Joy Iwancio
Producing Great Webinars
I've been producing webinars for many years now. I started out in the traditional
videoconference world that used microwaves, ISDN lines and eventually the internet.
Today, I produce webinars on an almost weekly basis for various clients. I want to
share my lessons learned with you.
My favorite webinar tool today is Adobe Connect. It's user-friendly, full-featured, high quality, and doesn't require users to download any software to view the live webinar or the recording. I've developed a document that I give to people who want to deliver a webinar. Some of the content is specific to Adobe Connect and my current work at Denver Public Schools, but I believe it can be helpful to you if you're planning to hold a webinar. Take a look here.
There are some tips that I have for producing a great webinar that are relevant regardless of platform:
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Plan ahead with good graphic design, targeting your audience and providing as much interaction as possible.
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Load content and activities into the virtual room in advance and have a practice session.
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Use a high bandwidth connection with an ethernet cable.
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Try to use a high quality microphone if you are using VOIP.
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Consider using a photo of the presenter instead of a webcam to save bandwidth and avoid disctractions.
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Always have someone monitoring the broadcast to quickly identify any issues.
Most of the expertise I've gained over the years has come from experience, but I also have learned a great deal from Cynthia Clay who works for NetSpeed Solutions. I can't recommend her enough. If you have a chance to attend a session she is leading at a conference or one of her webinars, don't miss it. She has published a book that has many helpful ideas for planning and producing webinars. It's simply called "Great Webinars". I also recommend this book as a guide.
Finally, her company, NetSpeed Solutions can also give you a checklist for producing webinars. Here is the link.
If you'd like to arrange a consultation from me, or hire me to produce your next webinar, contact me here.
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