What is a Webinar?
Nowadays, meetings and events on the internet are commonplace. Advanced technology makes it easy to study, work and even meet remotely, and people are increasingly taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the internet.
There are many types of online events, and they have become so common that different types of meetings have developed their own names. The best known is probably the webinar, which refers to a virtual event that takes place over the Internet and also allows two-way communication. A close relative of a webinar is webcast/livestreaming, where several participants follow one performer. Although webinars and webcasts differ, the principle is the same - a webinar held in real time over a remote connection. In webcasts, the participants' role is only to listen, but a webinar works like this:
- A webinar is an interactive meeting, training or information session
- While the webinar is running, participants can discuss either verbally or via chat
Where and how are webinars organised?
If a webinar is conducted as a webinar broadcast, it is usually a physical event that is streamed online as a real-time broadcast. In this case, the presenter of the event speaks to the audience present, and the viewers of the webinar broadcast, i.e. the remote participants, act as a secondary audience. If the webinar broadcast is recorded for later use, the viewers of the recording are effectively the third audience of the broadcast. Webinars are particularly useful for training and educational events, as they can reach up to hundreds of participants at the same time. Virtual events, on the other hand, are organised for smaller groups and are ideal for meetings, lessons and courses. Many webinar programmes are available online and some are even free of charge. However, even those that are free of charge usually only charge the organiser for their use, but are free of charge for the participants.
Webinars can be used for distance learning, lectures, marketing, information and product launches, among other things, and can be delivered in two different ways: as a virtual event or as a webinar broadcast. However, a webinar is always a virtual event in which all participants attend the event from their own devices, regardless of their geographical location. In this case, all participants usually see the same view on their screens, such as the face of the presenter, a PowerPoint presentation, slides or a combination of the above. Webinars also offer the possibility to discuss and ask questions, as well as the possibility to organise different types of voting.
The webinar is useful for many
Webinars are beneficial for both organisers and participants, saving both money and time. Participation is easy, as all you need is a stable internet connection. Headphones are usually sufficient for sound. For example, when a lecture or course can be held remotely, you save on extra rent and travel costs. Any costs of participation can be kept low, leaving the organiser with a higher profit margin. Webinars can reach many times the audience of a physical event, as virtual events can even be attended from another country.
Webinars can be attended anywhere and at any time, so compared to physical events, webinars eliminate the need to travel to the venue, wait for the event to start and travel home, so in the best case, an online event can save up to several hours of time. Webinars also have the advantage of flexibility and fluidity, as while physical events require a lot of time and organisation, a webinar can be set up quickly when needed. For this reason, webinars are also an excellent channel for crisis communication, for example. In today's world, people's values are also more ecological than anything else, which is why webinars are an excellent alternative to physical events - the energy needed to run a webinar is minimal compared to the energy needed to get all the participants to the venue.
The challenges of webinars
Webinars are easy to organise, but learning the different functions can take some practice for beginners. In a good webinar, the technology works and the speech flows. The most common challenge for the organiser is technical problems such as internet disconnection, chat failures or screen sharing. The best way to avoid such problems is to test the equipment well before the webinar starts. Solid Stream has developed workable solutions to make the presenter's job easier. Challenges during a webinar can also be caused by inconsistencies or silent moments in the presentation, which is why it is a good idea to rehearse the presentation thoroughly before the seminar. Above all, webinars emphasise the importance of producing high quality and engaging content, as having participants in a different space from the presenter also poses challenges in maintaining the viewers' concentration.
Solid Stream has a long experience in producing webinars. Contact us and leave the technology to us!
