Interactive Web Presentation

How many times have you missed a webinar?   I am sure many of you have for one reason or another.   Webinars have become so ubiquitous now that there are several you could attend in any week.   However, that is why there are webinar replays--recordings of the live webinar event.   More people view webinar replays than those that attend live webinar events.   A webinar replay is a great medium to catch up on the content of what you missed at the live webinar.   Or is it?

"Thank you for attending today's webinar.   Today's webinar will be in a listen only mode.   You can ask . . . "   What's this?   Why do I need to listen to this unnecessary banter of the live webinar when it has already passed?   I just want to get to the "meat" of the webinar and move on.

This is the problem with replays/recordings of webinars today.   Many are simply a recording of the audio and slides (and some of the entire webinar interface) that are not edited and are produced and posted for viewing.   Many of the replays are not edited as it is easier and faster to post the replay without further modifications.

Some of you may remember the days of reel-to-reel tapes or cassettes.   With this medium, you had to fast forward and rewind through the tape to find the audio you were looking for.   When CDs came out, you were able to select the song you wanted to hear without searching through the entire catalog of music on the CD.  

Some webinar replays are like the old linear tapes.   You need to use the player "scrub" bar to search through the content until you can find what you are looking for.   Some replays provide a table of contents so you can advance to the slide and audio you are seeking.  

Companies like Brainshark provide a great solution for repurposing the audio and slides of your webinar.   Webinar Resources uses Brainshark to produce our "Webinar for ONE" presentations that basically make your webinar "live again" with the addition of interactive polls, live web slides and flash video.  Still, do viewers want to search through 45 minutes of content when all they require is the 10-15 minutes to retrieve the content that they require and probably have time to listen to?   As the lady said in the old commercial, "Where's the beef?".   I am probably dating myself.

The team at Webinar Resources and our partner, Bizucate, have examined this content delivery dilemma and have come up with a solution that we believe will provide the "beef" that webinar replays have been missing.   After producing our second in a series of Webinar Wednesdays events, we decided to repurpose the best content that we believe our viewers wanted to see and hear.

Using Brainshark's new "microphone audio" feature, Bizucate presenter and president, Peter Muir, re-recorded his audio content for 10 specific slides of the original webinar presentation which contained 24 slides.  Our intention was to produce a "condensed" webinar replay that we could post as not only a replay, but as a learning module that could be posted on Brainshark's Content Network and Training Industry's Learning Content Network. 

We have been pleasantly surprised to see the number of views increase as we broadened our reach by posting the content in many different channels.   With condensed webinar replays we can repurpose, re-market and renew your webinar content and drive new business opportunities.
 

Once you have the basic structure of your event in mind you should move on to stage 2: Pre-Event Efforts. This progressive approach to event planning includes focusing on using every element of an event to create opportunities to engage your audience. Traditionally, the pre-event efforts are designed to get people to attend a singular face-to-face conference, seminar or meeting. Web2.0 has established new channels of communication that give these pre-event efforts the potential to be just as engaging and profitable as the actual “main event.” Remember, each touch is an opportunity to grow your relationship with existing customers as well as introduce your products and services to new ones.

In your pre-event efforts utilize social media channels – both new and old – to advertise the content to be shared during the event, as well as, start new conversations. The channels you chose should be relevant to your desired audience and the messages tailored to the nuances of each particular channel. When using a multi-channel mix it is wise to drive all out reach efforts towards one centralized website where all event information and forums are located. This creates a flow between the channels, as well as building a cohesive theme or message.
 

Some examples of pre-event efforts:

• Tweet a concise but alluring intro to the event with a link to the home page. “No more recession depression. Now is the time to strive for growth…Link”
• Pose a question on LinkedIn that will pique interest and engage your network. Be sure the question is directly related to your event. “What are three things you’ve done recently to improve your relationship with your existing customer? Need some ideas? Link”
• Use your Facebook page to express excitement about the upcoming event or reach out to those who have RSVP’d.
• Attempt to survey those who are interested in coming but can’t. Find out why and what specifically they were interested in and whether they would be interested in alternative options. Then follow up. It starts a conversation and may lead to new opportunities.

As it relates to sales, pre-event efforts give you the unique opportunity to reach out to two different audiences. Existing customers and potential customers frame the two most targeted audiences for events. Knocking on doors, e-mail, phone calls, social media and more present many ways to reach out to these two audiences…but it’s the fact you took the time to share with them what your event is and why they should come—that creates an engagement opportunity for you to assess if they are worth your time. Having an event gives you something to talk about besides just trying to sell them a product or a service.

By using an extended series of mini opportunities around your central event you are opening the entire process of advertising, registering and following up to new profit potential. Setting a genuine and well managed standard of interaction through these initial pre-event efforts will lay the foundation for a successful and memorable event over all.

Peter Muir, president Bizucate Inc.
www.bizucate.com
 

• Why have an event, what are your goals? What do you want to get for your efforts? Develop objectives that are SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Based) and align with the current or future needs of the organization.
• Having an educational event provides a reason to talk to customers and prospects. It gives you something to buzz about beyond your capabilities and need for business. It could give your customers reasons to invest in new ideas and new products and services to help them grow.

• Content: strategic, operational, sales, business processes? The content is what will be advertised and why people will attend. Theming your event and tying it to actionable outcomes changes an informative event to a results event. Types of businesses and the role of the attendee will be influenced by the content you choose.
• Type of Event: Face to Face or Webinar. Each presents its own benefits and shortcomings. Consider your content and audience along with your budget and resources as part of your thought process.
• Timing: Early in the quarter? At the beginning, middle or late in the week? Morning, afternoon or all day? What time works best for those you are looking to reach?
• Location: If face to face do you host it at your company, at a local hotel, a customers business? To feed or not to feed? Is the location part of your message? If you choose to have a web conference what are the needs of the solution? Browser, OS, phone, voice over IP, Presentation technology, presentation style, ability to interact with attendees.

Every year we come up with a creative way of greeting our customers and prospects for the holidays.   Our traditional use of a Brainshark presentation has been well received and has been easy to deploy.

This year, our Creative Director suggested we send out printed holiday cards to our growing list of customers, partners and prospects.   We discussed the idea and decided this would be a good opportunity to create and execute a cross-media campaign linking personalized print media with interactive, personalized digital media on the web.   We also wanted to test the effectiveness of this method as a customer acquisition strategy.

Using specialized image personalization software from XMPie, we produced the image below with our recipients names on the images.    The image was printed on a post card and sent through the U.S. Mail (amazing how fast the mail really is) to our list of recipients.   On the back of each card was a "call to action", a URL to run a customized Brainshark presentation.   When the recipient entered their name in the Brainshark guest book, a personalized ornament appeared with music playing in the background.

Now your name may not be Steven, but if you visit http://www.brainshark.com/webinarresources/holiday and enter Steven as your first name, you will see how the application works.   You can enter your own first name and we might just have your name on the list.

This was the first application ever used to mix printed media with personalized, interactive media in a Brainshark presentation.   We were surprised by the recipients that did visit the link after receiving the post card.   Some of them were prospects that we have been trying to get in front of.  Imagine how your customer might react if they saw their name on a wine bottle or a sail on a boat in an online media application.    Would it catch their attention?   Did we capture yours?  

While I refused to fight the crowds to be on of the first through the door to pick up a brand new Blackberry Storm, I will be going this afternoon to make my purchase.

My boss, Mark, and I have a very un-official, un-scientific experiment (aka competition) we're conducting.  He has the new G1 (Google) phone from T-Mobile.  I'm getting the Blackberry Storm from Verizon Wireless.  We're putting the networks aside, and comparing the phones for how well they enhance our ability to conduct business.

Mark got his G1 about a month ago, and has been bragging ever since.  He L-O-V-E-S it.  Just for fun on the weekend, he creates a brainshark presentation from his phone, records the voice, and then sends a vontoo message over to us just to gloat.

I'm hoping that I will be able to return the favor with the Blackberry storm.  I know I won't have Windows mobile, but what will I be able to do?  At a minimum, I should be able to enjoy the latest and greatest in screen resolution and display options to view what our custoemrs view.  At most, will I be able to operate the Blackberry Storm as a miniature laptop, of sorts, the way that Mark has been able to do with his G1? 

Our whole business centers around effective lead generation and customer acquisition through managed services and internet marketing.  We drive personalized marketing campaigns through interactive technologies that may include any or all of the following:
  --Video Web Conferencing
  --Email Movie Clips
  --Variable Data embedded in html emails
  --Web Conferencing
  --On Demand Presentations

We are also heavy users of many interactive programs including but not limited to online calendars.

Over the next few weeks, we will be testing out these technologies with the G1 and Blackberry Storm.  Maybe we'll even keep a scorecard.  For now, I have to sign off to go place my order.

Stay tuned, and if YOU have a G1 or a piping hot new Blackberry Storm--please post and tell us about the SMS feats you've conquered.

It is almost 4:00 am and I have realized that I have not posted a blog lately.   The wonderful thing about blogging is that you can do it at anytime of the day.   It is best to blog when it quiet.

Now that I can get my thoughts together, I can start thnking about how I am going to put the presentation together on customer acquisition for my customer this week.   We just created a great HTML email with an embedded Brainshark presentation that was recorded by a guest speaker for our customer's event.   With this interactive web presentation we can quickly gain viewer's interest and launch a call to action for the viewer to register.   We have many types of examples we have created for the customer to create effective lead generation.   As I think more about it, the applications we have created are my presentation.

I will blog more as I travel this week and will be posting some interesting new technology that you might want to see and hear as you develop your marketing campaigns.   Is the pen mighter than the keyboard for blogging?  Stay tuned for the answer.

When you use the "Embed" command to place a Brainshark interactive web  presentation on your web site, the default background color for the introductory animation is blue, and the default background color for the slide portion of your presentation is gray. These are nice colors, but you might prefer using the background color of your web site instead.

I have made a sample page of a Brainshark presentation with the default colors on a web page with a lime green background. It takes a brave person to use lime green as a background color, but it's definitely good for demonstration purposes!

Here is a second page showing the blue and gray background colors in the presentation replaced by the lime green background color on the web page.

How is this done? First, find out the hexidecimal code for the background color on your web site. If you're not sure, see my article What the Hex?! How to Match Documents to the Colors of Your Company's Web Site for help.

Next, open the html page that contains the embedded Brainshark presentation in a plain text editor. Look for the following code snippets, and replace the highlighted six-number sequences with your chosen hexidecimal color code:
    
    

To see other modifications you can make to the code, click the link "Additional URL Parameters" when the Embed dialog box is open in Brainshark.

Two decades ago we used to let our fingers do the walking to find people, fast.  Now the power of the web offers many effective processes for lead generation and the telephone still plays a major role in customer acquisition.

We have customers who run a series of live training events.  The classes fill up fast, and always have a wait list, so every "no show" represents multiple lost opportunities.  In addition to the standard email reminders, we began sending Vontoo reminder calls to all class registrants the day before the training, and the customers love it.

The participants in the classes provide a preferred phone number for the reminder when they register for the class.  The director of the training series records her reminder, and through the beauty of Vontoo, we send her reminder to those specified numbers.  These calls provide another layer to your personalized marketing campaign.

So, while yes, the days of the 4-inch thick "yellow pages" are quietly slipping by, you can still ensure none of your participants have a chance to forget to attend your carefully planned event or even a web presentation by putting a ring in that ping using a Vontoo reminder call.

Having just recently re-entered the job market at Webinar Resources after a 7-year maternity leave, I have been entertained by many advances in the world of telecommunications and conferencing.  Nothing has amazed me more than the advancement of video technology.  I remember PictureTel pioneer and President, Norman Gaut, telling us that video would become synonymous with the telephone call, and that the day would arrive in which the technology would resemble a tv broadcast.

Well, he was correct on one front.  The technology is astounding.  We use interactive web conferencing on our team all the time, and it does look just like a TV broadcast.  It's a simple click of the mouse, and there's Mark and Carolyn in St. Louis, while I sip my coffee in Simsbury, CT.  Our team meeting is underway, and though I've never met them, I'm part of the team.

Years ago, I always loved the "sell" for videoconferencing, because the technology was so much fun, and it truly helped the customer conduct business.  Now, the technology of video is just a given, and the aid to business is the way that Webinar Resources is able to drive customer acquisition by getting hundreds to attend a seminar that is webcast right to their laptop.  Technology aside, the sheer logistics of assembling a crowd that large, virtual or not, is amazing, but we do it all the time.

Also amazing is how that web conference crowd is a bit fluent through time.  Those who can't attend, live, at the scheduled time, are invited to attend the "webinar for one"--in which they view a video replay from their laptop, at their leisure.

We've come a long way, and who knows, in another 7 years, video may be synonymous with the phone call, but for now, I'm really stoked by the volume of people we can touch with a web presentation because of the effective lead generation we perform weeks before the event.  Seven years ago I thought it was a great time to be working with the technology.  Now, the technology is proven, and it's a great time to share it so easily with so many.

Every touch point with a customer or prospect should include a "call to action".   A Call to Action or CTA, as some call it, invites interaction from your visitor and promotes lead generation.  A CTA can be as simple as a form posted on your website, in a blog, and email or in an on demand presentation like a Webinar for ONE.

We always include a call to action in our Webinar newsletters.  The simplest example is to invite your reader to subscribe to your newsletter by completing a simple online form.  You are more likely to have a customer or prospect return to your cross-media communications if you invite them to take an action.  Every customer acquisition program should promote interactivity.

A common error by many who produce web conferences is to post a webcast or webinar replay that does not contain some form of a call to action.   Many web conferencing marketeers do not realize that there are tracking tools that can inform them when a viewer is watching a presentation.  Views of your presentations can take place at any time of the day and in almost any location where online content is available - which is about anywhere in the world.

The goal of any effective customer acquisition process is to connect with your customer or prospect and move them to an action where conversion takes place.  Conversion can be as simple as the completion of a subscription form or as in-depth as completing a live poll embedded in a Webinar for ONE. 

As you create your personalized marketing campaigns, make sure you include several types of call to action best practices and techniques   People like to give their input and like to be involved.  Give your customers, prospects and partners an opportunity to interact with you online and you will produce effective lead generation results.

Feel free to post your comments and/or complete our live online poll

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You spend a lot of time, money and resources in planning and producing your webinars.  However, once the web conference is over, so is the interactivity between you and your prospects.  Many web conferencing solutions provide archival capabilities for replaying the webinar content.  However, the interactivity is lost and the viewer has little, if any opportunity to participate.

Our "Webinar for One" is a unique replay, lead generation solution that engages the viewer provides participation through live polling and surveys and directs the viewer to encapsulated rich media that could include software demonstrations, flash media and live web site tours. The viewer becomes a participant in a Webinar for One.  Your webinar becomes "alive" again while you gather valuable viewing and polling data from prospects that can view and interact with your presentation at any hour of the day.

You can visit our Webinar for ONE landing page and participate in some of our partner "Webinar for ONE" presentations.