Unlike in a physical conference where people may stay the entire course rather than offend the speaker or be marked as someone who left early, in a webinar, the participant can exit anytime by a single click!
The reality is that the barriers to entry and exit are very low online. For those participants mandated to be in a webinar for work, it’s easy to check messages or write an email while only being half engaged.
The challenge is then – How do you keep the online audience engaged?
As the facilitator, start by asking yourself this question:
Is the most important purpose of this webinar to deliver content, or to create engagement between participants? The answer to that question impacts the structure of your webinar. If the latter is true, then breakout groups are your preferred option and should be the anchor of your structure. If the former is true, then how you organize and present your content is most critical.
Optimize your use of the technology that your online platform gives you. For instance, to connect with your audience, use the chat box and the ‘thumbs up’ function or emoji. Both can be used in icebreaker activities when you start the workshop. And the thumbs up is a great option if you are looking for a quick response to a question. Polls also are terrific as long as you don’t overuse them.
Using multimedia presentations and videos can break the monotony and provide the much needed respite to the presenter. As a presenter, the energy you bring to the webinar is critically important. Remind yourself that you are talking to real people on the other side of the screen and that you want them to feel your enthusiasm as you deliver your important content to them. The enthusiasm has to be the same regardless of whether you have 5 or 50 people in the audience.
It is always nice to conclude with an interactive Q&A session to keep the audience enageged till the end.