Webinars have proven to be effective at building trust and authority. Brands can host webinars, spending longer than would be normal promoting their brand, interacting with viewers, and selling products. The length of time available on a webinar allows more space to target the emotional and intellectual side of a prospect while giving them something of value for attending. Convincing someone to join a webinar, though, can be difficult as the time commitment can be high. The following tips can be used to increase the numbers of people who attend your webinars, helping you to grow your brand.

Offer an Attendance Bonus 

A free gift can be hard to resist, particularly when it is highly targeted to the audience. Bonuses can also ensure people watch until the end, with the gift only being provided after the main content has been consumed. You don’t, however, want the bonus to overshadow the main offer, so it is important that you don’t sell it too much. Make the bonus feel inconsequential when stacked up to the main offer, using it as a small gift to thank people for attending.

Use Email Marketing 

Email marketing is one of the most effective techniques for promoting your webinar. In most cases, your subscribers will already have a relationship with you after messages providing quality content. You can promote a webinar by listing some bullet points while avoiding giving everything away. Of course, you may not have an email list yet, but there are numerous benefits to building one. Add an opt-in box on your blog and promote membership with a lead magnet. You can then direct new subscribers to a recurring webinar.

Promote Using Webinar Listings 

There are many sites that allow businesses to list webinars and events. Just as with most listings sites, there will be different terms and conditions for each platform you use. Some sites will be free, others are paid, and you can sometimes get a better position with a premium offer. Also, traffic will vary based on the site and your industry, so some sites will be better than others. Search Google for the available options and decide whether they will suit you. Some example sites include TellOnline and Pay360.

Pay for Ads 

If you are confident you will convert many webinar viewers into buyers, it can be worth investing in paid advertising. Sites like Facebook offer detailed levels of targeting, so you can often reach your desired audience on a limited budget. LinkedIn can also be effective if you are targeting business users. When building your ad campaigns, it is worth creating a landing page that promotes your email list first. You can then immediately start to send new subscribers to your webinar promotion.

Collaborate With Influencers 

There will almost certainly be other people in your niche with audiences similar to your own. Working with these influencers allows you to reach a wider audience by combining your promotional efforts. You could host webinars together, sharing knowledge and creating a different experience from a solo promotion. Alternatively, you could let influencers promote your webinars as affiliates, giving them a commission for each product sold.

Webinars can provide a style of marketing that can be hard to replicate. Social media and email marketing typically offer quick bursts of content over an extended period of time. Paid ads and SEO can drive significant traffic, but you need to move people into a sales funnel. Webinars, though, give you plenty of time to communicate with viewers, so you can build rapport, educate people, and gradually introduce your product. When you can consistently get people to attend your webinars, you should have no problem building a customer base.