In a world where just about everything has become digital, companies will jump at the chance to add any and all new digital strategies to their business plan. These new digital strategies include things like streaming live events to anyone across the globe - also known as webcasts. Similar to webinars and other virtual events, webcasts are great for getting valuable information to anyone anywhere and can help spread the word about certain topics. In this blog, we’ll cover everything there is to know about what is a webcast and how to go about creating one for your next event!
A webcast is a video live stream of a certain event, like a conference or presentation, uploaded online so that viewers can easily watch - much like a television broadcast. Webcasts can broadcast all kinds of events, from corporate conferences to weddings and everything in between. Webcasts can either be live or on-demand and are great for companies to reach a broader audience for less cost. According to a report by Forrester, people watch live video 10-20 minutes longer than on-demand content.
There are a few practices and tips to keep in mind when you’re planning your own webcast. They are:
When you’re planning an event that is completely virtual, the majority of your focus should be on ensuring you have the right technology. Not only does this include choosing a high-caliber camera for the best streaming quality, but also choosing the right streaming platform. Pick a platform that lines up with your webcast goals and one that has a number of features that benefits both you and your webcast attendees.
A best-selling author wouldn’t start writing a book without having a small part of the story planned out in their head. The same goes for your webcast event - having a general outline of what you’re going to cover will ensure your event runs smoothly, especially if it’s a live event. Prepare how much time your guests will speak, how long you plan the event to be, decide what kind of media you’ll present (if any), and more. The more prepared you are for your webcast event, the better quality your event will be.
Planning how you’ll get the word out about your event is one of the most important steps to figure out! Social media is one of the most beneficial platforms to use to promote your event - share it on all your company channels, invite others to discuss your event, and use promotional ads to increase awareness of the event! If your webcast is on a smaller scale, send out emails to the few attendees and create a calendar event for it.
Engagement plays a huge factor in whether a virtual webcast is a hit or not. Many video hosting platforms offer engagement features like polls, live chats, contests, and more to keep your audience engaged and paying attention to your webcast content. According to Epiphan, 60% of users in a survey state that getting real-time audience feedback is a key benefit.
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Whether virtual or in-person, proper event etiquette is always following up with your event attendees once the event is over. Send out an email thanking your attendees for attending your virtual event along with a post-event survey for them to fill out. Use your chosen platform’s analytics feature to reflect on what worked well and what you can do better for an even better webcast in the future.
A webinar and webcast may seem like the same thing because they sound familiar, but they are actually quite different! One of the main differences is the number of people that both events are broadcasted to; a webinar typically is presented to less than one hundred viewers, while a webcast can be broadcasted to hundreds of viewers. With webcasts, the chances for audience engagement are more limited and the speaker has less engagement with the audience directly, but a webinar holds more chances for the audience to interact with the speaker and provide live feedback.
Hosting a webcast is no easy feat; it requires dedication and paying close attention to every detail. To host a webcast event that goes off without a hitch and leaves everyone satisfied, we’ve got some tips and best practices to follow.
If this is your first webcast event, we recommend planning it at least eight weeks in advance to ensure you get all the important details in line. This will give you time to pick your topic, select the best speakers, choose your hosting platform, and so much more. In addition to selecting your date, we recommend choosing an event type, picking a topic, selecting speakers, utilizing a marketing calendar for promotion, and troubleshooting in advance.
Before you begin to plan your webcast further, determine which metrics mean the most to your team. Some classic metrics to follow are conversion rate/number of registrants, number of attendees, engagement, retention rate, and replays. Setting up metrics to track will help you later determine whether your webinar event was a successful one or not.
With the key metrics you want to measure in mind, choose a platform that will help you hit the goals you have in place. With platforms like Hubilo, there are a number of features that can take your webcast from good to great, like engagement features and analytics.
No one wants to join a webcast only to find out the camera is blurry and the microphones aren’t working. According to Limelight, more than 50% of streamers will leave a low-quality streaming session in 90 seconds or less.You’ll want to invest in high-grade equipment to ensure your audience can both see and hear the event clearly. Research the best microphones, speakers, cameras, and lighting equipment to make your webcast enjoyable for everyone.
An encoder is what converts video footage that you film from a camera into streaming video footage online. There are many different video encoder platforms that you can choose from, so it’s important to do your research to choose the best one that fits your hosting platform.
Once you choose an encoder for your webcast, it’s time to set up all your streaming settings. Once you configure your encoder, you’ll want to select your source inputs like cameras and microphones for your webcast.
Before any virtual event, one of the most important steps to take is testing out your stream. Make sure everything is working properly and monitor how well everything holds up by running a test stream. Check the quality of your cameras, microphones, and other technical equipment and troubleshoot if necessary.
There are so many different situations where webcasting can be utilized. Some of the most well-known cases are:
Keep everyone up to date on any important company information or updates with a town hall webcast! Webcasts are a great tool to connect with employees who work remotely and town halls can help improve communication throughout your company. It gives everyone a chance to productively collaborate and align workflows in one space.
Meetings don’t have to be limited to the people in the office anymore- by broadcasting your meeting via a webcast, anyone has the ability to join in and learn valuable information.
There’s no better way to get the word out about a new product than with a product launch event. You can highlight all the benefits of your product and give detailed demonstrations of your new product. A product launch webcast is a great way to hype up your product in a way that lets anyone interested watch and learn.
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Holding a webcast event with your company investors is an invitation to let them see everything your company works on. They can get insights on how their funds are being used, as well as showcase all the hard work the company has completed through presentations and Q & A sessions.
A webcast is the perfect option for smaller-scale virtual events that require only one stream. It’s a great way to broadcast your event to a wide range of people!
These days, the chances of receiving employee training in-person are rapidly decreasing with the rise of remote work. Because of this, you’ll need a way to train your remote employees that’s a close second to in-person training - this is where webcasts come in handy! A webcast can capture important details that a number of employees need to know, and you can share this through presentations or Q&A sessions in your webcast.
To produce a great webcast, you’ll need a video hosting platform with ample features and capabilities. You’ll also need quality equipment to ensure everyone can see and hear your webcast accurately; think microphones, cameras, speakers, and lighting. An encoder is also needed to stream your webcast from your camera to the internet.
Webcasting and live streaming are very similar in the way they’re both live events that are uploaded and watched in real-time from a website. However, webcasts usually cater to a larger audience and involve more planning to cover one specific topic.
If they have access to your webcast, then just about anyone can tune in and watch your webcast. However, if you have to register for the event and are given a link to a private platform, only those who have registered can watch your webcast.
Yes! Similar to other virtual events, a webcast can be recorded if the platform you use has a recording feature. The recording can then be used for marketing content afterward or be sent out as an on-demand webcast that viewers can watch at their leisure.
Yes, you can host a webcast on-demand! To do this, pre-record your webcast and broadcast it on your event hosting platform. Many platforms may allow you to broadcast your webcast as a live event where you can engage with your audience as they watch the pre-recorded webcast.
Live streaming your events as webcasts is a great idea for any kind of topic or industry. They can spread information to virtually anyone around the world in a way that has never been possible before. With the tips mentioned above and using a quality platform like Hubilo, you’ll have a webcast everyone will remember! Discover the endless capabilities that your webcast can have by talking with one of our experts about virtual events! Request a demo today to know more!
Hubilo is the webinar platform built for marketers that helps you 2X your pipeline. Founded in 2015, Hubilo's powerful engagement features, dedicated client experience team, and custom branding tools have helped create over 12K virtual events & webinars, creating hundreds of millions of minutes of high-engagement experiences and counting. Headquartered in Bengaluru and San Francisco, Hubilo's 200+ employees are dedicated to enabling webinars & virtual events that convert.
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