The science of media - Content: the business model for webinars & events

Virigina Woolf once said “Nothing has really happened unless it's been described [in words]” - fast-forward a few decades and we have an updated version of this phrase:  “Nothing has really happened unless it’s been recorded” - but is recording enough?

In recent years - especially during the pandemic - B2B webinars have been a consistent presence.

• ON24 reported that 95% of businesses considered webinars an essential tactic

WebinarCare observed that B2B companies perceive webinars as being the ultimate tool for generating high-quality leads, with 73% of webinars attendees becoming qualified leads

Content = Power

In a Content Marketing Institute survey, 63% of businesses disclosed that they use webinars to generate content.

This is the crux of webinars and events post-pandemic: Not only using them as a tool to generate leads but a way to develop a brand through content - creating a plethora of engaging content off the back of each event.

Julius Solaris recently shared that content is the new business model for events, using webinars only for disseminating information is rapidly becoming obsolete. What Julius calls The Events Content System is a step towards a streamlined approach to webinars, where it is not the recording alone that matters, but the content you create from it.

Be Brave, Be Bold

At Texere, we encourage clients to make the most of their opportunities. Repurposing webinars to democratize information and reach the broadest possible audience. There are numerous options to consider: 

• Post Event Nurturing. Behind every event is typically a fantastic group of scientists, researchers and teams.  Bring those people and personalities to the front, build a content series around them (written and video) and specifically target the individuals who registered for the event. Lead into their demonstrated behaviour around your brand and topic.
• Content Summary (written). An article which summarizes the key focus of the event and marketed alongside the on demand webinar. This creates a long tail to the post event period and creates additional value to the attendee experience.
• Content Summary (video). A short (sub 30 second) talking head video which highlights key views from the event and used as a driver of traffic to the on-demand event. Videos could be created by the event moderator and / or the event speakers - to add extra weight to the marketing.
• Social Listening. Social media tools enable us to identify individuals based on keywords. Using social outreach we can target individuals with the different content summaries explained above and based on the specific terms and language they use across their socials. 
• Quotes and Cards. Taking key points from the live event we turn these into headline capturing quotes to draw in on-demand.

In summary, the recording is important but don’t ignore the opportunity to create a lasting relationship with attendees by means of regular, creative, value adding content. We know each attendee is eager for information, they would not have registered if they weren’t, so feed that hunger.