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While LeadingResponse faced enormous marketing challenges in 2020, it wasn’t the first time we’ve navigated market fluctuations and downturns. We quickly charted a new course to ensure our financial advisor clients connected with their future clients through proven financial advisor marketing strategies.
The rise of the prospecting webinar
Early last year, when the coronavirus outbreak put a stop to live events, everyone pivoted to online presentations. Through trial and error, the LeadingResponse team discovered how to attract an unusually large number of prospects to advisors’ virtual educational events. And the high webinar attendance rates that followed were a revelation.
Needless to say, not all the financial professionals we work with were on board with using webinars to prospect for new business. In fact, some rejected the idea outright.
On the other hand, advisors who followed our new process started seeing significantly improved webinar attendance rates. In addition, more prospects were making appointments. The system was working!
(Just in case you were wondering, the ideal webinar should run from 30 to 45 minutes, according to BigMarker, the world’s largest webinar network.)
But you don’t have to just take our word for it that webinars make an impact. The following are webinar attendance rates and other attendee statistics reported by an advisor in Greenwich, Connecticut:
- 97% Webinar Show Rate
- 18 Appointments Booked From 29 Households
- Estimated Attendee Assets: $69.2 million
- Average Attendee Liquid Savings: $1 million
Webinars as proven lead generators
Back in August – five months into the pandemic – we predicted that virtual events were here to stay. By then, we had coordinated hundreds of webinars with our clients.
Our experience showed us that when done right, clients could generate high webinar attendance rates and convert a significant number of attendees into clients with substantial assets.
Hybrid events rapidly catching on
In some states, advisors have resumed hosting live events. But that doesn’t mean you should forego scheduling virtual events. Give your prospective clients the option to participate from home, if they prefer.
By carrying out a hybrid campaign, you can connect with those who are not interested in live events, but would be open to a private meeting with you.
If you’re new to scheduling and hosting virtual events, here are three tips that will help you ensure your presentation and delivery are spot-on.
Set the stage
It’s critical to record your webinar in an area free from visual or noise distractions. You want to attract and hold your audience’s attention. If possible, have a professional-looking backdrop displayed behind you. Ensure you have proper lighting. And don’t forget to test the audio and video before you go live. Nothing will kill webinar attendance rates faster than a sloppy presentation.
Be helpful
Keep in mind people are attending your webinar for educational purposes. Therefore, they expect to learn something useful. Be sure your presentation features topics of interest to your audience and answers the questions they may have. Show them why they should care about what you’re sharing with them.
Tell your story
It’s a fact that consumers do business with those they trust. So give them a reason to believe in you, by sharing some information about yourself and how you got into the financial services industry. Also, provide examples of how you’ve used your skills and abilities to assist clients.
Your business growth partner
Now that you know it’s possible to achieve 90% or higher* webinar attendance rates, consider incorporating virtual events into your marketing plan for 2021. If you’re not comfortable creating a presentation from scratch, we have customizable turnkey options for you to choose from.
Ready to get started? Sign up today for a complimentary consultation, or call us at (888) 907-3971 for more information.
