The webinar cache was originally launched in the 1990s and once relied heavily on live events. However, in 2020 we saw the webinar space turning towards the on-demand space.
Lower cost per acquisition, easy automation, and building trustworthy archives of useful content have proven to be effective ways of getting customers down the sales funnel.
Evergreen webinars may not be as flashy as their live counterparts, but they have proven to be the tortoise for the rabbit of a live webinar: Slowly and steadily, the highest ROI is achieved.
Read on to find out our favorite evergreen webinar strategies, platforms, and features that make the difference.
What is an evergreen webinar?
The Evergreen Webinar is simply a webinar that has been made available beyond the original game date. While a live webinar is usually viewed as an event like a concert or book launch, an evergreen webinar is best for educational content and should be viewed as a learning tool.
When companies started producing webinars, the focus was on live events. The promise of a live webinar was shiny and new, and it meant generating highly engaged leads and working with top talent in the industry.
But live webinars are a lot of work too: weeks of coordination, marketing emails, practice sessions and script revisions, creating slide decks … all for an hour of study and a few days of follow-up.
Every time a webinar ended, tons of information was lost because there was no easy way to re-view it. Until we got smart and started absorbing them.
Hosting your recorded webinars is a great, inexpensive way to create resources for prospective or existing customers to learn how to set up your software, go through the usual blocker customers, or demonstrate new tools and integrations.
There are many different streams of content that you can explore using automated webinars, including:
- Training videos: Record the flow of your software through your account manager and make it more difficult by offering it as an on-demand webinar.
- Lectures and thought leadership: Get the most of the guest speakers and C-suite time by having a thought-provoking section of on-demand webinars in your archive.
- Tutorials: Make it easy for yourself and learn how to use and explore new product integrations or updates with fast, evergreen webinar content.
- Go through a case study: Bring your case studies to life, then automate the recording to take your jokes and insights one step further.
When done well, a library of on-demand webinars can act as an automated sales machine, guiding customers through the funnel while they dig into and learn more about your product. It’s a great example of how to work smarter than harder.
Evaluation of the best evergreen webinar software
It’s tempting to outsource your software search to Google. While you might get a good product, you might be missing important features that will really make your presentations buzz. You may even be investing too much. The first thing to do Understand your limits.
A webinar program can be a simple automated recording … or it can be as complex as producing live television. Understand the complexity of your program by asking yourself the following questions:
- How many participants do I expect per session? Most platforms have bulk prices that depend on how many guests can attend a particular webinar. If you’re just getting started on your webinar program, look for an option that will scale you up, but that doesn’t require a large investment right away.
- What resources are available to me? Training and implementation take time. Much time. When researching platforms, consider what type of support is available. Do you get a dedicated account manager? How robust is the platform’s resource library? Remember: the best software is the software that you actually use.
- Always get a free trial … and if you’re considering buying the product but need more time, request an extension.
The best evergreen webinar software
On-demand webinars don’t have the same out-of-the-box conversion performance as their live counterparts. Instead, they are characterized by customer training and brand trust.
Think of your on-demand webinars as a way to train your existing customer base and as an ambassador of your company’s helpfulness.
Here are two of the best software for hosting, recording, and delivering evergreen webinars:
1. DEMIO
Demio is a best-of-both-worlds option. While the emphasis is on creating live webinars, Demio makes it easy to build your webinar library. We love how Demio:
- Provides automated recordings that make it easy to record live events and archive them in an easily searchable content library.
- Has a “Stay Registered” feature that allows attendees to register once for an ongoing series and capture valuable emails for future marketing efforts.
- Provides a great analytics dashboard that gives you insight into the performance of your live and on-demand webinars – a great opportunity to share your insights into your live and evergreen webinar content.
2. EverWebinar
EverWebinar, the OG in evergreen webinar technology, is all about on-demand living. If you want to set it and … well, don’t forget, but don’t be obliged either, this is the software for you.
- EverWebinar allows users to schedule their webinars to play at set intervals throughout the day, week, or month. This has the double benefit of mimicking the live experience (which tends to result in higher engagement). Also, your marketing team can run tests to determine what time of day is best for your audience.
- A list of unique features makes it easy to bring the “live” illusion home and reduce the stress of managing a large number of scheduled webinars. Options like “Block Data” which prevent your webinars from playing on certain days or “Block Night View” which prevent background streaming from distorting your analysis. With the automatic detection of time zones, you can easily globalize your offer at the push of a button.
- A bonus for super users, if you’re looking for a platform to organize your collection of recorded webinars, EverWebinar and WebinarJam work to work together. * Insert handshake emoji *
3. WebinarGeek
WebinarGeek is great software for a company new to the webinar game. It’s simple software that makes it easy to host, record, and turn live webinars into a library of on-demand evergreen content.
In addition to standard functions such as customizable waiting rooms and robust analyzes, we also love:
- WebinarGeek Intuitive User Interface: It’s easy for someone new to the webinar world to orientate themselves on the WebinarGeek platform.
- The monthly pricing plan makes this option accessible to companies that want to explore the webinar space without spending a lot of money.
- The pre-record function makes it easy to test presentations, rehearse with multiple moderators, and explore other functions. Pre-recording your webinar also gives you a “clean” version that you can upload as evergreen content.
Create an evergreen webinar funnel with these top tools.
As we all learn more about live and on-demand educational content, the need for simple and elegant webinar platforms will continue to grow.
By identifying your needs early on and taking the time to test different platforms, your team will be ready to train, inspire, and better understand your customer base so you can help them make important decisions.