Webinar sign-ups are good, but show-ups are better.
Last week, we revealed 16 ways to get people to sign up for your webinar.
This week, we’ll explain how to get more people to actually show up.
We’ve all signed up for webinars that we ultimately didn’t attend. Signing up could have been a spur-of-the-moment decision you later regretted. You might simply have forgotten to add the event to your diary, while things coming out of left field inevitably change our priorities.
Having said all that, if you’re the person running the webinar, you want your show-up rate to be as high as possible.
For Yardstick webinars, 50% to 55% of people who sign up attend the live session. This compares well with industry research:
- The ON24 Webinar Benchmarks Report (2023) found an average live attendance rate of around 40%
- GoTo Webinar reported typical webinar attendance rates averaging 40-50%
- Demio suggests the average attendance rate is lower, at around 35-45%.
So, how do you maximise your show-up rate? Here are 14 ideas:
1. Choose the right time and day
For a B2B audience, a 10 am start time will probably increase your show-up rate, because there’s less opportunity for distractions and emergencies to derail someone’s day.
If you have a B2C audience, running your webinar at quieter times (such as in the evening) will increase your show-up rate.
2. Get the timing of your invite right
As we said last week, giving people more notice of your webinar will boost sign-up numbers, but there’s a catch.
Longer notice periods often harm your show-up rate, so the timing of your invite is a delicate balance between the two.
Our initial invites go out three weeks before the webinar, with a reminder invite one week before. That cadence gets a higher-than-average show-up rate, so we suggest you start with a three-week notice period and experiment from there.
3. Automatically add the invite to people’s calendars
Using a webinar system that automatically adds the event to people’s calendars when they sign up will boost your show-up rate.
Ideally, the system you use will include links for at least one of the most common calendars, for example, Outlook, Google, and Apple. The calendar entry should also include the link people will need to attend.
4. Email automated reminders
Everyone who signs up for a Yardstick webinar receives a reminder one day and one hour before we go live. It also gives delegates the link they’ll need to attend the webinar.
The email acts as a helpful nudge while reducing friction by giving them the link once again.
5. Send reminders by WhatsApp or SMS
If you have delegates’ telephone numbers, consider sending reminders by WhatsApp message or SMS.
This could be particularly effective for a reminder an hour before you go live.
6. Follow a consistent communication schedule
Establishing a clear pattern in your pre-webinar communications means attendees expect and recognise your reminders.
Consistency also promotes confidence in your ability to deliver a great session.
7. Keep an eye on your email inbox before you go live
Occasionally, people email us around the webinar start time to report an issue, such as being unable to find the link.
Keeping an eye on your email inbox (or having someone else do it for you) allows you to help people experiencing difficulties. They’ll be grateful, and you’ll have another live participant.
That’s a win-win.
8. Ask people to leave their questions when they sign up
When people sign up for our webinars, they’re now asked if they have any questions for our guests.
That means they’ll get more from the webinar and are more likely to show up because they’ll want their question answered.
Another win-win!
9. Consider exclusive offers and giveaways
If someone can watch your webinar recording later, they might not feel the need to attend live, so give them a reason to show up.
That might be an offer or freebie giveaway only available to people who attend the live session.
Whatever benefits you choose, make it clear on the invite and registration page that people need to show up to get them. Most importantly, emphasise that the offers won’t be available to people who only watch the recording.
10. Make the webinar interactive
The more interactive your webinar, the greater the reason for people to show up live.
So, encourage attendees to leave comments and ask questions using the chat function of your webinar platform. Try never to finish your webinar without answering everyone’s questions.
11. Get the duration right
If your webinars are fluffy and full of filler, people are more likely to watch the replay because they can increase the playback speed to save time.
So, make them punchy and full of value.
12. Promote the webinar hard
When someone has signed up for your webinar, every promotional message they see in their email or on social media becomes a reminder to attend the event.
13. Use a well-known platform
We use Zoom for our webinars. It’s simple, most people are familiar with it, and it’s easy for delegates to join the webinar.
In contrast, I’ve signed up for some webinars using platforms that are so complicated I’ve given up, harming the promoter’s show-up rate.
14. Run great webinars
To state the obvious, the better your webinars are, the higher your show-up rate will be.
So, prepare, practice, and pour your heart and soul into each session.
Over time, your reputation for running great webinars will spread, boosting your sign-up and show-up rates. Yet another win-win!
Engage people who don’t show up
Firstly, focus on giving value to those who do show up. The better your webinars, the more likely they are to sign up and show up next time.
Secondly, take the opportunities that still exist when people have signed up, even if they don’t attend the live session.
For example:
- Send a recording of the session to everyone who signed up, even if they didn’t attend
- If LinkedIn is an important platform for you, send connection requests to everyone who registered
- Add everyone who registered to your communications database so they get your newsletter and invites to your next webinar
How we can help
Running webinars, especially for the first time, can be daunting.
If you want support, we’re here to guide you through almost every aspect of running and promoting a webinar (not presenting, though – that’s all down to you!).
Our webinar services include, but aren’t limited to the following:
- Helping you choose the right topic
- Designing the presentation slides for you
- Writing and building the registration page and email invites
- Agreeing and implementing a promotional strategy to maximise attendance
- Running technical sessions with you to ensure everything goes smoothly on the day
- Editing the recording and sending it out to everyone who’s registered for your webinar
- Recommending ways to repurpose the recording so you get the maximum possible benefit from your efforts.
If you’d like to know more, email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call us on 0115 8965 300, and we’ll set up a no-obligation meeting.
