Online webinars can be a powerful tool for software and automation developers to improve customer relationships while also shortening sales cycles. They offer many benefits including increasing user satisfaction and loyalty which can lead to word-of-mouth marketing, and also reduce sales overhead.
Here are 5 Webinar Ideas:
- Launch New Product Features
Have a new product or major product release? Let the market know. Webinars allow you to reach multiple customers and leads at once. Even at low numbers, you can dramatically reduce your sales overhead instead of single phone calls, emails, or visits. It also provides an excuse for sales to reach out to deals that may have stalled in the pipeline. - Basic Training for New Users
In the case of industries with high turnover or providers with a lot of customers, regular basic training is a great way to regularly connect with customers, especially new users. If you prefer to charge for training services, you can use a short webinar with basic training to market your full training services. - Advanced Training for Existing Users
Users who require advanced training are likely to be influencers or decision-makers within their organizations. Additionally, when happy they will be your solution ambassadors in the industry. Offering advanced training can connect you to these users helping you further strengthen these bonds. Depending on the topic, you can invite leads who have concerns about the process to join. They will hear both the solution and how you interact with customers. If you have a lot of satisfied customers, don't miss this opportunity. - Training for Seasonal Processes
Many software and automation solutions have seasonal processes. Accounting software may have end-of-month or end-of-year considerations. Ag software might have different considerations depending on the planting or harvest season. Petroleum software might have weather considerations. Whatever it is, help users brush up on best practices and how certain processes - Development Roadmap
Depending on your product maturity and your development methodology, this can be done in 2 ways.
The first is to simply inform customers and leads what's in the upcoming releases. This can improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and help generate word-of-mouth.
The second way is to invite a select group of influential customers. Inform them of your development plans and invite their feedback. This allows for ownership, collaboration, and potentially a better product. However, it can add additional development steps and backfire if you are unwilling to heed the customer's recommendations.
Additional Webinar Considerations:
- Invite Leads
Keep your sales cycles moving and reduce your sales overhead by inviting leads in addition to your current customers. It's possible to moderate webinars and prevent open mics if frank discussion is a concern. - Record Webinars
You can either post the recordings for on-demand customer access or email them upon request. - Promote the Webinars
Social Media, websites, and email marketing are 3 ways you can promote webinars. If you offer a regular schedule, customers can plan ahead, and you can generate momentum. Also, by promoting webinars, customers who find them valuable will pay attention to those marketing channels. This means they will receive other messages you put in emails and online. - Upsell and Cross Promote on the Call
Even training webinars can be an opportunity to sell. While you may not have the decision-makers on the call, you have potential influencers. Even if it's for 10-15 min at the beginning of the call, use the webinar to reinforce your company's values, tease an upcoming product, promote full training services, etc.
How Can Stratimar Help?
From webinar marketing and PowerPoint development to webinar moderation and message consulting, our team has the experience you need to get started with webinar marketing. Contact Statimar today.
