Writing Webinar Content That Drives Engagement

I led a webinar last week that included 17 moments of audience interaction — that’s one every 3 ½ minutes. How did we do it? Not through breakouts or fancy polling software, but through the humble chat window. Here’s how we used it and why I love it. We used chat: * 5 times for fill-in-the-blank answers to my questions. * 3 times for yes/no answer to my questions. * 3 times for sharing their answers in brainstorming exercises. * 2 times for answering a series of quick questions. * once for answering an open-ended question. * once for a quick individual exercise. * once where I invited a volunteer to walk us through an exercise; and * once at the end for 10 minutes of Q&A. And here’s what I love about it. The chat window is: * Active — the opposite of passive, it gives people something to do. * Simple — anyone can use it.  * Instant — no “dead air” while waiting for poll results. * Flexible — people can jump into the conversation or just read along. * Unfiltered — no moderator is screening the content. * Non-hierarchical — people can share their own ideas and talk with each other. * Enlightening — participants learn from each other. * Energizing — seeing and calling out the waterfall of comments lends energy to the occasion. * Validating — it’s a real-time indicator of people’s engagement. Remember: the best presentations are a conversation, not a lecture.

Most webinars are just sales pitches in disguise. And designers can smell that pitch deck from the opening slide. What we refused to do: My Digital Events team watched countless “creative webinars” that were basically 90-minute product demos with 5 minutes of actual value. We said *hell no* and built something completely different. The anti-sales event format we cracked: • Real workflows over feature lists • Diverse voices: emerging artists to industry veterans • Zero “seamless integration” and “scale content faster” buzzwords Why our digital event format worked: Jun Zee Myers from BuzzFeed didn’t talk about “animation solutions,” she showed how “The Land of Boggs” got made. Chris Snellings from the Golden State Warriors didn’t pitch collaboration tools, he walked through how his team delivered Stephen Curry content across continents simultaneously. Real case studies that solved problems. Real design-industry workflows. Real creativity in action. Delivered live and in real-time. The uncomfortable truth? Creative professionals have sat through too many “webinars” that were just thinly veiled sales presentations (in fact, I sat through a pre-recorded Canva one this morning, pretending to be live 🤦♀️ ). I’m sorry, people! But we are done with fake use cases and product manager-manufactured success stories. The surprising result is when you lead with craft instead of conversion, something magical happens. People actually watch, engage, get inspired, and implement what they learn. **I broke down the entire framework—what worked, what didn’t, and how to structure digital events that creatives want to attend.** Read it in the newest article of Together By Design: https://lnkd.in/gdgttQZq What’s the most painfully obvious sales webinar you’ve ever endured? Wait, don’t answer—I know, I know. #CreativeWebinars #EventStrategy #ContentCreation #DigitalEvents #AntiSalesy #CreativeConnections #CreativeWorkshop #DesignCommunity #HostLindsayRocks Lindsay Morris

You're hosting another webinar. The chat's dead silent. Half your attendees are probably scrolling through their phones. And you can practically hear people dropping off like flies. Sound familiar? It's time to wake the hell up and revolutionize your webinar game. I've been there. We've all been there. Boring, one-way presentations that put people to sleep faster than a bottle of NyQuil. But in 2024, if your webinars aren't engaging, interactive, and valuable as f*ck, you're wasting everyone's time - including your own. Here are 5 ways to turn your webinars from snoozefests into can't-miss experiences: 1. Ditch the monologue: Stop talking AT people. Start conversations. Use real-time polls, Q&As, and breakout rooms. Get people involved or get out of the game. 2. Bring the energy: If you're not excited, why the hell should your audience be? Pump up the enthusiasm, use storytelling, and for God's sake, show some personality! 3. Less is more: Cut the fluff. Focus on ONE core message and drill it home. Give people actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. 4. Make it visual: Our brains are wired for visuals. Use dynamic slides, live demos, and even props. Anything to break up the monotony and keep eyes glued to the screen. 5. Create FOMO: Exclusive content, limited-time offers, or guest experts. Give people a reason to show up live instead of watching the recording (if you even offer one). I remember when we overhauled our webinar strategy at VaynerMedia. We went from typical corporate snoozefests to high-energy, interactive experiences. Attendance shot up. Engagement went through the roof. And most importantly, our audience started getting real, tangible value. Here's the thing: Webinars aren't just about delivering information. They're about creating experiences that stick with people. That inspire action. That make people feel like they're part of something bigger. So here's my challenge to you: Take a hard look at your next webinar. Are you truly creating value? Are you engaging your audience in meaningful ways? Or are you just going through the motions? It's time to step up or step out. The days of boring, one-way webinars are over. Your audience deserves better, and frankly, so do you. What's one way you're going to make your next webinar more engaging? Drop it in the comments.