How do you like your webinars? I like practical advice and ideas, and many webinars fall well short.

As I’m typing this, I’m 8 minutes into a school-themed webinar, and I have not missed a single thing by not paying attention. Now 9 minutes in, I recognize this presenter is trying to build credibility, and now he’s using his company’s ‘about us’ speech to add credibility.

I understand credibility is key in any presentation. But I’d rather ‘see’ your credibility than hear about it. I am much more impressed with examples of what you have done, and the tools you offer to make my work-life easier. 11 minutes in. Still nothing.

Tell a story with your marketing plans and your webinars!

I sign up for webinars because the presenter already has a bit of credibility. If I leave with a few great ideas or concepts I can apply to my work, then the presenter’s credibility increases. Actions, not words. Show me, don’t tell me. 

Let me fast forward to 20 minutes in, and we are finally seeing new information. Prior to this, we covered how we as communicators are experiencing and feeling, the value of webinars, communicating now is difficult, show people how you care, everyone has been impacted, and how we can access this webinar and some resources after it’s over. I could have gotten this from literally any other place.

Ah, 21 minutes in, we are now at the ‘what have we learned’ piece, and I’m intrigued. But this is far, far too late in the game to be introducing something new. Start fast, be visual, and build credibility through idea sharing.

You would never, NEVER use this approach with a marketing plan, whether B2B or B2C or D2C. Tell a story with your marketing plans and your webinars!