Using the best tools for running a webinar available will help make your webinar a success. You need to focus on selling your product or service, and not if the microphone is working or if the webinar still being broadcast. Running for first webinar might be intimidating, but relying on solid tools and software will make this task easier to handle.
Let’s take a look at the different deliveries for webinars and then a complete list of free and paid tools for running a webinar.
How to Present Your Webinar Content
There are any number of ways to present your webinar content. Depending up-on the webinar software you’ll be using, something we will look at in the next paragraphs, you may tend towards one or another type of media for your webinar. Generally speaking, you will be using 1 of 3 ways to present your webinar content:
- A slideshow presentation
- Video
- Screen capture
All of those presentation models will be accompanied by audio. You, a webinar guest or a paid voiceover artist will be addressing your audience. You may also choose some combination of those 3 most common webinar presentation models just listed. Let’s take a look at each in turn.
1. Slideshow Presentation
PowerPoint makes giving slideshow presentations simple. This type of presentation is widely recognized by your webinar audience, and allows you to keep your topics short and simple. Nearly all of the webinar software providers mentioned in the next section will support PowerPoint, ProShow Gold, PhotoStage, KeyNote for Mac and other top slideshow software suites.
2. Video
YouTube Live and Google Hangouts are two simple ways (and free, by the way) to use video in your webinar. When you include yourself in your video, at least for a little bit, you come across as more of a unique and real human being than if your audience doesn’t get to see who you are. You may also use the video camera built into your laptop or desktop computer, but these are usually of inferior quality.
Video delivery can be used to deliver quick webinars to increase website traffic (LINK) and is the most popular delivery for seasoned marketers.
3. Screen Capture
Screen captures are excellent for showing a process or illustrating how a product works. You can either record still shots of your screen or short lengths of video, recording exactly what you are doing on your computer. This video is then broadcast in real time to your webinar audience. Free Screen Video Recorder, CamStudio, Camtasia, EZVid, Screenflow and Screencast-O-Matic are just a few popular and easy to use screenshot and screen video capture software pro-grams.
Software and Tools for Running a Webinar
1. Microphones
Poor audio kills a webinar. You could be giving away the best value and answering the biggest questions your industry has ever seen, and if you have poor audio quality, your audience will disappear. This means ensuring you have a decent microphone recording your voice, as well as the voice of your webinar guest.
a. Beginner Level
- ATR2100
- Samson Q2U
b. Advanced Level
- Rode Procaster / Podcaster
- MXL990
- Shure SM58
- Blue Yeti
c. Professional Level
- Heil PR40
- Shure SM7b
2. Webinar Software
Your webinar software should be up to snuff also. A few proven tools for delivering a successful webinar include:
a. Free Tools for Running a Webinar
- Google+ Hangouts
- Skype
- YouTube Live
- AnyMeeting (free for up to 10 attendees)
- ClickWebinar (free 30-day trial)
- iLinc (free trial)
- Blackboard Collaborate (free trial)
b. Paid Tools for Running a Webinar
- GoToWebinar (starts at $79 per month)
- Cisco WebEx (starts at $79 per month)
- ReadyTalk (starts at $49 per Month)
- Adobe Connect (starts at $45 per month)
- MegaMeeting (starts at $39 per month)
- Webinars OnAir (starts at $25 per month)
- OnStream (per usage, call for quote)
Conclusion
Do I recommend buying a professional microphone for your first webinar? Absolutely not. Buy your professional microphone with the earnings of your first webinars. But, when creating and delivering a professional webinar, you might find that investing in paid tools for running a webinar might be the right thing to do.
