How to create a webinar that resonates with remote audiences

With most in-person events canceled over the past year, many have turned to webinars to share information and insights. But when webinar speakers rely on screen sharing, the virtual presentation ends up feeling more static and less personal. That’s why experts and speakers have turned to Prezi Video to add a new level of engagement to their virtual events. Check out these tips and examples for ideas on how to create a webinar that will stand out this year. 

Embrace the virtual space 

Webinars and other online events don’t happen in a vacuum. Organizers need to consider the right platform for their audience, as well as how to best promote the event and engage attendees. Lauren Hagerty, the Director of Marketing & Community at recruiting platform PowerToFly, explains how other organizations can pivot to be more virtual in her Prezi Video webinar. 

Once you have everything set up, there are some differences to consider when sharing virtual presentations. Russell Anderson-Williams, a Prezi expert and founder of presentation design agency The Prezenter, shares his tips for becoming a better online presenter:

Go in depth without going overboard 

One of the main benefits of webinars is that they can act as forums for experts to really explore a topic at length. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that going in depth on a topic doesn’t mean paragraphs of text on the screen. For example, Salesforce’s Global Growth Evangelist Tiffani Bova used Prezi Video to break up her sales trends into digestible, highly visual sections, allowing her to share a lot of information without overwhelming the audience:

When it comes to more technical or scientific information, such as in Dr. Gleb Tsipursky’s webinar on adapting to COVID-19, you can fade in information as you talk about each point so that you don’t throw everything on the screen at once. See how Dr. Tsipursky did it here: 

Build a human connection 

Webinars can often be on the longer side, so if you’re simply screen sharing a massive slide deck, your audience will end up multitasking or tuning out. Interact and engage with your attendees to keep them focused on your content and message. Career coach Diana YK Chan keeps up a rapport with her audience as she presents. For example, in her webinar on life and career tips for 2021, she carved out time throughout to answer questions and highlight insightful comments: 

You can also take advantage of the unique features in video conferencing tools to keep your audience engaged. Rich Mulholland, an acclaimed speaker and the founder of presentation design company Missing Link, shared Zoom polls and then posted the results to help drive the conversation in his webinar on becoming a better public speaker:

Ultimately, the best way to connect with your audience is to be present and on screen. With Prezi Video, you get to engage with your visuals and content without sacrificing facial cues and body language, which go a long way in making sure your message is clear and memorable. 

Don’t stop at just one 

While the examples and tips above can show you how to create a webinar that resonates, don’t leave it at just one. Creating content regularly will help you build stronger relationships with your customers and prospects, and can also do wonders for your brand awareness. Nathan Czubaj, a Master Trainer at Dale Carnegie, used Prezi Video to create an entire workshop series around professional development. And he’s not alone — most of the speakers featured in this post have created multiple webinars and videos. 

Whether you’re creating your first webinar or a seasoned pro, be sure to try Prezi Video for a more personal, immersive webinar experience. Have your own tips for how to create a webinar? Create a Prezi video and tag it with #Webinar for a chance to be featured on our Video Gallery. Or, if you’d like to work with us on a future webinar, feel free to email prezieditors@prezi.com.