Webinars have been around for a long time. But, they have recently experienced a major resurgence in popularity. And, for good reason! According to Zoom’s 2024 webinar statistics, 89% of marketers say webinars outperform other channels in generating qualified leads. In healthcare IT, where complex solutions meet equally complex buyer journeys, webinars offer a uniquely powerful marketing tool.
Often, healthcare IT marketers lean on costly trade publications to produce and host webinars. The appeal? Trade publications boast large, highly targeted, opt-in email distribution lists as well as name recognition and credibility among provider audiences. However, this can be cost prohibitive for smaller, budget-conscious companies.
Fortunately, with the right strategy and planning, you can successfully run your own webinars, at very low cost. In this blog, we’ll explore tips and tricks for running webinars that work.
Producing Your Own Webinar
Producing your own webinar gives you full control over content, format, timing and follow-up. If your team has access to a curated contact list (like your CRM) and/or a solid LinkedIn following, you’re halfway there. There are lots of blogs and articles online about how to produce a webinar. So, leverage those. This blog focuses on success strategies specific to health tech.
Formats That Work!
Great webinars are more than just a Zoom link and a slide deck. Let’s look at a few effective formats that work well in the healthcare IT space.
1) The Customer Case Study
This format is pure gold. Bring in a delighted customer and have them escort your webinar attendees through their journey. Together, you can answer top-of-mind questions like:
- What were they struggling with before?
- Why did they choose your solution?
- What was the implementation process like?
- What results have they seen from working with you?
- What recommendations do they have for others?
Customers who are willing to participate in a webinar are often your strongest advocates. Their passion, experience, and credibility are hard to replicate in any format, and healthcare IT audiences typically trust their peers far more than polished corporate messaging.
2) The Thought Leader or Panel Discussion
Invite an industry thought leader (or a few) and discuss a hot topic in your space. Like, the role of AI, evolving policies affecting the industry, or emerging challenges and how to counteract them. It’s especially powerful if your panel includes diverse perspectives. A clinical user, technical administrator, and a senior decision-maker, for instance. This format brings nuance and depth to your message, making it more relevant to a wider range of prospects. You can even have a thought leader from your organization moderate the conversation.
3) The Partner Webinar
If you’re collaborating with another company, co-host a webinar to showcase your combined value. For example, maybe you’ve just done a joint press release. It demonstrates ecosystem thinking and adds credibility by association, which can be particularly helpful if your brand isn’t yet a household name in healthcare.
What Makes an Engaging Webinar?
In healthcare IT, content needs to educate. Webinars shouldn’t be a sales pitch. They should be a learning opportunity. Tailor the language and depth to the audience you are targeting with your webinar. As an example, don’t dive into technical jargon if your audience is clinical. And, don’t get overly clinical if you’re speaking to IT.
Most importantly, avoid only including company representatives on your webinar. Healthcare audiences are inherently well educated, and therefore wary of bias. It’s fine to have a company representative as a moderator, but let your customers or partners do the talking. Their experience will resonate far more effectively than your elevator pitch.
Live vs. Pre-Recorded Formats
A common question is which webinar format performs better: live, or pre-recorded? The answer is both formats have value. It just depends on your time, resources, and objectives.
Live webinars drive more engagement, allow for real-time Q&A, and can provide insight into who’s actively interested. A strong pre-registration list becomes a valuable sales tool, regardless of whether those people actually attend the live event. Live webinars do require significantly more preparation, however. Consider these tips:
- Proactively Promote. Promote your webinar at least three weeks in advance, via LinkedIn, company email and personal email. Enlist your sales force. Send reminders. Busy clinicians and hospital decision-makers need early notice.
- Practice with Presenters. Do at least one dry run with all participants to work out technical matters and refine flow.
- Moderate Actively. Keep the session on time, manage questions, and ensure a smooth attendee experience.
- Leave Time for Q&A: Leave at least 10 minutes at the end for audience engagement and seed a few thoughtful questions to avoid awkward silence.
- Follow Up: Whether they attended or just registered, reach out to gauge interest and keep the conversation going. Send everyone a link to the webinar recording and promote it widely as an on-demand webinar.
Conversely, pre-recorded webinars offer far more flexibility and less work. There are fewer deadlines and the need to manage presenters in front of a live audience doesn’t exist. The recording can be made any time.
It can also be edited for clarity before it goes live and can be promoted as on-demand content on your website or YouTube channel. For your audience, they can consume your content on their own time, more easily review key moments, and share with their colleagues. To harness the best of both worlds, record your live webinars and edit them to serve as a pre-recorded asset following the main event.
Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose
One of the best things about either type of webinar is how much content they generate. With a single webinar you can:
- Produce three to five-minute video snippets for social media
- Create a written case study from the webinar discussion
- Share the recording on your website or YouTube channel
- Send it as follow-up content to prospects who didn’t attend
Remember: Individual preferences vary. Offering your webinar in multiple formats (written, video, long-form, bite-sized) helps maximize reach and engagement across your target audiences.
Need Help Getting Started?
Running a successful webinar may seem overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be. With the right topic, engaging speakers, and a well-targeted audience, you can deliver a compelling webinar that drives live engagement and provides rich content to repurpose across your broader marketing program.
Are you ready to unlock the full potential of webinars in your marketing strategy? Our product marketing experts can help you plan, produce, and promote webinars that resonate with your audience and support your business goals. Contact us to learn more.
