A webcast is an event that is recorded live and then broadcast over the Internet. Many companies are using this form of marketing to increase their sales leads. Webcasts work in two ways; the viewer sees the event live, as it takes place, or the viewer sees it on-demand - at their own convenience. Webcasts are used for anything from product launches to the CEO's presentation to shareholders, and enables global audiences to access key company communications.
If you have a large IT deparment, you may be able to arrange webcasts yourself, otherwise, it is best to contact one of the many companies that specialise in creating them.
There are 5 general steps in preparing a webcast:
1. The audio and visual content is recorded live.
2. The recorded content is compressed and moved to streaming software.
3. The compressed content is then coded and integrated with any other webcast elements that are required, such as viewer registration
4. The webcast is put onto specialist servers, from where it can be accessed in real-time or on-demand
5. The content is played on the viewer's PC, using one of the dedicated software packages such as Microsoft Media Player or RealPlayer
The webcast will run on your website, which makes it easy to promote and measure. Your live webcasts can be archived, so that visitors to your site can view previous webcasts that may be of interest to them.
The benefit of webcasts for sales lead generation are:
- You can target your audience
- Your message is available for longer
- You can collect viewer data by asking for registration details before the webcast is opened
- You can accurately monitor who views your webcasts, and where else they go on your site
- You can link your webcast to your eCommerce site, encouraging viewers to purchase
If you're planning a webcast, consider the following:
- Plan ahead - you will have several technical issues to take into consideration, including finding a webcast producer if you need one
- Target your audience and make sure your webcast is relevant to them
- Make your sales message clear and concise
- Consider translation if you're expecting viewers from non-English-speaking countries
- Decide if your webcast will be real-time, on-demand, or both
- Think about the extras - do you want to link to your online store, ask viewers to register, or ask for feedback after the webcast is over?
- If applicable, don't forget to send out invitations to your webcast, promote it in your customer literature and online.
Clearly, the experience of companies that have already used webcast technology is that it improves sales lead generation. Consider their experiences, view some webcasts for yourself and then decide if it is a marketing tool that could help your business.