Webinars for lead generation: what works, what doesn't, and why?

Most of my clients that conduct webinars conduct it as part of a larger marketing effort to either engage an "early" lead or keep a "mid" life lead engaged.

I recommend that most of my clients use lead scoring and a combination of weapons in their "marketing arsenal" to mature a lead. It takes multiple touchpoints from your "marketing arsenal" to make an "early" lead a qualified lead.

Webinars can be broadcast, large and newscast in nature. They can also be small, personal and intimate in nature. Depending on the stage of a lead, market your webinars and webinar types wisely.

I have organized B2B lead generation Webinars for a service company client. The client had previously been very successful generating leads by having speakers at live events and conferences. When they decided to try conducting monthly Webinars for lead generation they sponsored events put on by publishers in their industry and provided the speaker. Attendance was excellent (in the hundreds). Yet when the company went back and tracked actual leads and sales generated from those Webinars, the results were dismal. I am guessing that it wasn't the value of the content but that, as a lead generator, a Webinar experience does not make the "connection" or generate the trust that can be established in a live appearance. I have many clients who use Webinars in the lead nurturing process and they are very effective. But I'm not yet sold on their value as B2B lead generators.

We use webinars as part of our lead generation and lead nurturing process. Pros:
(1) Inexpensive
(2) Help us to reach a broader audience than our live events can reach - opening up markets that are difficult for us to otherwise reach
(3) Demonstrate our expertise and build credibility (they can be used as a tood to do this even with individuals who do not attend)
Cons:
(1) It takes time and effort to plan and pull off a webinar that has content that is valuable
(2) Most of the audience tend to be "self-help" types - they have no intention of using our services. So although the volume of leads is higher than through other channels, the quality (and need to properly triage them) is lower.

How do we do it:
(1) We use gotowebinar.com - no magic there, it's just what we decided on early on and has continued to work for us
(2) Setup proper time for planning to deliver outstanding content
(3) Don't view a webinar as an "event" - but as a "campaign" that is an ongoing part of your marketing plan
(4) Set it up to be viral and integrate it with your CRM system. Our events are setup as a totally stand alone brand (www.successaccelerators.com). Creating events and managing registration is handled through our CRM system (Microsoft CRM). Individuals can link our events to their social media, and can refer friends to events - all of which is captured into CRM for follow up.

That approach has enabled us to get the greatest possible leverage from our events, but in a highly efficient manner (after we made the investment of setting up everything to be properly integrated).

- Geoff

I think many individuals are just plain afraid of this new forum. They are not only unsure of the technicalities of the execution but also the coordination and facilitation differences when "remote". Clients and prospects are often as ignorant and intimidated which makes gives sales associates an out. I have found the webinar format to be particular successful in the "product demonstration" arena. Onsite "demos" are plagued with many technical challenges - having network and/or internet access at the client or prospect site and projector access or compatibility - not to mention scheduling. The number one reason for demos via a webinar application - resources and busy calendars. When I don't have to travel all over the nation - I can do at least twice and probably 3 times as many demos AND have time to adequately prepare and customize the demonstration/presentation. Practice makes perfect in conducting a successful meeting and the remote venue has its own challenges but the speed with which you can respond to a meeting request and the cost effectiveness of being able to present to multiple groups on their own schedule is well worth it.

I too believe that webinars are part of the lead nurturing process; they are also helpful for branding purposes and for market awareness. We do webinars, and typically the attendance was modest, but it's growing now. We think it's growing because we decided to "sell the problem" before we sold the solution. In other words, we took our area of expertise - sales force productivity - and started to deliver webinars on the size and frequency of the problems related to poor sales force productivity. We're now raising consciouness and getting more people to 'raise their hands' so to speak.

Since there are so many free/low cost techniques for branding, market awareness, lead generation/nurturing etc., we will all probably have to experiment with many combinations for some time to come. The data is simply not there yet for dictating the absolute right or wrong approachs.

Micheal

I did my first webinar, as a speaker in 1998 and fell in love with the process, but because it was very expensive, had a high learning curve back then, and I only knew of one group doing it, I ended up moving more towards teleclasses.

However, as far as webinars, I do them as often as I'm able. Why? I can use them in so many ways... on CDs I sell, on my website, on YouTube or other such venues, etc.

I put my video about business planning on Linkedin and so far, got two clients who came to me knowing what they wanted. They just wanted to know how soon they could do it; and what was the cost. They have viewed the entire webinar/video and were ready to "do it".

Upwards and onwards

Maria Marsala
http://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com

Upwards and onwards

Maria Marsala
http://www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com

I've done lots of webinars and it all comes down to the topic, the speaker and how well you promote it. Webinars can be great for demand generation, but only if they are executed optimally.

Jeff Ogden, President
Find New Customers
http://www.findnewcustomers.net

Most of the comments here are from sales and marketing professionals, and webinars are core to their everyday business. I'll add my take from the perspective of an industry analyst. I agree with the above comments about the value of webinars when they're done right.

As an analyst, I'm regularly asked to moderate, host or present my own research as part of the presentation. In some cases, the webinar is built entirely around my work, usually a white paper. These events are usually very effective, especially for companies trying to establish themselves or elevate their branding. When my research is featured, it adds third party credibility, and positions the webinar as thought leadership rather than a pitch. By keeping any direct sales references out of the webinar, the event takes on a different tone, and gets more engagement from the audience.

Aside from what I bring as an analyst, the success of these webinars depends largely on the contact list and/or media partner. Some companies have a built-in community and can easily attract a qualified crowd, and these events always go well. Most others, however, must work from industry sources to complement their in-house lists. This is where the choice of a media partner is so important.

Unless the sponsor has the resources in-house to effectively create, market and manage the webinar, they need to carefully choose the right partner - and key to this is their ability to reach and deliver the right audience. Costs can vary widely among media partners, so you need to do your homework first, and by all means, get referrals!