When the COVID-19 pandemic started wreaking havoc on small business owners, all I could think about was how much I wished I had more systems in place to earn additional income. If you’re anything like me, you too have been thinking a lot about how to increase your revenue in your online business. With the continuing uncertainty of the times, it’s more important than ever to offer maximum value to our clients, while improving our bottom line. With that in mind, one of the things I’ve been researching extensively lately is the webinar sales funnel.
I believe it’s the next logical addition to my online business, and I want to share with you everything I’ve learned about how to successfully integrate webinars into your sales funnel.
Who knows? You might decide webinars make perfect sense for your business too!
The benefits of incorporating a webinar sales funnel
There are many reasons to incorporate a webinar into your sales funnel and it doesn't have to be difficult. Read on to learn more.
Users love video content
According to WordStream, “51% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI.” They also said, “Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text.”
It’s a lot more entertaining to take in a video than it is to read a blog post pitching a product.
This is especially true when your audience is getting the chance to learn something new.
Provides value to your customers
People want to solve their problems, and good webinars help them achieve quick wins. While you don’t have to give away all your secrets, helping your customers with something for free makes them wonder what they would receive by paying you.
Builds the “know, like and trust” factor
This is critical if you want to turn a prospect into a customer. Why should they give you their hard-earned cash? A webinar gives them a chance to get to know you, see if they like what you have to offer, and (hopefully) trust you enough to pay for more.
Proves your expertise
Imagine having a captive audience to share your knowledge with. That’s what a webinar gives you. You have 15 to 45 minutes to dazzle them with how much of a professional you are. Make it count!
Related: Webinar — How to help your clients adapt and succeed online
High conversion rates for sales
Of the people who sign up for webinars, 46% actually attend according to 99Firms, and Neil Patel says, “The best webinars can generate conversion rate averages of 19%” from the people who watch.
Assuming you are lucky enough to achieve 1,000 attendees, which 99Firms says a single webinar can easily yield, by Neil Patel’s math, nearly 90 new customers! If you’re selling a product or service that costs $100, that means close to $9,000! And, you’ll have a new lead on your list for future offerings.
When you’re just starting, you might need to host multiple webinars and tweak your message to achieve rock-star income. But once you nail your presentation and have a recorded webinar, you could set it up to run on autopilot resulting in your own personal ATM of continuous income.
How to integrate webinars into your sales funnel
First, don’t assume you know what your customers want or need
This one is critical. You need to get into the minds of the people you are serving and determine what they want and need.
The fastest way to do this? Ask them! Then, deliver what they ask for.
Use intriguing headlines and titles
After picking a topic to present your webinar on, come up with a title for your presentation that tells your audience why they should care.
Keep in mind that punchy headlines capture attention.
Check out CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer if you need inspiration.
Keep it simple
Though it’s tempting to create a complicated webinar offering all your bells and whistles, resist the urge and focus on one thing. StealthSeminar recommends one topic and three supporting topics or subtopics for the best results.
Be unique and bring something interesting to the table
Don’t just find a similar webinar and recreate what a competitor did. You need to offer something unique to your audience. Remember, these are your potential customers.
What would set you apart, and compel them to register for your webinar? The more interesting you are, the more likely your audience will like you — and then buy from you as a result.
Related: Beyond the lead magnet — Next steps to draw your prospect down the funnel
A case for automated webinars
Based on my research, your best bet is to create a webinar that you can practice, record, and ultimately share multiple times.
This gives you the ability to nail your message without hiccups, and you can stop and restart your recording until you get it right.
Plus, you can edit it to deliver a smooth presentation as well.
For your audience, it gives them the chance to watch at their own pace. They can sign up at a time that is convenient for them and will be more likely to watch as a result.
What a good webinar sales funnel looks like
With your recording in hand, this is what your webinar sales funnel should look like for the best chances of making sales for your efforts:
- Promote the webinar with blog posts, in podcasts, on social media, even on YouTube.
- All promotions should lead to a webinar registration page that explains what the viewer will get out of the presentation. (Bonus: When they register, they will give you their contact information which you can use for remarketing later!)
- Once someone registers, they should be redirected to a thank you page that includes the date and time of the webinar. If you’re using an automated webinar program, your thank you page could redirect to your WordPress website or your webinar link to play the presentation automatically.
- This is the part of the webinar sales funnel where you present the webinar. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for — your opportunity to wow your audience and give them so much value that they feel compelled to pay you for more.
- While presenting your webinar, you’ll hit your audience with your offer and you’ll address the frequently asked questions as well as any objections to making a purchase.
- After the presentation ends, send a follow-up email reminding your attendees of the offer and give them a chance to watch the recording again in case they missed it or want to see it one more time.
- Send everyone to your offer page that makes it incredibly clear why your audience needs whatever you’re selling.
- For anyone who buys, deliver on your promise. For everyone else, start retargeting strategies in an attempt to get more sales. Then, go back to step one, rinse and repeat!
Ready to implement your webinar sales funnel strategy?
I know this post covered a lot. But, hopefully, it showed you that there is potential with using webinars to make more money in your business. Personally, I can’t wait to start working on my webinar strategy. My wheels are spinning with which topic to present to my prospects. Good luck, and happy sales!
