In today’s competitive education marketing landscape, reaching and engaging key decision-makers – district administrators, superintendents, school board members – in an effective way requires a multi-channel strategy. This ensures your message cuts through the noise and resonates with your key demographic.
While email remains a key element of traditional outreach, webinars offer a unique way to demonstrate expertise, build trust, and capture leads. Approximately 89% of webinar attendees take at least one follow-up action, such as visiting a website or downloading content (BrightTALK, 2024). And even beyond their immediate impact, the content generated from webinars can be easily repurposed across your entire content strategy, amplifying your message.
In support of this, here are five ways to harness the full potential of webinars and drive results:
1. Position Your Organization as a Thought Leader
If your organization boasts expertise in areas such as edtech, curriculum trends, or enrollment tactics, webinars provide an excellent platform to showcase your authority.
By hosting a panel of K-12 decision-makers or school leaders discussing a key topic, you can immediately position your company at the head of crucial conversations. This not only demonstrates your understanding of core areas of interest but also establishes you as a thought leader through this association.
2. Capture and Nurture Webinar Leads
Those who register for and attend your webinar are already engaged prospects, making this an invaluable opportunity to gather further data. You can encourage form fills by offering gated content – exclusive PDFs or post-webinar access to unrecorded expert Q&A sessions – and utilize the additional information for personalized follow-up communication.
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Pro-Tip for Maximum Impact: Tailor Your Follow-Up
To maximize your opportunities, customize your follow-up communication for different segments of your audience:
- Those who registered but couldn’t attend: Offer them the recording, perhaps with a summary of what they missed.
- Those who registered and attended: Provide the recording, additional resources, and an opportunity related to the webinar’s content.
- Those who engaged directly (e.g., asked questions): Prioritize a personalized follow-up addressing their specific questions or interests, signaling that you value their engagement.
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3. Support the Buyer Journey
Webinars can provide a valuable touchpoint for your target audience at every stage of their buyer journey. They allow you to cast a wide net, from raising awareness about top trends, for those just beginning their research, to showcasing your successes (e.g., case studies) for prospects considering a campaign. And finally, they provide product demonstrations for those poised to make a decision.
You may have a superintendent, not yet committed to a solution, who sees your product in your well-timed webinar, and this might be the crucial element that sways their decision.
4. Repurpose Webinar Content in Other Channels
Once your webinar ends, you can easily repurpose its content across various marketing channels. Whether a blog post, social media update, infographic, or email campaign, you can extract key stats or memorable insights to continue the conversation with your intended audience.
5. Collaborate with Trusted Partners
To expand your reach and boost your influence, consider partnering with respected associations, media companies, or educational influencers. Sponsoring a webinar with SmartBrief, for example, gives you direct access to our 7 million opted-in professionals, significantly enhancing your campaign performance and optimizing lead generation.
So if you’re ready to amplify your education marketing strategy, connect with SmartBrief today to leverage their Expert Webinar Series or AI Impact Series to showcase your brand and deliver high-impact messaging to those who matter most.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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