The Internet is a pretty amazing place full of an incredible amount of helpful information. And one really great way to tap into some of that helpful information is by taking advantage of webinars.
These online seminars are a great way to pick up useful information for marketing your company. And often you can participate in webinars for free! Many times, these online sessions are recorded so you can download and review the content again whenever it’s convenient for you. You can check out a number of TMR Direct marketing webinars for free right here.
Even a free seminar, however, isn’t a bargain unless you come away with some useful information and put it into practice. So how can you make sure that you get the most out of a live webinar you attend? Here are a few tips you can use to prepare yourself.
Be Prepared: Hey, this isn’t just a motto for the Boy Scouts! The more you can prepare yourself for a learning adventure the more you’ll get out of it. One way to prepare is to jot down a few notes about what you hope to get out of the webinar. Often webinars will open with the moderator asking exactly this question of participants. It can actually help shape the flow of the webinar if the presenters know you want to focus on a particular topic.
Do a Little Homework: You don’t need to go overboard on this but sometimes just checking out terms can give you a head start in understanding what presenters are talking about. Do a Google search on the topic or look it up on Wikipedia. You don’t need to be an expert, but understanding some general ideas will allow you to go deeper.
Ask Questions: Most webinars give participants the opportunity to ask questions. Often the questions are submitted in written form (so as not to disrupt the presentation). Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification! If you want more information, ask! The presenter may be able to address your question right away. Or he or she may send your additional information or follow up with a phone call.
Review and Apply: After the webinar is over take a few minutes to review what you’ve learned. Pick out one thing that’s significant. Write that down and then record what you can do to apply what you’ve learned—even if it’s only collecting more information. Information that’s stuck in your head doesn’t do you a lot of good. Find a way to act on it.
A little bit of preparation ahead of time can add a whole lot of value to a webinar—even a free one! By the way, you can try out these tips this month when we host our free Creating an Effective Inbound Marketing Plan for Builders and Remodelers webinar.
