Webinar… just saying it out loud leaves a funny taste in my mouth. 

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The word has a cringe connotation… You immediately think of awkward, generic sales pitches, anonymous questions in the chat, boring presentations that you never actually attend. 

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At the same time, many B2B Marketing teams are doubling down on webinars as a critical piece of their content strategy.

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Why?

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Believe it or not, they work.

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Webinars provide an authentic way to connect with your audience “face to face”, and open a dialogue that’s impossible in an SEO blog or cold email. 

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TLDR: webinars work better than ever, they just need a rebrand. 

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The best teams have taken their monthly and quarterly webinars and turned them into weekly series under a different name where they interview customers, company leadership, influencers, demo new features, discuss best practices and industry trends… 

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Customer Spotlight: DigitalRoute, a Wysper customer, stopped their webinars and instead started hosting LinkedIn lives which they promote to their audience. After each event, they upload it into Wysper and generate all the content they need to follow up with their audience and engage potential customers.

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Here are the four reasons why webinars are the most powerful tool in your content playbook:

Engagement and Interaction

Webinars provide a unique platform for real-time engagement. Unlike traditional content formats, webinars allow for live interaction between presenters and attendees, fostering a sense of community and immediacy. This interactive element can include Q&A sessions, live polls, and chats, which not only keep the audience engaged but also provide valuable insights into their needs and preferences.

Establishing Authority

Hosting webinars positions your company as a thought leader in your industry. By sharing expertise, insights, and innovative solutions, you build credibility and trust with your audience. This perceived authority can lead to increased brand loyalty and a stronger competitive edge.

Lead Generation

Webinars are excellent tools for capturing high-quality leads. Attendees who register for a webinar are typically more invested and interested in the topic, making them prime candidates for further engagement. By offering valuable content, you can attract potential customers and move them through the sales funnel more effectively.

Content Generation

The benefits of a webinar don't end when the live event concludes. Companies can repurpose webinar content into various text-based formats to extend its reach and value. This approach not only saves time but also ensures a consistent and cohesive content strategy. Here’s how you can do it:

Blog Posts

Transform webinar transcripts into insightful blog posts. Break down the key points discussed during the webinar into a series of articles. Each blog post can delve deeper into specific topics covered in the webinar, providing additional context and value to your audience. This strategy not only drives organic traffic to your website but also keeps your blog updated with fresh, relevant content.

Email Newsletters

Use the highlights and key takeaways from your webinars to create engaging email newsletters. Share exclusive insights, actionable tips, and upcoming event announcements. This keeps your audience informed and engaged, and encourages them to participate in future webinars. Segment your email list to tailor the content to specific audience interests, enhancing the relevance and impact of your communications.

Whitepapers and Ebooks

Compile the comprehensive information presented in webinars into detailed whitepapers or ebooks. These long-form content pieces can serve as valuable resources for your audience, offering in-depth analysis and solutions. They can also be used as lead magnets to attract new subscribers and generate leads.

Social Media Posts

Extract quotes, statistics, and key points from your webinars to create a series of social media posts. Use these snippets to promote your content across various platforms, driving traffic back to your website or the recorded webinar. Visual elements like infographics and short video clips can enhance engagement and shareability.

Case Studies

If your webinar includes customer success stories or case studies, convert them into standalone case study documents. These can be powerful tools for showcasing real-world applications of your products or services, providing tangible proof of their value and effectiveness.

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All in all, the best companies are using easy-to-produce weekly series (Formerly known as webinars) to boost audience engagement, while automating a massive part of their content creation process. 

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