Partner Article

Seven steps to the perfect event webcast

Seven Steps to the Perfect Event Webcast

Event webcasts are online or virtual events and they are now one of the most cost-efficient and effective ways for companies of all sizes to run events. They can be used for training, conferences, lead generation, stakeholder communications or product launches and they have many benefits for companies who want to reach a wide and disparate audience, for minimum cost.

But running a webcast is more than just setting up a camera and pressing record. There are a number of best practices to follow to ensure your company is gaining the maximum benefits from a webcast. Just as an ‘on location’ event – a webcast is still a representation of your company. A poor execution with sound issues, network dropouts or inconsistent slides and branding, runs the risk of damaging the reputation of your company, leading to attendee drop outs and a loss of trust in your business.

An experienced event production company will work with you to ensure that the execution of your webcast is professionally conducted from start to finish – leaving you to focus on the important messages you want to convey to your audience.

At Media 1 Productions, we have been producing webcasts for several years and we’ve come up with seven steps to help you conduct the perfect event webcast:

1. Promotion

Leading up to your webcast it’s obviously essential that you let your audience know about it! People have busy calendars, so make sure you give them enough notice and include a test link with audio and video content that the viewer can use to adjust their computer settings. Also consider including some helpful tips on problem solving. Put it on your website if it’s an external event or intranet if internal. Email reminders should be sent out at intervals leading up to the webcast and on the day – send out a reminder an hour before to make sure people are prepared. Also if it’s an external event try giving your event a hashtag and encourage people to tweet about it!

2. Location, Location

Be sure to have an experienced technical events manager undertake a full survey of the venue you have chosen to stream your webcast from. They should have the knowledge to make certain the correct technical elements are in place for your webcast - including internet connection, space, lights, sound and practical advice on how to lay out your room for maximum effect.

3.It’s all in the detail

Consider how you want your webcast to look. It may be online but if you are conducting your webcast in front of live audience - have you considered the finer details including theming, floor plans, lecterns and backdrops? We provide a full event service to all of our clients and we take the time to identify the precise requirements of your event, tailored to your target audience.

4.Technical Support

A webcast technician should be on hand to monitor the event and check specifics such as the signal input and the video streaming are working correctly. A dedicated team including an AV technician, sound technician, webcast expert and camera man should be present throughout your webcast - these are provided as a minimum standard from Media 1. These experts should be on hand throughout your webcast to ensure your event runs seamlessly. We know that there is only one chance to get your event right!

Our team will also be on hand to filter and manage any and all of the engagement and interactivity tools you will need, such as online questions and live polling.

5. The Value of Your Brand

Your company brand should convey a uniform quality, level of credibility and experience and when planning your webcast this shouldn’t be overlooked. Fully brand your webcast so that once attendees are logged on, they are greeted with your corporate identity and know that they have arrived in the right place. Most event companies will be able to help you achieve this.

6. Webcast Experts

Technical support agents should be on hand throughout the duration of your webcast to receive calls from any of your viewers who may experience issues. At Media 1 we have a dedicated support phone number with our webcast service that is fully manned from start to finish, so we’re completely on hand for any immediate issues that may arise.

7. Reports

One of the great things about webcasting an event is the follow up analytics companies can retrieve. Webcast reports allow you to measure the immediate success of your event – these should include a list of attendees, how long they were online for and the location they were logged in from. This information can be used for future event planning and targeting.

Webcasts are also really beneficial for training purposes as they can be recorded and made accessible for attendees to view on demand. Recordings can be updated and a series can be made into a catalogue, which enables companies to monitor the number of views and test comprehension.

Also, remember to make sure you send the recording and the slides of your webcast to your attendees within 24 hours, and tell them during the webinar you will do this - you can also send this to any no-shows. At Media 1 we will edit your recording so that the finished version is the best it can be before your audience receives it.

Fast follow-up helps you motivate people to take a next step – whether that’s enquiring about your product or asking for more information while the webcast is still on their mind.

Steve Bindley is the director and founder of Media 1 Productions www.media1productions.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Media 1 Productions .