Decide ahead of time what the appropriate webcast rules will be. Webcasts with small teams should have different rules and strategies for moderation than large webcast presentations to large groups. Develop consistency so that users who rejoin you in ongoing webinar series or trainings will come to expect your guidelines and rules.

Housekeeping announcements. At the start of your presentation or training be sure to make some simple announcements to inform all of the attendees about your rules. Making a formal announcement about the chat box or audio controls will go a long way to keep the order. This is also a good time to give an orientation about your webcast technology such as explaining how private chats can be initiated and how recording can be done.

When available it is a good idea to ask someone who is familiar with the webinar service you are using to be your moderator. It can be a challenge to try to moderate the chat and the audio while you are engaged in your presentation.

Understand the way your webcast technology accesses your webcam. If you are not prepared to appear on video for your audience then you should take some precautions. Put something over the lens if you have a built-in webcam or unplug it otherwise. Also, consider that only one program on your computer can access the webcam at any given time so if you open up a different local program that accesses your webcam before you start the presentation, it will restrict access from your webcasting program.

Understand how your text chat works. Generally most software programs allow you to auto-mute/block users from using the text chat. If you have a 3rd party moderator working with you they can keep an eye on what is being said and mute individuals who are causing issues.

If you are using a conference call service that people call into a toll free number then you need to seek out a conference call service that allows you to mute other callers. There is nothing worse than trying to get all of the attendees to mute their phones. Its distracting and ultimately there will always be someone who doesn’t know how.

If you are using a built in VOIP system in your webinar software there should be an option to mute all or specific attendees.

Prepare well and make sure you are an expert on the software program that you are using!

Jac0b S Paulsen

Visit Here

Jacob

Webcasting has become a strong part of any online marketing strategy. Companies use webcasts to present services and products, present industry trainings or findings, and present information to existing teams and clients. Webcasts have enabled businesses to spread the message faster, farther, and at a fraction of the previous cost.

Regardless the way you are using webcasting you need to design a system to capture the email addresses of your audience. Email marketing or Data capture is part of any internet marketing plan and webcasting is no different.

WHY:

Capturing the information of your audience will allow you to notify them about upcoming presentations which leverages your marketing efforts to build a stronger and larger audience base over time. You also enable your opportunity to send other marketing materials, ads, and even things as simple as the link to the recording of the presentation they participated in.

HOW:

The key to building your info database is in the registration. Putting a login form or login link to your presentation on your website allows for greater simplicity but prevents you from effectively capturing the information from visitors. Build instead a webcast registration page that requires users to enter their name and email address in order to receive login instructions in their email.

Learn more about Email Marketing Services.

Jacob S Paulsen

I’m assuming that you already know how to record and host your presentation. The purpose of today’s article is to show you the easiest way to set up a post/page in WordPress that will allow you to have a timer / countdown to the next playing of the webinar.

Here is an example of this plugin in use. I have set the date for Jan 1st 2012. I have customized the text around the timer and has specified a message to be displayed after the specified date and time are reached.

After the timer is finished counting down I can have a link to the prerecorded video displayed with a message such as “The Session has begun – Login Here.” If you like you could even have an embeded video appear at that designated time.

The WordPress plugin in use here is called “Easy Timer” and the configuration is relatively simple. There are an array of applications for this WordPress plugin and several ways to utilize it to promote an upcoming webinar or pre-recorded webinar/webcast.

Enjoy!

Jacob S Paulsen

Most online meeting services will assist you in setting up your own registration page. The problem is that there is a huge downside to utilizing their internal systems. GoToMeeting or Webex for example will generate a webcast registration form that you can populate with required fields, your logo, etc. Here are the two big problems. First, is the branding. Everytime you send a user to the registration page you are in fact giving GoToMeeting (or whatever your service provider) free advertising. They have it branded with their logo and links. They don’t pay you for this. Second, is the lost traffic. The URL itself is going to be serviceprovider.com/abcadk (Example: gotomeeting.com/webinar/1343495). As you promote that link and drive users to the page you are loosing out on website traffic that you deserve to capture on YOUR own website.

Think of the simplicity of what we are proposing. Setup your own webinar registration page and your users will visit your website. They will see your other links, articles, pages, and advertisements. Your business is about your brand so why wouldn’t you build it in place of the company whom you pay money to use their service?

For a simple outline of how you can setup your own webinar / webcast registration page click here.

Jacob S Paulsen

Some webinar services offer you a registration page as part of the software. This can make the process much easier but also has its drawbacks. For one you will be sending your clients and customers to a website that is not your own. Sending people to a gotomeeting.com page for example will only increase GoToMeeting’s brand. Sending your customer’s to your own website will further drive your site traffic and create a more cohesive brand.

Here are the basic steps to setting up your webinar registration page.

• Start with a blank page. If you are using WordPress this can be done within your admin Dashboard by clicking on “Add New Page.”
• There are a variety of ways to setup a form for attendees to fill out but I suggest you utilize an email opt-in form. Since you want to capture the information from your attendees it only makes sense to setup a new contact list and generate a sign up form to embed on your registration page. Depending on if you use iContact, ConstantContact, Aweber, etc this process is going to be different.
• Embed the signup form onto your new blank page. Also be sure to include a paragraph invitation to register along with webinar details such as date and time.
• Once you have the registration page content done you will need to setup an autoresponder or thank you email to be sent to those who register. This email should contain the link to login to the webinar or webcast room along with login instructions. If possible include a troubleshooting link for people who may have login problems.
• Be sure to schedule a new auto-responder to go out a few hours before your webinar begins. This will serve as a reminder and contain the same login information for those who have lost or misplaced the first email.

Jacob Paulsen

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Make Your Next Seminar a Webinar

1. Webinars offer a solution that allows businesses and organizations to invite an international audience. The internet has no geographic boundries, making it easier than ever to involve people around the globe.
2. Webinars don’t have the same “room capacity” limits as traditional meeting venues. You may have to pay more for a webcast room that will hold 5,000 people but it will cost much less than renting the local football stadium for the day.
3. Webinars make it much easier to capture contact data. When you sell tickets for your seminar you make find it difficult to capture names, email address, and phone numbers. Webinars make this easy. Just setup a registration page for each webinar.
4. Webinars are easier to record. The cost and time it took to have a professional production company record your seminar and then produce a high quality DVD, were far too high. Webinars can be automatically recorded with most software programs and then sent out to the participants minutes after the webinar ends.
5. Webinars can be broadcasting from the comfort of your home or office. You don’t need to put on the suit or even worry about shining the shoes. Just sit at the desk of your home office, along with a bowl of popcorn and get to work.
6. Webinars can be re-played and scheduled. Instead of doing the same boring presentation once per week, do it just once. Schedule the recording to play back for next weeks registrants! This isn’t always the best way to connect with your audience but it can be done with the help of modern technology.
7. Webinars can be branded by your business. Send clients, customers, or team members to your own website to login to your webinar or webcast room. Services such as WebcastRooms.com allow you to embed your own login forms right on your site. Seminars force you to take your customers into a venue that is rented where they will be exposed to other advertisements, logos, and brands.
8. Webinars make it much easier for you to involve multiple presenters. You were limited in your seminars by the ability to get your speakers and presenters to the venue at the right time. Now with a webinar, not only will you not have to travel but you will be able to involve presenters that were never before possible.
9. Webinars will build your Email List, Social Media Following, and website traffic and all of these are profit centers. In addition to data capture (mentioned above), driving participants to your website is going to increase the number who follow you on Facebook and Twitter. Naturally this will also increase your website traffic, allowing you to increase rates for online advertising.
10. Webinars naturally SAVE you money. Online meetings decrease all the traditional expenses that come with a physical seminar.

Get started today. Setup your webcast room and schedule your first webinar!

Jacob S Paulsen

Words such as Webinar or Webcast refer to seminar type presentation in which a large group watches a live or recorded presentation by a small number of presenters. Naturally Webinars and webcasts tend to host a larger total audience and ofter require user registration via email. Webinars more likely will be based on PowerPoint presentations uploading into a webcast room, but they often include other types of media or screen sharing.

Its not uncommon for either service to include video streaming via a webcam. Both Webinars and Online Meetings can be done via VOIP or a third party conference call depending on the needs of the users.

Another common feature of most webinars is self-branding. The general idea is to use your own company’s logo etc to brand the conference room. This is not generally done in most web conferencing services or online meetings.

The vereconference service provided by WebcastRooms.com is primarily designed as a webinar and webcast room service. Visit our home page for additional information, or to start your free trial now.

Jacob S Paulsen

What format will the recording files take? All to often we have seen various online conferencing programs whose recording files turn into short ads for the provider followed by a glimpse of the recorded presentation. Your focus must be on keeping your audience focused on your presentation and not on the service provider that you utilize.

Webcastrooms.com utilizes VereConference technology to provide versatile recording options to our clients. Every webcast room (including free trial rooms) have full recording options. You will be able to decide if you would like guests and/or moderators to have recording privileges.

The recordings are saved directly to your hard drive so that you can alter and distribute them at your own convenience. You call upload them directly to your online server and provide a link directly to your customers. Be careful in looking for your online conferencing provider

In the industry of webcast and online conferencing we have found that the competition continues to deny their clients the option of having a custom login page for the webcast room login.

Nothing seems cheaper and less professional that when someone invites me to an online meeting by sending me a link in an email. This link usually takes me to a page decorated with the provider’s logos and ads. Instead of being focused on the presentation I’m about to view I’m reading about how I could have my own 15 day trial with their service.

Even worse are the few providers that make you input pin codes, and room numbers. It reminds me of the old conference call systems and it isn’t super conducive to the environment of presenting your opportunity or conducting a training for your team.

Webcastrooms.com provides custom login pages through the Vereconference technology. You can you our custom template and make changes, or you can insert a login form into your existing site or webpage utilizing our custom html code that we provide every customer.

Curious how that might look? Look to your right. Type into the form on the right side of this page. Put in your name and click login. Our demo webcast room will launch and just that fast you can get a feel for how the service works.