Remember to join #smbiz chat on Twitter each Tuesday from 8-9 pm EDT. The #smbiz chat is designed to help small business owners in all industries through networking and sharing best practices on all kinds of topics important in running a small business. Here’s another great resource that can help with running a small business: Practical Advice for Starting a New Business Venture

Small Business chat this week discussing How to Create a Webinar - Tuesday 8-9pm EDT on Twitter. We had three very special expert panel members join:

Jeff Weinberger, @jweinberger - Product Marketing at WebEx Communications, Inc. (now a part of Cisco) - http://disruptivemarketing.jeffweinberger.com/

Patrick Cahill, @patrickrcahill - Marketing consultant helping professional service firms grow revenue and expand reach through online events - http://www.rallypointwebinars.com/

Rebecca Shaffer, @marketier - Marketing Manager for Ragan Communications specializing in Webinars/Events. - http://www.ragan.com/ME2/Default.asp

Question 1: What are some initial things to keep in mind as you develop your webinar?

Marketier Q1 who your audience is, are they price or time sensitive. Do they want hard or soft topics. #smbiz

Jweinberger Q1 - on the most basic level: Why you are doing it, who your audience is and how you will measure success #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q1A: What are your goals? What are you looking to accomplish? If you set your goals first – you can back into what needs to be done #smbiz

Jweinberger @patrickrcahill Q1A agreed - knowing why you are doing it also tells you how to measure success #smbiz
eDiscoveryPrep In developing a webinar, an informative, interesting, and knowledgable speaker is key. #smbiz

jweinberger @ediscoveryprep Q1A that’s true, but keep in mind that “interesting” online is different from “interesting” in person #smbiz

marketier Are you doing it to make money immediately, spread the word about a product, grow your subsriber list, etc? #smbiz

Question 2: Are there technical aspects you need to be aware of when setting up a webinar? #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q2A (1of3): There are a lot of technical aspects to be aware of. Too many to tweet! How sophisticated do you want to be able to get? #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q2A (2of3): How many live attendees? Do you want to record for future use? What is the process to record audio and visual? #smbiz

patrickrcahillQ2A (3of3): Do you have a good mic? Connection speed? How will live chat work? A lot of aspects… Not rocket science, just details. #smbiz

Jweinberger Q2A - where to start…lots and lots of issues, but making sure you know how to use the technology is most important #smbiz

Jweinberger Q2A - then having clear, solid and uninterrupted connection (internet, service, phone, everything) #smbiz

Marketier Q2 If your vendor is compatible with all internet browsers, if it allows for VoIP, whether you can use a webcam or share your desktop #smbiz

Jweinberger Q2A - always test - make sure it works before you go live #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q2A (3of3): Do you have a good mic? Connection speed? How will live chat work? A lot of aspects… Not rocket science, just details. #smbiz

Marketier Whether your attendees will have to download anything, firewall issues #smbiz

jweinberger@patrickrcahill Q2A like you, I never do a webinar without a dry run beforehand #smbiz

Question 3: Are there certain webinar topics or themes that work better/worse? #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q3A (1of2): Webinar topics that provide value to your prospects/clients/customers and are relevant to your end goal work best #smbiz

Jweinberger Q1A: Lest I forget - maybe obvious? - make sure your audience is on-line #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q3A (2of2): Bring it back to your initial goals. What do you want to accomplish? Does this topic help get you there? #smbiz

Jweinberger Q3A - maybe also obvious - make it about a compelling issue facing your audience #smbiz

Marketier Q3A Never cut your list, always try to pic a topic that is appealing to everyone. #smbiz

patrickrcahill@marketier I think it depends on your list size… sometimes appealing to a “small section” is most effective. What do you think? #smbiz

Jweinberger Q3A but can be related to how you address your market’s issues, but can also be fun… #smbiz

Jweinberger Q3A …we did a very successful one I remember on wine tasting (working on perfecting virtual wine) #smbiz

Wvpmc Do you generally need to download software to run the webinar or is it “in the cloud” from the hosting vendor? #smbiz

Marketier @wvpmc This depends on the vendor however most you do have to download a feature. #smbiz

Patrickrcahill @wvpmc: From a user perspective? If it’s flash based, like Adobe - users prob have what they need already. Others may need an install #smbiz

jweinberger@wvpmc with most, you have to download a small applet, usually non-intrusive #smbiz

_djh@marketier But usually you can download the webinar client, even if no admin rights to PC. Good for corporate employees #smbiz

prchicago I apologize if there’s a question coming up on this, but is there an optimum length for a webinar? #smbiz

marketier @prchicago I would say 60 minutes #smbiz

jweinberger @prchicago our typical formula that works is 1 hour. 2 mins for join, 3 for logistics, 30-40 for content… #smbiz

jweinberger @prchicago … the Q&A, end at :55 - but you can go shorter if the audience is time-sensitive… #smbiz

jweinberger @prchicago …we don’t go longer - we split into multiple sessions #smbiz

patrickrcahill @prchicago I think paid webinars tend to be a little longer than “free” marketing ones #smbiz

jweinberger @patrickrcahill: @prchicago maybe, but people tend to schedule their time in 30 or 60 minute blocks #smbiz

marketier @patrickrcahill I agree free webinars I think should be 30 minutes, paid 60 minutes usually #smbiz

Question 4: What are some good ways to promote your webinar to get lots of ppl to sign up? #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q4A (1of3): There’s no magic bullet. If it’s a free webinar, the going will be much easier. E-mail, mail, and phone to house list #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q4A (2of3): Use your website and social networks to promote. Partner with complimentary serviced/products for joint eblasts #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q4A (3of3): But this can really depend on what your goals are, who your target is, and what kind of reach you start off with #smbiz

Jweinberger Q4A - use online media: social media (LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter) and e-mail, but depends on your target #smbiz

jweinbergerQ4A - they need to be online, but with some audiences, DM works well. Often a mix is best if you can do it #smbiz

jweinberger Q4A - The key is consistent -remind people often enough to act (but not so often as to be obnoxious) #smbiz

Marketier Q4A Promote one free just to get emails to market to in the future. Give away a premium to the attendees. #smbiz

_djhQ4 - prob with free webinars is no commitment to actually attend. I sign up for many more than I watch. #smbiz

patrickrcahill @_djh industry average is around 50% no show rate I think #smbiz

jweinberger @patrickrcahill: @_djh that’s about right - depends on the audience - 66% for some, 50% avg. Paid is lower of course #smbiz

patrickrcahill@_djh But no shows still identify themselves as interested in what you are offering and provide contact info Almost as valuable #smbiz

marketier I also think purchasing a list one time can be very beneficial to you if you plan on producing a lot of webinars in the future. #smbiz

marketier We have had a good deal of success for our live events, the key is having followers in your industry and a lot of them. #smbiz

DrFernKazlow Q2 Any recommendations on webcam? Have a mac, bought 1 tht worked 4 skype, but didn’t work 4 webinars I was doing #smbiz

jweinberger@DrFernKazlow depends on your service. I use @webex on my mac, no problem. #smbiz

DrFernKazlow @jweinberger Want participants to be able to speak as well as type, have ability to do screen shots, global application #smbiz

Jweinberger @DrFernKazlow most will do that - I know ours (@webex) best, and that’s easy - I do it all the time #smbiz

DrFernKazlow @jweinberger I will check it out! Any webcam recommendations for mac that are compatible? Thx! #smbiz

DrFernKazlow@Synapse_AWC That’s what I have - not supported by Adobe - after many attempts logitech said it wouldn’t work #smbiz

Question 5: What are the components of a good webinar? How should you build your webinar?

Patrickrcahill Q5A (1of3): Generally speaking, we have 7 keys to hosting a great webinar. 1) Mastering the Webinar Technology #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q5A (2of3): 2) Preparing the Webinar Room 3) Preparing the Speaker 4) Moderating the Event Well 5) Caring for Attendees #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q5A (3of3): 6)Being the event Troubleshooter 7)Adopting the Facilitator Mindset. More details on each component @ http://z.pe/37N #smbiz

Jweinberger Q5A - 1) engagement - make it interesting. 2) relevance - make it valuable 3) respect your audience #smbiz

patrickrcahill@jweinberger Hit the key - “respect your audience” If you respect their time and willingness to listen, you’ll do the rest right #smbiz

marketier Q5A I think using a PPT for your main visual is great and also using polling or desktop sharing to add more interaction #smbiz

jweinberger Q5A - keep in mind that good speakers on-line are not the same as good speakers in front of a room… #smbiz

jweinberger Q5A - and speakers still need prep #smbiz

marketier Q5A Make sure your attendees know you are there live and ready to help with their issues. #smbiz

jweinberger Q5A - make sure your visuals are engaging - or else it’s just a conference call #smbiz

jweinberger Q5A And practice. you can check out the tips for great webinars @ http://www.webex.com #smbiz

marketier Q5A Make sure that your speaker is not reading from a script it comes across terrible #smbiz

patrickrcahill @marketier Is right. We’ve had keynote speakers used to large crowds, clam up in an empty room when presenting for a webinar #smbiz

Question 6: What R some things you can do to increase audience participation/interaction? #smbiz

patrickrcahillQ6A (1of3): It all starts with the content! Have the right people attend a relevant topic with engaging content that provides value #smbiz

patrickrcahill Q6A (2of3): Sprinkle in polls, live questions, or even use participants as exmpls (case study, live website consulting, etc) #smbiz

patrickrcahillQ6A (3of3): Make it about them and about providing value #smbiz

jweinbergerQ6A @patrickrcahill right! like any other media - make the content great and most of the rest will work #smbiz

_djh Very important because it’s easy to lose their attention RT @patrickrcahill: Q6A (3of3): Make it about them and about providing value #smbiz

jweinbergerQ6A Polls and other interactive items #smbiz

marketier Q6 A Provide handouts beforehand so they are following along, know who is attending and refer to a company listening #smbiz

prchicago: Video might be useful my clients…I’m trying Spectomeeting http://bit.ly/GeqSk which allows video. #smbiz

jweinberger@prchicago video is useful - included video is engaging. Live video of speakers (for a short time) makes it personal #smbiz

jweinbergerQ6A like @prchicago suggested - include video - even a few minutes live of speakers - makes a personal connection #smbiz

patrickrcahill @jweinberger What do you think of limiting video to intros? #smbiz

prchicago Q6 Is it difficult to get audience response? #smbiz

marketier Q6A @prchicago Not if your material is on target with their expectations, your marketing has to be in line with what you produce #smbiz

patrickrcahill @prchicago Not if you warm them up. Polls are great for that. and answering a few questions early on #smbiz

jweinberger Q6A make sure to ask audience questions as you go - show you are listening #smbiz

Jweinberger @prchicago typically 30-60% will answer a poll. Some people will be doing e-mail no matter what you do #smbiz

Patrickrcahill @jweinberger Just like the live meeting…haha #smbiz

_djh @jweinberger Or Twitter, or chatting on the phone or finishing that report I guess the key is to be as interactive as possible. #smbiz

Marketier My audience really likes polling however you can overuse it, don’t use more than 3 in a 60 minute webinar. #smbiz

Whistletree It’s a good idea to offer Q&A using chat, as well. That way you can screen questions, not all are pertinent. #smbiz

Patrickrcahill @Whistletree Yes, having a moderator screen the questions before the speaker needs to look helps a lot #smbiz

jweinberger@patrickrcahill: @Whistletree we consider this a best practice. Opening a phone line to hundreds of people invites odd comments #smbiz

DrFernKazlow @jweinberger Am I getting it right - you can have verbal interaction on the webinar as you would on teleseminar w/ webex? #smbiz

Jweinberger @DrFernKazlow: you can…with discretion. sometimes it works well - mostly, I’d focus on text and let the moderator speak #smbiz

DrFernKazlow@jweinberger I’m planning a webinar series globally so can’t do telephone- I really want verbal interaction!!! #smbiz

Jweinberger @DrFernKazlow you can - most services have VoIP also…you have to trust your audience! #smbiz

_djh @DrFernKazlow To be honest nearly every sound problem at webinars I’ve been involved with has been VOIP. Phone much more reliable. #smbiz

DrFernKazlow @jweinberger Can you mute/unmute like in a teleseminar? ( Thx for your help!) #smbiz

DrFernKazlow @_djh I’m concerned about VOIP but don’t know what else to do when out of country participants?? #smbiz

Jweinberger @DrFernKazlow glad to! On @webex you can, and you control it. I assume other services have similar features #smbiz

Jweinberger @DrFernKazlow - it’s a bit more expensive, but consider local phone numbers in the participants’ countries #smbiz

DrFernKazlow @jweinberger Love to know more abt that - and how expensive? Great idea! #smbiz

_djh @DrFernKazlow I know some of the webinar co’s allow toll free calls in various countries. I’m sure can also providfe local toll calls #smbiz

jweinberger @_djh: @DrFernKazlow that’s true. Please ping @webex - He’ll connect you with pricing details #smbiz

Question 7: How can you monetize a webinar and generate revenue? #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q7A (1of4): While we have a lot of experience with paid webinars – this is hard. There’s a lot of free content out there #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q7A (2of4): You’ll be competing with “free” if you just try to charge for the webinar itself. #smbiz

Jweinberger Q7A - ideas: 1) Make an offer to attendees. 2) follow-up with an offer by e-mail, 3) e-mail an offer to non-attendees #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q7A (3of4): Great potential (+ results) for firms w/ products and services they can introduce, indirectly, through free webinars #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q7A (4of4): These introductions lead to sales if relationships with attendees are properly nurtured (and not pushed for a sale) #smbiz

jweinbergerQ7A - we use the “drop off page” (page that opens at the end) to make the offer or follow-up suggestion #smbiz

marketier Q7A Webinars attendees are great for specialized sales, email, call, voiceshot them after with a product that is directly related #smbiz

jweinberger Q7A - also make sure you’ve used the registration to ask qualifying questions - so you know who to spend the most time on followup #smbiz

marketier I don’t recommend selling during the webinar, perhaps in the closing reference a product. Really use the webinar to provide info #smbiz

jweinberger @marketier: could not agree more - make the content valuable information to attendees. If they like it, they’ll associate with you #smbiz

marketier If they see that you have great content in the webinar they will be more active in searching your site for more products #smbiz

jweinberger @marketier yes - useful content keeps the audience coming back - giving you more opportunity to convert to customers #smbiz

SternalMrktg Seems like the best strategy for a webinar is getting leads, sharing info, building relationship. Leave sales for followup. #smbiz

Patrickrcahill @SternalMrktg Exactly! #smbiz

Jweinberger @SternalMrktg I’d go so far as to say it’s a best practice #smbiz

Follow up question: 7B - How can you add more value so you CAN compete against the free webonars out there? #smbiz

Patrickrcahill 7B - With speakers that are well known #smbiz

Jweinberger @patrickrcahill I’d add - well known to the audience, and if relevant, on the topic #smbiz

Wvpmc You’ve mentioned webex several times - are there other hosting services you can recommend? #smbiz

Patrickrcahill @wvpmc GoToMeeting, Adobe Connect, Dim Dim (never used that one) #smbiz

Question 8: How long should a webinar last? How long b4 you do Q&A? (we addressed a bit earlier. anyone wanna expand on this more?) #smbiz

Jweinberger Q8A - Depends on the audience - typically schedule one hour, run 50-55 minutes #smbiz

Marketier Q8 Our webinars are 60 minutes with 15 minutes for Q & A #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q8A: Depends, though 30, 45, or 60 minutes of content with Q&A after is normal. Be clear about when the Q&A will start #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Really great speakers may field a lot of questions from an active audience - extending the Q&A #smbiz

Question 9: What should a small biz do after the webinar? How do u follow up w attendees? #smbiz

Jweinberger Q9A - cheapest and most effective - e-mail! #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q9A (1of3): Depends on the original webinar goal. Assuming it’s appropriate, follow up with a link to the recording. #smbiz

Jweinberger Q9A follow up separately with people who showed up and people who didn’t #smbiz

Patrickrcahill @jweinberger Good point - no shows are just as important to follow up with! #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q9A (2of3): Ask if they have questions and set up follow up conversations. Don’t be too pushy. Continue to add value #smbiz

Jweinberger Q9A make a relevant offer - relevant to both the audience and the topic #smbiz

marketier Q9A This is the most important part of creating the relationship, send a thank u email with a survey link. #smbiz

patrickrcahill Q9A (3of3): You’ve established yourself as an expert now is the time to nurture the relationship until they are ready to engage. #smbiz

marketier Let them know that their feedback is important so they feel they are important to you. #smbiz

jweinberger @marketier great point - make sure they have options for keeping in touch. May not buy, but maybe join your e-mail list, etc. #smbiz

patrickrcahill @marketier Yes, Feedback=important. We’ve found that if you take the time to create an exit survey, people take them. Very helpful… #smbiz

Wvpmc We haven’t talked about the quality of the slides - I’ve seen them way too complex to follow audio too #smbiz

Jweinberger @wvpmc: we haven’t. Keep them very simple - some people have small screens or shrink your webinar window #smbiz

marketier @wvpmc Don’t make them word heavy, you want them to listen not read. Otherwise you would just send them an e-report #smbiz

wvpmc @marketier exactly - also helpful when you can just download the slides to review later - isn’t always an option #smbiz

marketier @wvpmc Exactly, I think your should provide slides before so they can read and then during the event they are writing notes #smbiz

drjfpmd @jweinberger @patrickcahill thank you for gr8 answers. What is Avg dollar cost for first webinar for example to teach patients? #smbiz

patrickrcahill @drjfpmd Variables are time to create, marketing budget, and technology costs #smbiz

jweinberger @drjfpmd unless you’re using a professional producer, the biggest cost is your time and any speaker fees #smbiz

marketier @jweinberger I agree, speaker fees can be quite high and the time it takes to set up and do a walk-thru, etc can be a lot #smbiz

patrickrcahill @drjfpmd So you could do a webinar for very low costs if you had a strong house list to e-mail about a relevant topic #smbiz

jweinberger@drjfpmd and your marketing costs. #smbiz

patrickrcahill@drjfpmd It really depends - are you reaching out to current patients? That like you? And you have their e-mails? #smbiz

patrickrcahill@drjfpmd Then, prob just a matter of creating the content (your time) and some e-mail invitations and reminders (more time). #smbiz

drjfpmd@patrickrcahill send DM to continue chat. Thanks for help. #smbiz

wvpmc When you do multiple webinars it would be nice if registration form auto-filled as does comment feature on blogs - most don’t seem to #smbiz

_djh Not a question, but one thing really important to me is getting a recording. No time time to sit 60 mins, but I might watch later. #smbiz

Question 10: What kind of resources can you share (online or offline) to help ppl develop & deliver grt webinars? #smbiz

Patrickrcahill Q10A (1of4): We have two white papers everyone can grab copies of. #smbiz

patrickrcahill Q10A (2of4): Expand Reach, Grow Revenue: The Business Case for Lead Generation Webinars (http://z.pe/37N) #smbiz

marketier Q10A I would say sign up for free webinars you are interested and see what you like and don’t like about what they did. #smbiz

patrickrcahill Q10A (3of4): 7 Keys to Running a Glitch-Free Webinar (http://z.pe/37N) #smbiz

patrickrcahill Q10A (4of4): Or just contact me with any questions. Happy to help! #smbiz

jweinberger Q10A check out http://www.webex.com for our tips on how to do successful webinars #smbiz

jweinberger Q10A and http://howdoi.webex.com on how to master the technology #smbiz

jweinberger Q10A also on http://www.webex.com - stories from other businesses on how they made it work #smbiz

marketier Yes, feel free to contact me with any further questions as well. #smbiz

jweinberger Q10A also check out the Webinar Blog http://tinyurl.com/d6kplq #smbiz

jweinberger Q10A mand our blog at http://blogs.webex.com #smbiz

smbiz I’d like to also offer this blog post as a reference for webinar development http://bit.ly/OLZuT #smbiz