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A financial advisor’s time is often stretched thin. On top of that, the need for consistent client interaction is essential. To address this need, online meetings and webinars has become ubiquitous. But many advisors are failing to make the most of the virtual opportunity. What follows is a series of helpful tips and strategies (backed by several studies) that will optimize your time and increase the number of prospects and clients attending your webinars.
Titling your presentations
One of the first things a potential attendee will see, when they’re introduced to your event, is the webinar title. If the subject matter is unclear, or if the title reads as uninteresting, you risk losing registrants. Thankfully, the remedy is simple. An intriguing or mildly comical “hook” makes a big difference. For example, a webinar that’s meant to discuss tax mitigation in your portfolio should not be called “Tax Mitigation Webinar.” In fact, attendance rates tend to be higher when the word “webinar” is omitted from the title1. A better option would be “Keep More of Your Money This Tax Season.” The topic is clear, and its value has been established.
Scheduling your webinar
Some days of the week, and even specific times of the day, are better for attracting attendees to your webinar. In 2022, several studies (see below) found Wednesday was the “primo” day for live-streaming presentations. Thursday was the second-best day. Tuesday was so-so. Mondays and Fridays were by far the worst days for hosting webinars.
Start between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM (in your time zone). Think of these times as the golden hours – primetime for attracting an interested audience. But 10:00 AM is a decent start time if you can’t host your webinar during the golden hours.
Keep it short and sweet!
You want to provide useful information and give attendees a reason to engage with you. But it is possible to overdo it. The average attention span for an attendee is 45 minutes3 tops. Low-end averages of attendee engagement set that time around 30 minutes1. Don’t rush, but... keep it tight. There are limits to your attendees’ amount of interest and you don’t want them to drop off because the webinar is too long. Better to be brief and whet attendees’ appetite for a 1-on-1 follow up.
Consider sending more than one email invitation
When it comes to marketing your webinars, planning pays off. Approximately 34% of attendees register just one week or more before a webinar2. You may be less likely to attract attendees from your target audience if you promote your webinar too late. But, if you send a couple of emails and share some social media posts over the course of three weeks to a month, you increase the likelihood of your audience signing up.
Use those handouts!
Attendees like taking their content “to go.” A study by Communíque found that 66% of webinars have downloadable handouts2. Your audience expects extra goodies. Use brochures. Attach PDFs of relevant articles. Include that new whitepaper you took three business days to research and write. There’s no sense in wasting a captive audience. Offer as much content as you can. The right piece may encourage an attendee to contact you directly.
From the way you title a webinar to the time and date you hold it, there are several ways to increase the effectiveness of a presentation. Using just a few of these tips on a routine basis will increase the number of leads you attract. You owe it to yourself and your business to make the most of the time you spend on webinars. Your new and existing clients will be grateful for your efforts.
Kevin Pallotti is the video producer for Symmetry Partners, LLC which provides customized marketing services to help Financial Advisors communicate their value, grow their businesses, and deliver better client experiences. If you have any questions or would like more information visit https://symmetrypartners.com/contact-us/ or give us a call at 800.786.3309.
1B2B Webinar Benchmark Report. March 2021-September 2022. Goldcast. https://www.goldcast.io/lp/webinar-benchmark-report
2Virtual Event & Webinar Benchmark Report 2023. September 2021 – September 2022. Communíque. https://www.virtualtradeshowhosting.com/virtual-event-benchmark-report-2023/
32022 Benchmark Report – The Latest and Greatest in Webinars and Virtual Events. June 2021 – June 2022. notified. https://insight.notified.com/2022-benchmark-report
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Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
