During COVID-19, a lot of us have had to adapt to completely new and unfamiliar conditions both within and outside of the workplace. This has involved, for some people, changing the ways in which they work entirely. For those who give talks regularly as part of their job, this has adapted to giving talks via online webinars, which for many people is unfamiliar and potentially out of their comfort zone. If you follow these tips, you will be sure to give a great webinar, making the transition to online life that little bit easier.
Ensuring a Good Internet Connection
A number one priority to conducting a successful webinar is to ensure that your internet connection is good and stable. Where possible, you should try and find a spot near to your Wi-Fi router, since this will mean that the connection is at its strongest. Ideally, if you are in the same room as your router, this will mean that walls are not a physical barrier.
Prior to your webinar, it may be a good idea to host a practice call via Zoom or Skype, to test out your connection. If it is lagging, this is an indication of poor connection and the same may happen during your webinar. If you live with other people, it is a good idea to try and arrange for them not to be using the Wi-Fi (or at least not to be using things that require good connection) whilst you are conducting your webinar. This way, your device will be prioritised.
Dressing Appropriately
Even though you are conducting your webinar from the comfort of your own home, you need to remember that your audience is the same as it would have been had you conducted your webinar in real life. Depending on the formality of the situation, you should dress accordingly to this and try and not let standards drop just because you are at home. This includes the backdrop of your webinar – ideally it should be a plain background. A top tip is to NOT have your bed in the background, since this looks informal.
Booking Professional Webinar Speakers
To make your webinar extra impressive and engaging, it is a great idea to look into booking a professional speaker to speak during your webinar. The beauty of having everything online is that they can do this straight from their own home too, meaning organising this will be easier. Webinar speakers from Speakers Corner is a great place to start your search. They have spoken at countless events in the past and has speakers from a variety of backgrounds, who are educated on many topics, so they will be appropriate for any situation.
If you follow these tips, there is no reason why your webinar cannot be just as good as a face-to-face seminar. In fact, you may actually find this format preferable. As long as you put effort into the organisation of the webinar, it is guaranteed to succeed.