You are aware of the facts. In B2B marketing, webinars are one of the most effective lead generation techniques. So you’ve made the decision to host one. Everything is in place. You’ve got a fantastic topic and a subject matter expert to offer! What could possibly go wrong now that the big day has arrived? Here are seven frequent problems and solutions

1. The Nervous Speaker

You’re all set. Your speaker is on their way. And the show is about to begin. That’s when your knowledgeable speaker realises he’s unprepared. ‘How can I locate my slides?’ I’m not sure how I’m going to present them. What’s the best way for me to share my screen? What happened to the webcam?’ Your speaker is jittery. This is a disaster for you, your webinar, and your audience if it appears during the presentation. A passionate and engaging speaker is expected by 88 per cent of webinar attendees. Because of the speaker, 38% of people have abandoned a webinar.

Make sure your speaker is well-prepared and can devote 100 per cent of his or her attention to the presentation. Before you start, do a dry run. And delegate the technical aspects to a third party to ensure a seamless, professional experience.

2. Poor attendance

Okay, your speaker is working properly and is ready to go. However, where is the audience? On average, 223 people attend a webinar. But your guest list only has a two-digit number? Your speaker is staring at you. ‘Let’s give it a few minutes for everyone to phone in. On average, 223 people attend a webinar. Many people are attracted to far fewer people. Only around half of those who sign up for a webinar actually show up.

Start promoting the event around a month before the event. Also, don’t forget to send another invitation on the big day; even a last-minute reminder 10 to 15 minutes before kick-off can assist guests to get through the gate. More than a quarter of registrants sign up more than 15 days before the event, and another quarter signs up on the day of the event.

3. Access issues for attendees

When was the last time you wished to attend a webinar? You’ve just gotten out of that other meeting, relieved that you’ve set aside time for the webinar. You select the link… You’ll be prompted to install a plugin. You decide to install it, despite your dissatisfaction. Done. Isn’t it now possible for you to participate in the event? Fail. Access has been revoked. This is how you lose people. Your audience will be scared away by error messages, plugins, and access codes.

Make your webinar as easy to access as feasible. Use the platform that is the most user-friendly for your target market. Attendees should be able to join using their company’s system or a web browser. Allow them to dial in from their phone or click on a link.

4. Background noise

Your receptionists have finally dialled in. You’re overjoyed: there are already over 200 people in attendance. But, wait… was that a dog barking nearby? It is, without a doubt, a dog. There also appears to be a baby sobbing. Noise in the background can be very distracting. It agitates your speaker and draws attention away from your audience. Could you all please mute yourselves?’ Background noise disturbs your speaker and diverts your audience’s attention away from you.

Tip: Enlist the help of a professional third party to manage your audience. As the host, you often have the ability to mute and unmute all participants at once, as well as individual individuals if necessary.

5. Lack of engagement

Okay, everyone is silent now. The focus is all on the presentation. Is this, however, a good thing? Slide after the slide is being presented by your lecturer. There is no interactivity. There will be no engagement. You and your audience are both struggling to keep up. You find yourself wishing you could unmute the infant once more. 75 per cent of webinar participants like a mix of interactive video and PowerPoint presentations. However, only 17% of webinar speakers use rich media.

Tip: Include interactive tools and rich media such as video, polls, group chat, in-room surveys, and more to engage your audience. If you’re not familiar with these tools, seek help from a third-party specialist.

6. Technical problems

Finally, your speaker included a video in his or her presentation. It’s fantastic that you’ve included a cool piece of intriguing information in your presentation – well done! However, when he plays it, the sound is missing. Let’s try it again, and again, and again! You are wasting your time. As a result, your audience becomes disinterested. ‘Hold on a second. ‘We were on the verge of getting it. You waste time due to technical issues. As a result, your viewers will lose interest in you.

Tip: Before the presentation, familiarise yourself and the presenter with the technology. Everything should be tested. Allow an expert third party to manage the technological tools if your presenter is new or uncomfortable with them.

7. Lack of questions

The presentation portion has been completed. Now comes the fun part: interacting with others. A Q&A session should be included in every webinar. It’s critical to interact with your audience personally. ‘We’ve got 15 minutes for questions now.’ ‘Who wants to take the lead?’ Then there’s the deafening silence. ‘Nobody?’ A Q&A session is included in 82 per cent of webinars. Only 5% of those in attendance raise inquiries.

Tip: Allow your attendees to submit questions when they register, and then encourage them to ask questions during the presentation via chat. Prepare a few questions for your audience to ask to get the conversation started. Ensure that the Q&A session is managed by a third party so that the speaker can concentrate entirely on his responses.

Webinars are one of the most successful forms of online promotion for your company. They have the potential to be your primary source of traffic and interaction. In a webinar, it’s critical to deliver relevant content, but it’s also critical to ensure that your audience sees and learns from it.