If you are spending the time and money on a webcast, surely you want it to engage a large audience and result in some sort of conversion. To do so you will need to ensure that your webcast is powerful, interactive, and insightful. For those who need a refresher, Webcasting is defined as video broadcasting live over the internet. When you are ready to produce your next webcast, try implementing these 5 helpful ideas.
1. Invite a Live Audience
While having a live audience at your webcast is optional, it is highly recommended. Although the goal of a webcast is to reach people at their homes, offices, and on-the-go, a live audience adds a special kind of engagement to the production. Invite clients to attend your webcast in person. Make sure that those you invite will actively participate in the presentation. Those viewing on their computers will enjoy the extra level of interaction that comes from live audience engagement.
2. Mix Things Up
A talking head in front of a black curtain can get boring after 15 minutes, let alone a full hour. You will need to work hard to keep your viewers engaged, especially since dropping off is as easy as one click. Having more than one person involved in the presentation is the first step to an interesting webcast. You will also want to mix in PowerPoint slides, images, videos, and chat room questions. Having a few different types of multimedia will help to keep things fresh and engaging.
3. Offer an Incentive
It can sometimes be difficult to get your audience to interact with you, especially those hiding behind a computer. Come up with some sort of incentive that you can offer to those who ask questions in the chat room. That incentive could be a free cup of coffee to each great question or getting your name entered into a post-presentation drawing. Whatever it is, announce the incentive at the beginning and remind viewers throughout for those people that come in late.
4. Get Multiple Camera Angles
Another way to keep your webcast interactive and interesting is by using multiple camera angles. A single camera angle can get stale quickly. Enlist 2-3 camera operators and someone in the control room to switch between shots. If you do not have multiple camera operators, you can always place one camera in the back of the room for a far-away, static shot and a camera operator up close to catch multiple shots (presenter, audience, chat room monitors).
5. Demonstrate Your Product or Service
Don’t just tell, show! If you are introducing a new product or service, find a way to demonstrate it during your live presentation. In the past, we have had clients demonstrate how a homemade water purifying system works, as well as the many uses of a touch screen system. Of course you will want to practice your live demonstration first to ensure that everything is in working order.
If you need assistance with webcasting, contact Informatics. Our multimedia experts would be happy to help you produce a webcast that entices, engages and converts!
