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Photo: Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee Source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When hosting a webinar, my attendees not only pay for the experience; but I do, too. Through the years, I’ve found several ways to make sure my webinars are profitable. And because I run my own business and have my fingers in many pots, I don’t really have the time (or the resources) to get too crazy with my methods. I’m sure many of you can relate.

With that in mind, here are five simple actions you can take to make sure your webinar makes money, and your audience walks away happy (and ideally wants to come back for more!):

• Research: Yes, it’s important to research what’s topical in your industry. But it’s incredibly important to also research your teleconferencing company. Find several you like and negotiate the best deal. For example, ask for a lower per-minute rate in exchange for all your webinar business. Tip: Know exactly what they’re charging before you sign. And avoid minimum registrations per conference whenever possible.

• Survey: Survey attendees after every conference and make sure one of your questions asks for the email addresses of everyone attending at each registered site. This helps with future marketing efforts by growing your list; plus it’s good to know where your audience is (and isn’t).

• Hold back: Marketing is important of course, but you don’t have to spend a lot for it to be successful. Send e-blasts, include ads on your website and in your free e-newsletters, and mention the webinar in your existing subscription newsletters. For example, if you send a regular informational newsletter, put a banner ad on the side or at the bottom of the page that advertises the webinar and have it link to the registration page. You can also test printed inserts and fax blasts if those are part of your business model.

• Fill the silence: There are almost always a good few minutes of hold time before a webinar begins. Take advantage of it! If participants call in on the phone, instead of hold music, play a recording that describes your other products and webinars. If you stream your webinars, have a PPT slide on the screen about your other products and services that they can read while waiting for the webinar to begin. You can also be creative and share some industry tips. Then tell attendees that if they want to know more, they can go to your website/blog after the webinar is over.

• Goodies: Make money on ancillaries. Sell CDs, tapes, even encore presentations. You can offer these free or at a discount to attendees, but always sell them to non-attendees for the same price as the webinar. The last thing you want is for customers to learn they can wait until after the webinar to get a lower price!

Want more? Next week I’ll be sharing five more tips! Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!

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