Take advantage of new technologies when promoting your online seminar.
Online seminars, also called webinars, are an effective way to disseminate information and content to a large and geographically diverse audience. The flexibility that makes webinars so appealing also poses a challenge. After all, how do you promote an event that anyone, anywhere can attend? Some of the tips you use to promote a traditional event still apply: target your audience, make it easy for people to register and allow plenty of time pre-event for promotion. While old-standbys, like press releases and paid advertising, can help get the word out, the webinar format is uniquely qualified to benefit from some less-obvious best practices, too.
Instructions
1. Create an online information and registration site for your webinar. Options for your site range from free blog-based sites to paid hosting and web design to online event registration sites. Whichever you choose, pack your content with keywords relevant to the webinar topic, and make sure to name names when it comes to contributors and individual sessions or presentations.
2. Update your social networking status with information about your event at least three times a week during the month leading up to your event. Include interesting facts, a summary of topics or other generally relevant and interesting information to encourage your Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections and Twitter followers to share your update with others.
3. Create a Facebook event for your webinar, and invite your friends to attend. Choose the option "Anyone can view and RSVP (public event)" so it's easy for connections to invite others they think may benefit from your content.
4. Create a LinkedIn event for your webinar as well. (Find this option under "My Applications" in the "More" menu.) As your connections RSVP affirmatively, their plans to attend will show up in their connections' updates -- leading to more eyes on your event.
5. Post event details to any email discussion lists or forums where you are an active member. Consider offering a discount off the registration price for fellow group or list members to motivate people to attend.
6. Contact organizations and professional associations in your topic area with details about the webinar. These groups often have event calendars where they advertise offerings related to their membership free of charge.
7. Offer free resources such as tip sheets and white papers related to your webinar's topic, and refer readers to register for the webinar for more indepth information.
8. Submit content related to your webinar topic to article directories, and include a link to your online registration page in your author blurb.
9. Post free ads in major cities on Craigslist.org with your event details and instructions for registering. Tweak your ads with a regional focus for best results.
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