1. The Process of
Conducting a
WEBINAR
GAMELZAR P. DEAN
MS in Agriculture (Major in Crop Science)
DR. EVELYN O. SINGSON, Ph.D.
Professor, CRSC 299
2. Tips for organizing and
producing webinars
If your organization needs to share
information long-distance but has
limited education and travel funds,
webinars can help you save money
and provide more services to your
constituents.
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3. Ask yourself whether a Webinar is the right tool for your needs
Audienc
e
Subject
matter
Time
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4. Recruit Speakers and a Support Team for your Webinar
3 Main
Players
in
Webinar
Organizer/Facilitator
Presenters
Assistants
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Determine the Format of your Webinar
Description
• A single
presenter
speaks,
demonstrates,
and answers
questions
from the
audience
Pros
• Fewer people
to coordinate
and train on
how to use
the webinar
tool
Cons
• Lack of
variety in
voices and
perspectives
One Speaker
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Determine the Format of your Webinar
Description
• Interviewer
asks a set of
predetermined
questions.
Pros
• More engaging
to hear multiple
voices.
• The fact that
the interviewer
is asking
questions of the
expert(s) often
encourages the
audience to do
the same.
Cons
• More people to
schedule, train,
and coordinate.
Interview Style
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Determine the Format of your Webinar
Description
• Multiple people
on the line at
the same time,
with a
moderator
facilitating the
discussion.
Pros
• Offers a variety
of voices and
perspectives.
Cons
• More people to
schedule, train,
and coordinate.
• Can be
challenging to
keep panelists
from talking
over each
other.
Moderated Panel Discussion
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Determine the Format of your Webinar
Description
• Audience
members
participate fully
via instructor-
led exercises
and facilitated
conversations.
Pros
• If done well,
participants
receive a
deeper
understanding
of the topic
because they're
fully engaged in
the dialogue
and the
exercises.
Cons
• Can only
accommodate
a small group.
• Requires a very
skilled,
experienced
facilitator.
Interactive
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Plan the visuals of your Webinar
Include only 1 Key point per Slide
Pay attention to the 3-second rule
Have a bold opening slide to get the audience’s interest early
Pick an easy-to-read font
Create a coherent look and feel
Slides with Data in Them Should Focus on the Meaning of the
Data, not Just the Data
Use images to visualize and explain
11. 3-4 weeks before the
Webinar
Speaker’s presentation
Deadlines for materials
Agenda
Create an Agenda Folder
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12. Your practice session should cover:
Schedule a Practice Session for the Webinar
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An introduction to the
webinar tool and its
features
An equipment check
A review of your agenda
and visuals
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Reserve your Equipment and Space
Room
Headse
t
Power
Cord
Networ
k Cable
14. Set Up Registration and Decide How Much (or Whether) to Charge for Your
Webinar
Determine what
tool you will use
Decide whether
you will charge
Participants’ high
expectations
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Nonprofits and libraries can use webinars for training, sharing information about a new product or service, or promoting a program. There are many tools that make it easy for any organization to host a webinar, even with limited technology expertise. Below, we'll outline some of the major steps you can take to plan quality, affordable webinars at your organization.
A webinar can be a powerful training and outreach tool, but the decision to use a particular tool should be based on your goals and the needs of your audience.
When determining whether a webinar is the best medium for your needs, consider
Your audience.
The subject matter.
The time you'll need to cover your topic. Most online audiences tend to lose interest after about two hours (or less!).
While webinars work well for some topics, they're not suited to every training need.
You may also wish to solicit the feedback of subject matter experts, other nonprofits that have conducted their own webinars, and even the audience you plan to address. Informal conversations, formal interviews, and surveys can all help you assess whether a webinar is right for you and your audience.
There are usually three main players in a webinar: the organizer/facilitator, the presenter or presenters, and assistants.
Organizer/facilitator. The organizer is the person responsible for developing the webinar topic, locating a speaker, marketing the event, setting up the registration, and communicating with participants before and after the webinar. During the webinar, the organizer usually participates by introducing presenters, interviewing the subject matter experts, moderating audience questions, and encouraging audience participation. The organizer also helps troubleshoot problems. Time commitment: roughly 10 to 20 hours per webinar.
Presenter(s) (also known as subject matter experts). Ideally, presenters should be able to concentrate their efforts on preparing and delivering their presentation. Worrying about the webinar software, event registration, troubleshooting, and other logistical details detracts from the presenters' ability to give an engaging presentation. Time commitment: four to six hours per hour of webinar.
Assistants. Assistants can help by answering questions that the organizer and the presenter don't have time for. Assistants are particularly helpful for answering technical and logistical questions ("I can't hear the audio," for example). Experienced organizers often produce webinars without any assistance, but you should consider asking for help if: you or your audience is unfamiliar with webinars and webinar tools; you plan to play a large role in the conversation (either as an interviewer or a participant); or you expect a large audience. Time commitment: one to two hours per hour of webinar.
In most cases, you should at least divide up the organizer and presenter roles. For large, complex webinars, you'll often need an assistant or assistants.
There are some popular formats you might consider:
There are some popular formats you might consider:
There are some popular formats you might consider:
There are some popular formats you might consider:
Because webinars rely on audio and visuals to get the message across, both should be engaging. Plain slides with a lot of text don't work very well. Here are seven ways to make your presentations more engaging.
Some slides you may wish to include are
An introductory slide reminding your audience how to log in to the audio and what time the webinar will begin.
A slide introducing each presenter, including job title, organization, and a photograph if available.
A quick overview of the webinar agenda and the topics to be covered.
7 Ways:
Slides with too much verbiage will decrease the interest of your audience.
THIS is the 3-second rule that applies to how long it takes the audience to process your message. According to graphic designer and knower-of-all-things-presentation-related Nancy Duarte, you should look at your slides and determine: "Will the audience understand what I'm trying to communicate in 3 seconds?“ No? Then whittle it down.
This means nothing smaller than 24 pt. When in doubt (if you're not a font aficionado), Arial and other simple fonts are solid choices.
Every slide should feel like it's part of the same story (no one wants a left-out slide!). To do this, you'll want to use the same or related fonts, colors, and imagery across all your slides.
This means: a) Cluttered data slides are not useful; b) Show only data that helps illustrate your point; c)Display it in a way so that everyone can absorb it.
Images make content 55 percent more memorable than words. Well-utilized images can enhance and reinforce your messages. Importantly, do not use images just to decorate. This is distracting.
When weighing your software options, here are a few questions to ask:
How Many People Will the Webinar Tool Accommodate?
How Much Does a Webinar Cost?
Which Features Will You Need?
How Is Audio Handled?
Do You Want to Record the Webinars for Later Viewing?
About three or four weeks before your webinar, hold a conference call with the speaker or speakers to determine
What questions you'll ask and the order in which the speakers will present.
Deadlines for materials. Ask presenters to send you slides or other visuals at least two to three days before the practice session so you have time to proofread and finalize the presentation.
An agenda with the order of the speakers and the duration of each segment.
Follow up this initial call with an email containing notes from your discussion.
A few days before your webinar, you should schedule at least one 30- to 60-minute run-through with all participants to work out any unresolved questions or technical issues.
Your practice session should cover the following:
An introduction to the webinar tool and its features. Discuss how to use the tool and what features are available to the presenters. Also make sure everyone knows whom they should turn to if they have questions or problems during the webinar — and how they can reach them.
An equipment check. Ensure that all of your presenters' operating systems, browsers, headsets, and other equipment are compatible with the web conferencing tool. Most webinar tools let presenters and participants test their computer for compatibility before the event.
A review of your agenda and visuals. Go over the agenda and move through the presentation to ensure that slides are in the right order and that speakers know where they come in.
A practice session is also a great opportunity to generate enthusiasm for the upcoming event and rally your presenters.
Regardless of the equipment you use, you will need a quiet space to conduct your webinar. Reserve a conference room or other space where there won't be background noise or interruptions.
You will usually want to have the following equipment:
Headsets. The organizer and all presenters will need headsets — telephone headsets if your webinar tool uses a phone bridge, or computer headsets if your tool uses integrated web audio. Never present a webinar using a speakerphone. Even in a quiet location, the audio quality is often poor.
A power cord if you're using a laptop.
A network cable to connect you directly to the network if you aren't using a wireless connection.
Before you begin marketing your webinar, determine what tool you will use to register attendees. Some online conferencing and webinar tools include built-in registration options. Signing up participants using a separate event-registration tool is another option.
With free webinars, you can expect that more than 50 percent of the people who sign up will fail to attend. One advantage of charging for your webinar is that it provides an incentive for participants to show up.
Participants will have higher expectations when they pay. The more you charge, the greater the expectation that you will deliver an engaging, well-produced webinar.
You will want to begin sending out information two to three weeks before the event. You should
Create an engaging, succinct description.
Clearly convey the intended audience for the webinar — for example, beginner or advanced, accidental techie or executive director.
Good places to advertise your event include your website, online event calendars, newsletters (online and printed), Twitter, Facebook, and at local events in your community. Don't forget to promote future webinars at the end of current webinars.
