What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Webinar -

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Amid several restrictions on traveling and the pandemic taking over the world, which has driven individuals to work from home, webinars have noticed an uptick in demand and acceptance across the globe.

In the past few months, webinars have grown as a medium for educating scholars and potential consumers, qualified lead generation for your company, and attracting massive online audiences.

What is a Webinar?

Webinars are online presentations broadcasted over the internet using video technology. They generally happen in real-time. The exchange between a speaker and attendees usually happens via webcam and microphone.

Thanks to the advanced digital tools and secure webinar platforms, the speaker and audience need not be in the same place – all they require is a reliable internet connection and corresponding access data.

Webinar – Advantages and Disadvantages

A webinar can be an excellent training tool. To offer training and presentations globally to a large audience from the comfort of your homes or any desired locations is an outstanding idea. Like every coin has two facets, webinars also have both advantages and disadvantages. Let’s have an overview of each of them;

Advantages

Webinars take place online, so neither the speakers nor the attendees need to travel
You do not require any kind of special equipment – all you need is reliable Internet connectivity to broadcast or present the content
It is a cost-effective process as the expenses of food, meals, beverages, and accommodation are eliminated
The online webinars can be recorded and made available as on-demand content for people who could not attend the session
Registrations and invitations are a simple process as the sign-ups and check-in happen digitally
Online webinars are quite flexible and scalable – you can hold the event for a large group of people without any geographical barriers
Desktop and computer files are shared with all the attendees at a time.
You can share or download any digital content at any time while the webinar is happening
Attendees can use the live chat feature during the webinar. It is an effective way to promote 2-way communications
You can present Power point and Keynote slides to keep the audience engaged and hooked throughout the webinar
Webinars let you display various multimedia files, videos, and images to a wider audience
Another highlight is the real-time audio communication using headphones and speakers over a computer or laptop
Web tours can be offered where URLs, scripts, and session data can be utilized to drive through web-based logins, clicks, etc.
You can conduct live polls and surveys to keep the participants engaged
Online webinars allow screen sharing and application sharing where the audience can view anything that the speaker presents on the screen.
Conventionally, companies would spend on training resources. However, webinars can reduce such requirements. With the availability of more time and resources, they can easily offer one-on-one training and discussions for attendees who need additional help.
Commuting may become a significant cause of stress. However, when visiting an online webinar, you do not have to bother about that.
Throughout the webinar, your participants are exposed to the brand continuously. With time, your brand can become highly memorable for your target attendees.
If properly executed, virtual webinars can help develop brand loyalty by getting already existing and potential customers at one place to connect at a more personal level
Conducting online webinars enables you to obtain access to several attendees at a time. If you can create engaging content and compel the attendees to invest some time in the presentation, post the event, they can most likely be your future leads.
Webinars offer businesses access to a bank of valuable data, right from the interested participants. Via live polls and Q&A sessions conducted during the live session, businesses can get the chance to know more about attendees, customers, prospect leads, and suppliers.
By conducting frequent webinars, companies get the chance of attracting different industry experts to some of their events. It signifies that they can make the most of their expertise, knowledge, and business reach, obtaining additional gains regarding prospect leads and bringing new sparks to their brand and products.
One way to set yourself or your business as a specialist in the market is by planning and hosting webinars enriched with insightful and relevant information for your attendees.

Disadvantages

Technical obstacles can lead to the webinar being canceled, or restrict attendees from joining in
Attendees can easily be distracted due to their background interruptions or surroundings, and especially if they know that no one is keeping a watch over them
The time frame is almost every time obligatory – sometimes the webinar platform does not even let the attendees log in if the webinar joining time lapses
The attendees’ mood and motive is challenging for the speaker to learn
Online webinars minimize the chances of interactions between the speaker and presenter
A disruption in Internet connection may interfere with the flow of the session or presentation
Audio may be confined to the presenter performing a voiceover and attendees can’t communicate directly.
If audio is enabled, attendees or presenters might have to spend for phone charges
No interaction is possible via body language if there is no video feed available
A webinar may not run with all types of Internet browsers
The speaker has zero control over the virtual environment, unlike a physical environment where they have complete control over everything
Body language is lacking during a web-based seminar. There are no face-to-face interactions, handshakes, clapping, or standing ovations, in a virtual setting

The Bottom Line

To conclude, webinars hold immense scope and opportunity for the speakers and presenters. Webinars provide today’s companies an easy and effective means of interacting with their target attendees, from different parts of the globe. All you require is – a strategic approach, excellent planning, and the right execution with the help of an ideal webinar platform. These right webinar platforms and approaches help businesses to enjoy all of the above-described advantages of a webinar regularly.

If you still have any doubts, get in touch with Dreamcast today!