Webinar vs. Seminar – Are webinars taking over?
There is a popular opinion that people need to convene in person to hold productive conversations. However, there has been a shift in perception, as the pandemic triggered a different dimension to communication, imposing some barriers. Proactive A/V platforms began to lead people globally in pushing communication barriers.
Amongst other forms of in-person events, seminars involved physically gathering people for educational purposes. Fast forward to this date, a substitute has emerged! Advancements in information technology have triggered an upward spiral in content delivery, making Seminars more than having training and discourses. With webinars becoming the new normal, online seminars have become a lifestyle. What does this mean? All you need to do is hop on the webinar stream through your device from any location, and just like that, you’re in
Learning about the difference between seminars and webinars is great, but knowing how to reach your business goals with both mediums is greater. Here’s all you need to know about webinars and seminars.
What are webinars?
A webinar is a medium that organizations, groups, and individuals leverage to create awareness, share knowledge about a particular topic, and promote goods and services. Businesses worldwide have ascertained that webinars are influential for marketing and selling digital products and engaging an audience with the aim of generating leads who would be converted to customers.
What are seminars?
A seminar can be defined as a gathering of people who seek enlightenment on a specific topic. The nature of the event could range from crash courses, intensive training, and panel discussion to learning from experts from various disciplines. Seminars are typically organized by associations, agencies, educational institutions, or professional organizations like companies that train their staff to amplify professional knowledge and boost company productivity.
Are webinars and seminars the same?
Webinars and seminars are not exactly the same. Although they can be used to drive a similar agenda in educating the public, webinars double as a marketing tool. Simply put, a seminar is an internal event designed solely for knowledge acquisition, whereas a webinar is a promotion tool used to engage an external audience.
5 Things you should know before hosting webinars and seminars.
You may think that the underlining difference between webinars and seminars is the location. It is true seminars are in-person, and webinars are online, but there’s more to both formats than meets the eye.
If you’re looking to host an online seminar or webinar, these are things you should know:
1. Time constraints
For an in-person seminar, your attendees have to be present at the exact time and date of the event. Otherwise, you can miss out on a great deal of information. It takes a lot of time away from engaging in productive tasks to travel to the event’s venue. However, webinars can easily be accessed from the comfort of one’s home. Plus, there is an option to record the session for attendees to stream on-demand.
2. Cost-effectiveness
Webinars require little to no cost to set up. All you need is a computer or mobile device! On the other hand, seminars are expense-driven. You need to hire a venue, and catering service, cover travel expenses (optional depending on location) and hire a filming crew if you want it a hybrid. You’ll also have to consider paying the speakers for their time—the higher the profile, the higher the charge! All of these require a deep dive into your pocket.
3. Face-to-face Learning
Some attendees learn better in live seminars, which is excellent if you host an in-person seminar. Some attendees would rather stream the content live because traveling a far distance could be inconvenient. In this case, it is wise to opt for a hybrid solution so you can, at the same time, cater to the audience in these worlds.
4. Audience analytics and data reports
It might be somewhat difficult to capture attendee insights with in-person seminars. It is noteworthy to mention that these data-rich reports help you build better marketing strategies. You can have all the information you need—contacts, location, company, and time spent on the session.
5. Team engagement activities
Live seminars are great for games and activities that foster team building because it has fewer restraints. However, dynamic A/V webinar platforms have integrated features like gamification, Q&A sessions, group rooms, and live polling to facilitate engagement.
Why Hosting webinars are beneficial in recent times
1. Monetization is easier with webinars. Webinar platforms implement stiffer measures to ensure that each attendee has a unique link to access the stream. Webinar platforms are multipurpose tools that can be used for education and marketing purposes. So why settle for less when you can have more!
2. Webinars are more inclusive because they provide accessibility features that cater to the demands of a diverse audience. Also, they have the greater reach when it comes to attracting thousands of leads across the globe to join the stream with minimal effort—just a click of a button.
3. Webinars also give easy access to busy, high-profile speakers who cannot travel. Making the seminar virtual makes it easier for them to hop on your stream and make their presentation. There’s also a tendency that they’ll charge you less for speaking at your seminar, and you get to save a great deal of money that could have been lost on travel and accommodation.
Conclusion
There is so much value derived from organizing intellectual discourses on industry-related topics or contemporary issues that require solutions. But far beyond knowledge gain is the opportunity to meet like-minded people, share ideas, exchange contacts, and nurture meaningful relationships for business growth.
If streaming fatigue is your major concern, you need not fret because webinar platforms like InEvent provide:
- High definition AV strategies.
- Accessibility features.
- Dynamic engagement solutions that are synonymous with face-to-face interactions.
If you’re ready to experience InEvent’s state-of-the-art webinar technology, give us a nudge and book a free demo to get started today!
About the Author / Sara Emezi
