Webinar
In short
A webinar is an online seminar presented to a remote audience through video software, usually with slides, a speaker, and a chance for attendees to ask questions. It can run live or be recorded and replayed on demand.
In B2B go-to-market work, a webinar is a lead capture and education format. People register with their details, attend to learn something, and become contacts that sales can follow up with. This page covers the format itself; webinar marketing covers the wider program of promoting and measuring them.
Common webinar formats
- Single-speaker presentation: One expert teaches a topic with slides. Simple to run and easy to repurpose.
- Panel: Several guests discuss a topic. Good for borrowing audience reach from partners or customers.
- Product demo: Shows the product on a real use case. Best for people already evaluating.
- Workshop: Attendees follow along and complete a task. Strong engagement, smaller audiences.
How to run a webinar that produces pipeline
- Pick a problem, not a product: Choose a topic your ICP already searches for and wants solved.
- Set the registration flow: Ask only for fields you will use, and route registrants to the right owner within a day.
- Promote for two to three weeks: Use email, LinkedIn, partners, and sales outreach to invite target accounts directly.
- Follow up by behavior: Send the replay to no-shows, and give attendees who stayed to the end or asked questions to sales first.
Webinar example
Say a RevOps vendor hosts a 40-minute session on cleaning CRM duplicates. Marketing invites a list of target accounts, sales personally invites ten of them, and registrants who attend more than half receive a tailored follow-up. The recording then becomes a gated asset and a set of short clips.
Common webinar mistakes
- Vague topics: Titles like "The future of sales" attract few buyers.
- Counting registrations only: Registrations overstate interest. Track attendance, watch time, and pipeline created.
- Slow follow-up: Interest cools within days. Contact attendees quickly.
- Pitching too early: Teach first, then offer a next step near the end.
Webinar FAQs
What is a webinar?
A webinar is an online presentation delivered live or recorded to a remote audience through video software. It usually includes slides, a speaker, and questions from attendees, and B2B teams use it to educate buyers and collect leads.
How do you host a webinar for lead generation?
Choose a topic your target buyers care about, build a short registration form, promote it for a few weeks, deliver practical content, and follow up quickly based on attendance and engagement. Send replays to people who registered but missed it.
How long should a B2B webinar be?
Most B2B webinars run 30 to 60 minutes, with the last part reserved for questions. Shorter sessions suit a single narrow topic, while workshops may run longer. Match the length to how much the audience needs to do or learn.
What is the difference between a webinar and a webcast?
A webinar is typically interactive, with polls, chat, and questions from attendees. A webcast is usually one-way broadcasting to a large audience with little interaction. In practice the words are sometimes used interchangeably.
