What is an online conference. What is a webinar, how does it work and how to participate in the webinar? What is needed to organize this event?

Webinar (synonyms webinar, online seminar, web conference) - holding online meetings or presentations via the Internet in real time. You can find another definition of a webinar on the Internet - an event that is held online.

Main feature webinars is interactivity - that is, the ability to discuss, send, receive information in real time. During the webinar, you can run polls, invite other participants to the microphone, chat, share the screen, and all sorts of materials. You can read about that on our blog.

Key features of webinars

speech by one or more presenters;
the ability to download and view presentations and videos;
text chat;
electronic board;
polls and voting;
demonstration of the presenter's desktop screen;
recording of the broadcast for later viewing.

Benefits of webinars

Online seminars are convenient for presenters and participants. Therefore, this format of online events is becoming more popular every year. Webinars make holding conferences and meetings convenient and effective. Anyone can participate in the webinar without leaving their workplace or while at home, on a business trip or vacation. You no longer need to worry about renting a hall, coffee breaks and travel; you can hold a conference in a few clicks!

Webinars are successfully used in education, marketing, sales, and corporate training. You can create your own conferences, training courses and seminars on any topic and for any audience. Our colleague Katya talked about how to start conducting webinars on your own.

What do you need for a webinar?

To host a webinar you do not need to install additional programs or special equipment. To start a web conference, you just need to have a computer with Internet access, sound card and a microphone. Almost everyone modern computers everything you need is already there. In addition, you do not need to have any specific technical knowledge. If you know how to use search engines or watch videos on YouTube, then you can conduct a webinar.

To organize a high-quality and effective broadcast, you need to carefully choose where you will hold your events and the headset. But you should remember that carefully selected equipment for a webinar is not the key to success. A webinar is a responsible event that requires serious preparation and certain speaker skills.

Now that you know what a webinar is, you are ready to start creating yours.

Webinars are presentations, training courses or conferences that are conducted via the Internet and are actively used in. Often in this format, the presenter does not see the participants, and all viewers are shown a screen with the speaker. This is how companies conduct employee training, trainings, and online meetings. Webinars first appeared in the 1990s, when full-fledged conferencing capabilities emerged. The term "webinar" itself was trademarked in 1998 by Eric R. Korb, but the registration was later challenged in court.

Why do businesses need webinars?

Webinars are suitable for almost all types of businesses that sell goods/services via the Internet or have branches in different cities of the country. Most often, online broadcasts are used in the information business - a business based on the sale of information.

Businesses need webinars to increase sales, train employees or hold meetings of directors.

To increase salesuse different types webinars - simple presentations of products, and broadcasts in the form of training in working with the product, and answers to user questions. Presentations of goods and services provide virtually no value to viewers, so they are used relatively rarely. Most often, to increase sales, webinars with training or answers to questions are held, as well as free test trainings - this significantly increases the loyalty of the target audience to the brand (or to), because it shows that the company cares about its customers. For example, the owners of an online service can hold a webinar in which they will show one of its functions and talk in detail about how to use it and how it can be useful.

For employee traininguse corporate webinars. At them, the presenter talks about a new product or service, explains the technical details, and shows how to work with the product/service. Or trains employees to work in an online system, for example, CRM. For example, the management of an all-Russian chain of stores with wide range mobile phones can provide remote training on setting up and selling smartphones of a new brand.

For meetingsuse online conferences. They show either one presenter on the screen - for example, general director- or all participants. Most often, this format of corporate webinars is needed to discuss strategy. further development or to resolve urgent issues. For example, the owner of a company can tell all directors of branches in the regions simultaneously about changes in the development strategy.

How do webinars take place and what purpose do they serve?

Increasing sales, employee training or meeting is the global goal of the webinar. Each online broadcast also has a precise goal - for example, to talk about a new product, show the company’s expertise, and answer user questions. The structure of the webinar directly depends on the exact goal.

All online webinar structures can be divided into four large groups.

Educational - the presenter tells how to solve a particular problem (usually in the format), gives specific recommendations and an algorithm of actions, answers questions from viewers in live.
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Expert - the speaker talks about his experience and shows cases, talks in detail about the solution complex tasks.
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Selling - the presenter teaches potential clients or talks about a product, and at the end leads to a purchase - this is exactly how information businessmen often act: they conduct free education, and then they invite you to a paid course.
Informational - it is used to answer user questions.

Depending on the purpose, you need to choose a suitable structure. For example, to an information businessman for sales paid course a selling structure in which he first free to share valuable information or will provide free training and then lead you to purchase. An online service will benefit from an information structure in which its representatives answer frequently asked questions.

The format of the webinar also depends on the purpose and personal preferences of the presenter. For example, you can:

Speaking yourself - talking about something on camera
Demonstrate a presentation, documents, draw diagrams on the board
Show a computer screen with a presentation or some service
Communicate with viewers by text, in the general chat

Most often, a combined format is used: both the presenter and the interactive whiteboard, computer or screen with the presentation turned on are visible on the screen. Viewers can ask their questions in the chat, and the host sees them and responds to comments.

The future of webinars

The development of streaming platforms - , VK Live and others - makes it possible to broadcast without special platforms and unnecessary hassles. You can also see live audience comments and show your speech, presentation, or capture your computer screen. Therefore, such streaming platforms are a great place where you can try yourself and test hosting webinars for business for free.

Are you planning to use webinars for your business and why? Share your opinion in the comments!

Thanks to the development of computer and information technologies It has become easier for large companies to organize their work activity, and also convey to people detailed information on topics that interest them. Knowing what a webinar is, any company can conduct remote mode various seminars, conferences and interviews, without worrying about choosing a room for participants.

What are webinars?

The concept of “webinar” (or web conference) implies the holding of various events (seminars, lessons, conferences and presentations) online. It is no secret that the first real-time conference call session was held in the late nineties of the 20th century, and since then the popularity of this type of communication between people has been increasingly gaining momentum. Today, more than a thousand webinars are regularly held on the Internet on a variety of topics, thanks to which millions of users study and learn something new without leaving home.

Web conference brings together people interested in discovering and exploring general theme, For example: " ?" or " ". During the webinar, communication occurs both between the presenter and participants, and between listeners.

Reference: The web conference process itself is very similar to a regular seminar. The only difference is that everything happens through a computer monitor using information technology. Listeners can also view the webinar recording at any time convenient for them.

The web conference provides participants with a number of technological options:

online video;
audio communication;
presentations with slides;
electronic board for comments and clarifications;
managed and private chats, allowing text communication;
surveys and polls that help collect user opinions in real time;
demonstration of the desktop and applications open on it;
recording and multiple broadcast of the webinar.

Advantages

Web conferencing has undeniable advantages before standard events:

Significant monetary savings. Online seminars help reduce costs for travel, accommodation of participants, rental of premises, etc.
Save time. In ordinary life, people often do not have enough free hours for self-education. Many work, and therefore can only attend training events in the evening, which is not entirely convenient. In turn, webinars allow you to gain knowledge right at home, in a familiar and cozy environment.
Combining several functions in the learning process. Users can not only watch a demo recording, listen to and absorb information, but also chat, participate in polls, and visit other websites, which is not possible in regular classes.
Unlimited number of listeners. If the scale of the audience or conference room often does not allow to accommodate everyone, then the limits of the Internet space know no boundaries, which means that any number of people can attend the webinar.
Large geographical coverage. You can watch the online seminar anywhere in the world if you have a computer and the Internet at your disposal.
Maintaining anonymity. Users can hide their personal data, which is especially important for shy participants.
Possibility of watching a recording of a training or conference. This is a clear plus. After all, the recording allows you to consolidate the material, and, if desired, you can view it at any convenient time.

Flaws

Of course, webinars provide a lot of opportunities and advantages, however, conducting online seminars can pose some difficulties:

There is a risk of technical problems during a web conference (unscheduled shutdown of the Internet, lights, device failure, etc.), which threatens to disrupt classes.
The quality of broadcasts sometimes leaves much to be desired.
There is a risk of fraudulent actions on the part of event organizers (poor quality of services, difficulties with mutual settlements, etc.).
Lack of emotional connection that is achieved through face-to-face communication.
Time zone difference. If for the organizer the seminar starts at 15:00, then for some listeners it can start at 1 in the morning, which is not entirely convenient. However, this is better than traveling to regular seminars across several time zones. That's why this disadvantage can be considered relative.

What are webinars for?

Various types of meetings are held through webinars. Among all the diversity, there are six main types of web conferences:

Video trainings. Today this is perhaps the most popular type of online meeting. Video trainings allow you to learn something new and benefit from it, as well as communicate with interesting people. They are intended mainly for the personal development of listeners.
Online conferences. First of all, it is an exchange of experience. Topics for communication can be very different, for example: “” or “”. The determining factor is the target audience, as well as questions that interest her.
Project presentations. The organizer of this web conference is a person striving to convey the essence of his thoughts and demonstrate his work to the audience. The main goal is to make a presentation and get an assessment of a particular object.
Marketing events. They are a kind of advertising carried out by one participant for his audience. Allows you to present the product a large number users, while reducing costs for advertising projects.
Meeting in real time. Convenient for large companies whose representative offices are “scattered” across different regions of the country and even the world. Allows you to discuss current work issues with all participants, for example, plans for the next year, etc.
Video interview. An online meeting between an employer representative (or committee) and an applicant. The best option for people planning to get a job in another city.

How to organize a webinar?

When a person organizes a webinar for the first time, it always seems to him that this is a difficult task that requires a lot of effort and money. In fact, a web conference can be held completely free of charge. As for strength, to conduct an online seminar you need the following:

area;
listeners;
plan.

And about everything in more detail...

Site selection

There are a lot of different services and programs for conducting webinars. Their main differences are the set of functions and the price tag. The choice of site must be approached with full responsibility. It should be easy to use, multifunctional and intuitive. All preparation for an online seminar can be ruined if, at the peak of the presentation, problems suddenly arise with the sound, presentation of slides, etc.

You can also choose a free platform to host a webinar. But, as practice shows, it is precisely such services that are characterized regular failures and work delays.

Advice: To conduct your seminar, it is better to spend time and energy searching for a high-quality and proven site.

Attracting people

Regardless of the topic of the seminar, you will need to use several methods to ensure yourself an audience. A lot of time, effort and money are spent on attracting people. And you need to be prepared for this. In order to accept big flow persons, you must use:

your own website (a blog is ideal);
social networks (VKontakte and Odnoklassniki);
e-mail newsletters;
forums (the topic of the site determines the target audience);
advertising networks;
partnership programs;
mutual PR;
competitions.

Creating a webinar structure

If the platform is already ready and a certain circle of listeners has been identified, then you can move on to the next stage - creating a webinar plan and rehearsing the speech.

Reference: on the Internet you can find advertisements of people specializing in training to conduct online seminars. Such trainings will be useful to those who decided to build a business through webinars and get theirs. If a person plans to carry out a one-time action, then he can cope on his own, especially when the main objective An online seminar is to generate interest in the product, and not to sell it head-on.

The typical structure of a sales webinar looks like this:

greeting and introduction;
Briefly about yourself;
about the topic and plan of the speech;
listener motivation;
main part;
summarizing and answering questions.

To whet the audience's interest, you can tell Interesting Facts from your biography, omitting everything unnecessary and leaving data confirming your competence in the stated topic of the online seminar. It is very important to make every effort to make the story more emotional, this will win over the audience and earn their trust.

How do online webinars work?

During the seminar, the organizer and his listeners are located at their monitors, and communication between them is provided through a web application. To get involved in the process, you need to follow the link to the webinar, and then provide your username and password to enter.

Participants receive this data by email or when logging into the online seminar page. It is best to follow the link five minutes before the start of the webinar. Each web conference is dedicated to a specific topic and has a clear plan that all participants must adhere to. During the session, the presenter provides the audience with material, makes a presentation, tells, explains, conveys to the audience necessary information, asks about something. Viewers, in turn, receive answers to questions, make comments, write reviews, and communicate with each other in the chat. Sometimes the organizer can delegate the right to conduct practical lesson to one of the listeners.

Webinars usually feature polls and voting, as well as active and emotional discussion of information, which creates a spirit of full interaction between the host and the audience. At the end of the lesson, the organizer answers thematic questions from the audience. Participants in online seminars receive material in their hands in the form of presentations, videos, text and graphic files.

Save the article in 2 clicks:

Today, webinars are slowly replacing regular seminars. And this is quite natural. Web conferencing gives users great opportunities to learn and develop in a comfortable environment, to support live communication with people, feel like a citizen digital world, self-realization and helping others.

In contact with

The development of the Internet has provided users with ample opportunities For virtual communication. One form of this type of communication is webinars.

Webinars allow several remote users to communicate simultaneously via the Internet.

Moreover, as a rule, only the webinar presenter speaks, while other participants can communicate via text chat.

The word "webinar" is borrowed from in English– webinar, which means holding an online meeting via the Internet. Webinars are also called online seminars, web conferences, online meetings, etc.

At the time of the webinar, each of its participants is at their own computer, and the connection between them is maintained via the Internet, and some platform (site) is used to conduct the webinar.

Why are webinars needed?

Using video conferencing, you can undergo training, for example, starting with mastering curricula. You can also go through. The advantage of webinars is that they are easy to conduct regardless of the distance between the teacher and students.

Webinars are also held for meetings of employees of a certain company. This method is the only one possible option communications if employees work remotely.

Video conferences are also held in cases where employees work in different cities.

How is the webinar going?

Let's start with what is needed for a webinar? In order to take part in the webinar, you must have (or a device that replaces it), if possible with sound speakers (for volume control) or headphones, and also a good, fast Internet connection.

You usually need to register for a webinar using your email address. The webinar presenter sends the link required to attend the webinar to this e-mail in advance.

The organizers warn potential participants in advance about the time and topic of the webinar on thematic resources. At the agreed time, all participants receive the coordinates of the virtual room (most often this is a link that must be followed) and gather in it.

Usually, after clicking on the specified link, you need to indicate your name in Russian or English. This name will be used when chatting on the webinar, if such chat is available. After this, the user enters the webinar room, where they can listen to the presenter and, if desired, write messages in the chat.

Typically, a webinar is hosted by one person, while other users can ask questions in the chat using text messages. The presenter delivers the necessary information using a microphone and webcam.

In some cases, the presenter may demonstrate his computer desktop (when mastering a program, for example). At the same time, the presenter sometimes says that “now I will share my desktop” - this means that he will remove the webinar picture and show some moment directly on his computer.

If during a webinar you lose sound, the image disappears, or a similar problem occurs, the first thing you should do is update your browser. If this does not help, you can exit the webinar, and then re-enter using the link that the presenter sent you.

What are the benefits of a webinar?

The advent of webinars has made it possible to make a qualitative leap in distance learning. Now you don’t need to travel thousands of kilometers, spending a lot of time and money, to listen to a mentor. Using a web conference, you can study right at home, sitting in your favorite chair and sipping your favorite drink.

If a participant is late for the seminar, he can join it at any moment. In addition, all participants can subsequently save the recording of the webinar to their gadget and review it.

By the way, a favorite question at all webinars is the question of whether participants will be sent a recording of the webinar.

It happens that you are lucky, and at the webinar.

Attending seminars is beneficial due to the ease of organization. After all, you don’t need to rent an expensive office in a location convenient for all participants. In addition, there is no need to spend money on renting expensive equipment.

Disadvantages of webinars

Unfortunately, many webinars are conducted for the sole purpose of selling a course, training or other service. For this reason, it often happens that the topic of a free webinar sounds very tempting: how to set up advertising on social networks for free, how to learn to sew in 5 days, how to learn English from scratch in 21 days, how to lose weight in a month, etc.

But in fact, at such webinars they talk around and around for 1.5-2.5 hours, and at the end, when everyone is waiting for something relevant to be said, the presenter begins to sell his course, training, program and etc.

Autowebinars

There are also auto-webinars, when you can choose a convenient day and time for webinars from the proposed list, and then listen to the recorded webinar. At the same time, the presenter uses various “cunning” techniques to ensure that those present at the webinar have a strong feeling that this is a live webinar.

For example, the presenter asks users to write down what cities they are from. Or give pluses that they understood some point, etc. But often it is at such receptions that one can understand that in fact the presenter is not on the air.

In addition, in fact, users will not hear a real answer to their questions asked in the chat, because they are simply listening to the recorded auto-webinar, without the presence of the presenter.

Of course, there are also good, useful auto webinars, but unfortunately there are not many of them.

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