Pre-recorded webinars can be viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, all depending on the way you market the video. One thing to keep in mind is that a webinar is not just a video- a webinar is interactive and the guests should be able to ask questions and interact with the webinar host and presenters! However, with pre-recorded webinars, this interaction can be difficult or not happen at all. But with the help of a pre-recorded webinar platform, you can have your guests, both in-person and online, interacting with the hosts and getting all of their questions answered. 

What is a Pre-Recorded Webinar?

A pre-recorded webinar are webinars that were once live and were recorded that have become available for viewing. Unlike a regular or “normal” video, webinar videos are more interactive. Pre-recorded webinars can be edited for content, eliminating any information that isn’t relevant to the webinar. Be sure to add in all of the aspects of the webinar, including any and all interactions, questions and polls.

Live vs. Pre-Recorded Webinars - What is the Best Option?

In order to decide what is the best option for your event, you need to consider your event goals. If one of your event goals is to interact with your audience and allow them to ask questions and take part in polls and live chats, then you would want to choose a live webinar. Pre-recorded webinars are great for instances such as product demos or employee trainings or onboardings. Pre-recorded webinars help save time for management, as they can have their employees watch all of the necessary videos before joining the team! 

Benefits Of Pre-Recorded Webinars

Pre-recorded webinars are useful because they have the ability to show all of the informational parts of the webinar. If there was a part of a webinar that didn’t necessarily work out, you can either re-record that section or eliminate it entirely. Some benefits of a pre-recorded webinar may include:

• <span class="mid-size-title">Fine-Tuning Content</span>

The great thing about pre-recorded webinars is that you can edit out any mistakes or dead air time. While it may be uncomfortable for the in-person attendees to sit through the transition periods, you can eliminate that time for the guests watching at home. Or, if you wanted to make that transition a bit more fun, you can use transition effects or even music to move to the next section. If there were any mistakes during the webinar, you can edit that part right out and the guests at home will never know. If there was a particular part of the webinar that you want your guests to focus on, you can put more emphasis on that part by having it played at the beginning of the pre-recorded webinar, while you still have their full attention. 

• <span class="mid-size-title">Focus On Content</span>

Pre-recorded webinars can be planned out fully ahead of time, so the presenters can feel more comfortable and relaxed when making their presentation. There are times when presenters may be interrupted by a number of things, not just audience members; with a pre-recording, everything the presenters plan on saying can be mapped out and they can give their presentation to the best of their ability. 

• <span class="mid-size-title">Presentations Can Be Made More Visible</span>

When you upload your pre-recorded webinar, you may want to think about using a webinar platform to help. Webinar platforms can help you upload your video as well as add any charts or graphics that will help further engage your audience. There may be pieces of content that some viewers may not find particularly useful or engaging. However, they may be more engaged by adding charts, graphics and other pieces of content. Finding ways to maintain the audience’s attention will keep them watching once you’ve initially gotten their attention.

• <span class="mid-size-title">Attendees Can Watch Any Time, Anywhere</span>

We’ve all seen how the use of online webinars and conferences has been useful since the beginning of the pandemic. Guests from all over the world are able to attend while still maintaining everybody’s safety. With pre-recorded webinars, attendees can watch from anywhere in the world, and still receive the information they need! Webinar hosts don’t need to schedule around a time that works for every single guest anymore, either; they can host and record the webinar, edit it, then publish the video for everyone to see.

‍Get the latest research from Forrester Consulting and Hubilo on the Top 5 Challenges Marketers Face with Webinars

‍<span class="mid-size-title">Collect Attendee Data</span>

When you use a webinar platform to upload your pre-recorded webinar, you will be able to collect attendee data. Typically, people need to register for your webinar, even if it is pre-recorded. When guests register, the event hosts will have all of their information including any demographics, which can then be neatly organized into an analytics dashboard and be kept for any future events. Another thing to keep in mind is when you use a webinar platform, you are able to add interactions to the pre-recorded webinar. Interactions like live chats and polls allow webinar hosts to ask questions about the attendees and those answers can also be used for any future events, when it comes time to market those events.

How to Host a Pre-Recorded Webinar in 7 Easy Steps

If you choose to host a pre-recorded webinar, there are a few steps you need to follow! These steps will set your webinar up for success as well as give the attendees all of the information they need. 

<span class="mid-size-title">1. Upload Your Video</span>

You have recorded the video of your webinar and now you need to upload it. However, it’s not as simple as just hitting the upload button. If you need some help with this, reach out to a webinar platform host; webinar hosts like Hubilo can help you upload your webinar to set you up for success! 

<span class="mid-size-title">2. Set Up Your Webinar’s Availability</span>

When it comes to setting up your webinar’s availability, there are a few different ways to go about it. For example, one of the ways to upload your webinar and time it correctly is to use the Convenient Recurring Schedule. What this means is when the attendees register for the pre-recorded webinar, they can select a date and time to view the webinar, according to their own schedule. This avoids the attendee registering for the webinar, but not attending because they have a precious engagement. You can guarantee that your guests will attend your pre-recorded webinar and be engaged with the content provided!

The other type of timing you your attendees can use for your webinar is the Just In Time webinar! This type of webinar ensures that a webinar will be starting within 5-10 minutes of the guest registering. Oftentimes, guests will register for a webinar that might not be for a few days, maybe even weeks. With this happening, the guest might forget about the webinar or may no longer be able to attend. With just-in-time webinars, the guest has a webinar to attend within minutes of registering. A countdown timer creates a sense of urgency for them to join the webinar and stay for the duration. Rather than sending out email reminders for the webinar, your guests can join the webinar almost immediately, without the need to wait.

<span class="mid-size-title">3. Write Email Notifications</span>

If your attendees register for a webinar that’s in the future, webinar hosts should send email notifications to every registered guest! There are a few email notifications that you can send to your guests without being too overbearing; the first email you can send is a confirmation after the guest registers. This email lets your guest know they are registered for the webinar, and even gives them a confirmation code. If an issue arises when they try to enter the webinar, they can refer to that confirmation code. You can also send out reminders in the days and weeks leading up to the webinar, so your guests don’t forget about the event. The final type of email you can send is a thank you and a post-event webinar survey. You will always want to thank your guests for attending your webinar; it shows them you truly care about them! By sending a post-event survey, webinar hosts can ask questions about the webinar and receive feedback, which will only help plan any future events.

Read and Learn: How to Add Energy, Impact, and Results at Every Stage of Your Webinar

<span class="mid-size-title">4. Add Interactions</span>

With a pre-recorded webinar, guests are not able to interact like the in-person guests are able to. However, when you use a webinar platform, you can add those interactions. Hubilo allows you to add interactions like quizzes, polls and handouts so that everyone is able to interact. These interactions can be added every few minutes, and the best part is that these interactions won’t disrupt the speaker or presenter. You can customize the questions so that they pertain to your event and your company.

<span class="mid-size-title">5. Configure Chat</span>

Hubilo has the ability, like the interactions, to add chats onto the pre-recorded webinar! These chats can be used for interaction between webinar hosts and attendees. The chats can be sent directly to the webinar host, and they will receive either an email or a Slack notification. They can respond accordingly and the attendee will have a message as soon as the host responds. If the host is away or can’t answer the chat message right away, they can put up an automated message, signaling to the attendee that the host is away and they will answer their message when they return. 

<span class="mid-size-title">6. Customize Your Landing Page</span>

Your landing page for your pre-recorded webinar can be customized for your company! Your landing page should have any unique features for your webinar, any answers to frequently asked questions and even a spot to leave any feedback. Your landing page can be a preview of the webinar, and your guests can take their time navigating through the landing page and the use of a call to action helps your attendees dive deeper into your webinar!

<span class="mid-size-title">7. Publish And Share</span>

Now that you have completed all of your steps in getting your pre-recorded webinar ready, you are all set to publish! You have edited and customized your webinar, editing out any unwanted aspects and leaving only the important information. Once the webinar is published, you need to share it on your social media- the more you promote your webinar, the more people it is going to reach! You may reach people who will take an interest in the webinar and will attend, but also do more research into other events you host.

<span class="mid-size-title">Conclusion</span>

Webinars can be held for any number of reasons! Webinar presenters take their time to gather their information and present it to everyone watching. Unlike a regular webinar, pre-recorded webinars don’t have the ability to have the attendees interact with the presenters or each other. However, when you use a webinar hosting platform, you’re able to add those interactions into the webinar. Attendees may feel the need to ask questions, which will only help them obtain more information. The webinar hosting platform also allows guests to choose the date and time for attending the webinar, which will guarantee the guest to stay for the duration of the webinar. No matter which way you choose to host your pre-recorded webinar, your guests will walk away from the event full of knowledge and the incentive to attend events in the future!