. One significant factor leading the charge in the rise media in conjunction with the presentation to interact with
of webinars is the tumultuous economy and its impact on a global network of others in their industry.
the design industry. Companies in the industry are look- For companies looking to host a webinar, social media
ing for ways to continue growing their businesses within can provide a very powerful promotional tool. Doby re-
the confines of a smaller budget. A traditional seminar can calls, “We’ve used social media very effectively to invite “troubleshoot problems before they arise and decide how might want to start with creating your visual presentation
cost several thousand dollars once you factor in the cost people to our events. We can send them to a sign-up or they will be handled.” She also shares that at Design Suc- through Microsoft PowerPoint. Creating a visual presenta-
of equipment, travel expenses for guest speakers, printed opt-in page where they give their name and e-mail, which cess University they “have found that it is extremely im- tion can be time consuming so preparation is key. Weir also
materials and refreshments. A webinar, on the other hand, is very useful when creating a list of prospects. We’ve been portant to educate listeners about how to attend a webinar warns, “Visuals can be distracting to your audience. You
costs only several hundred dollars to host and allows a extremely successful with social media. In fact, we were beforehand to avoid technical frustrations.” walk a fine line between visuals being useful and distract-
company to reach a global audience through the use of an able to get more than 500 people registered for a last-min- Technological mishaps seem a small hurdle to overcome ing from your core message so strategic planning is neces-
online conferencing platform. Another enhancement of- ute webinar with Joel Comm, author of ‘Twitter Power: when you factor in the significant benefits of webinars, in- sary.” Next, you just need to find a company to host your
fered by webinars is the ability to include presenters that How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time.’” cluding saving money, reducing your environmental foot- webinar. Research the various services that each company
might not otherwise be able to participate in an on-location The constantly increasing level of environmental aware- print and increasing your global networking potential. Weir includes with their webinar hosting package and find one
seminar. “You can have multiple presenters from all over ness has prompted many to reconsider every aspect of their encourages others to consider webinars over seminars, say- with options that are essential to your presentation. Some
the world. You just add them as an organizer and give them business and the impact on environment. Webinars provide ing, “Webinars provide an opportunity to educate your au- aspects to research are: how easy the platform is to use,
control of the screen,” Doby explained. a green alternative to the waste created at seminars by dience about your products, services and how your compa- chat and messaging options, connection reliability, compat-
Conferences and seminars provide important networking eliminating the need to travel, as well as paper goods and ny works. They are a great way to train people how to use ibility with various computer operating systems, graphics
and educational opportunities and many companies do not other disposable products typically used at events. a product or new employees how to use systems from their capabilities and available marketing options. While finding
want to sacrifice those opportunities to adhere to a tighter Ironically, the same element that created webinars has own home or office.” Doby underscored the benefits of we- the right hosting company may seem overwhelming, Doby
budget. Webinars enable attendees to participate from any- also proven to be a challenge — technology. Unreliable binars, remarking, “You can reduce production costs, ad- assures, “It’s really very easy to do a webinar and can be
where, cutting travel expenses and time away from the of- Internet connections, accidental disconnections, issues log- vertising costs and time to market, and deliver top-quality terrific for designers and manufacturers that want to share
rade
fice. Another significant benefit to attending a webinar is ging in and broken or incorrect links are among the many content in days instead of months or years. It is amazing!” a marketing or product-oriented presentation.” Doby also
the portability. “You can record webinars and you burn the issues that can plague a webinar host. Weir offers some By now, you might be thinking about that new service added her own bold prediction about the future of webi-
Design T
recording to a CD or download to an MP3 player or to your great advice for preventing and managing these issues, or product that your company is offering and the question nars: “Give it another year and we’ll see many conventions
computer,” Doby points out. suggesting that prior to the event webinar hosts should, on your mind is, How on earth do I put on a webinar? You and markets become the exception rather than the rule.”
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webinars.indd 4-5 10/28/09 5:18 PM
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