Webinars don’t get much attention from B2B marketers. But if you get to listen to marketers that did, at some point, use them in their lead generation campaigns, you might consider planning for one.

A study by Top Rank Blog finds webinars at a favorable position with 64 percent of marketers labeling these lead generators as “very effective,” apparently creating an excellent precedence for venturing into webinar production.

Well, one thing you should know first is that, simple as it is, holding webinars require a lot of preparation and effective planning to truly attain a considerable amount of success in marketing. Here are some pointers from Forbes contributor Drew Hendricks about the art of effective webinar preparation.

Remember It’s About Them

In order to deliver content that resonates and delights, focus on offering your audience genuine value. Address the challenges and issues that your audience faces and provide them with advice that’s actionable.

Of course you want to promote your product, and that’s the whole point – but leave this message for the end and don’t make it the main gist of your presentation. Instead, focus on positioning your brand as the experts on a specific topic and your team as the people with all the answers.

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Leverage Alliances

Consider partnering and co-presenting with someone whose brand complements yours or who caters to a similar audience. This is a win-win, as it amplifies both parties’ messages, compounds reach and adds credibility.

For example, if you market a photo editing app, you can hold a webinar on wildlife photography with a known nature photographer. The webinar can position your app as one of the solutions for improving wildlife shots.

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Find the Right Platform

To ensure maximum technical quality and accessibility, look for a webinar service that has 2015-worthy features. Your webinar platform should make it easy for participants to register and join. A service that requires the user to set up an account (even for free) will turn off potential attendees.

Since not everyone will be sitting at their computers when the webinar is held, make sure the platform supports multiple ways to join in, like through a phone call or a smartphone app.

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Give Yourself Lead Time

Schedule the event with enough notice to allow for pre-webinar promotion momentum. You should get started several weeks in advance, so you have plenty of time to get the most out of both free and paid marketing channels.

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Reward RSVPs

In addition to the value that your audience gains from the webinar itself, you can easily sweeten the deal with extras like special offers, related ebooks, additional supporting materials, transcripts and replays on demand.

These extras help to keep prospects moving along the sales funnel after your webinar, but they can also serve as added incentives for participation. Let your prospects know ahead of time about all the extras they will get if they sign up, and make it clear in your marketing messages that these materials will be available to all registrants, even if they don’t end up attending.

See our Case Study: Callbox Packs Webinars for Software Company