Webinar Template for Marketing Professionals

How to use this template• This is a template for a marketing webinar

• The slides are built for presentations that deliver free educational material and then make an offer at the end to promote something

• Yellow slides like this are for instructions• Use them to create the content on the following slide• Then delete the yellow slide

• Use this template as a starting point• It gives you flow and structure for your webinar• But change it to suit your needs• Let’s get started!

Title slide: show the title and logistics• This is the first slide people see

• Show them the webinar title (and subtitle, if appropriate)• Show them any logistical information

• How to connect to the webinar (local, toll-free and international phone numbers)

• How to download any handouts/notes• Anything else to help them get ready for the presentation

<Your webinar title><webinar subtitle>

<include additional information here>

Introduce your moderator• If you have a moderator, they will start the webinar

• Show their name and photo, so the audience can put a face to the voice

• If you don’t have a moderator, you don’t need this slide

Meet your moderator

Insert photograph

here

<moderator’s name>

Show them how to participate• Some of your attendees might not have attended a

webinar before• Explain how it works• Show them how to take part• Reassure them you won’t call on them without their permission

Type question here

Type your

comments and questions here

throughout

Raise your virtual hand to ask an audio question at the end

#InsertTwitterHashtag

How to interact today

Introduce yourself• Basic information

• Full name• Job title and organization if relevant• A good head-and-shoulders photo• Brief contact information

• Add a few relevant biographical notes• Experience

• Number of years, number of clients, etc.• Expertise

• Skills• Education

• Relevant formal qualifications or accreditation

• Make this slide brief• Your audience doesn’t care about you!• You’ll get another chance to add more credentials later

Meet your presenter• <your name>• <job title / organization>• <e-mail & other contact info>

• <relevant experience / expertise / education>

Insert photograph

here

State your key message• You might be making many different points, but ...

• What is the one thing you want them to know, think or feel after your webinar?

• Tell them early• Webinar attendees are impatient and easily distracted, so don’t

make them wait• Tell them your big point early, so they know what everything else

relates to• Yes, this is like giving away the punch line to the joke! But it really

does help your webinar audience

Our key message

<insert your single biggest takeaway message here>

Describe your ideal attendee• Identify them

• Who are they?• What problem do they have (which this webinar will address)?

• Examples• “Small business owners who need more sales”• “Single parents who are going back into the workforce”• “Citizens concerned about the effects of climate change”

Who is this for?

<target market #1>

<problem #1>

<target market #2>

<problem #2>

<target market #3>

<problem #3>

Run your first poll• Why do this poll?

• You can gauge the audience mix• The audience gets some idea of the audience mix• The audience gets used to interacting with you• The audience feels like a part of a live interactive experience

• Start small• Make it an easy question• Make it a low-risk question

• Show the poll question on the next slide• This gives you time to explain the question before they start

answering it• It also prompts your moderator to get ready to show the poll

<Poll question>

List the benefits• List the 3-4 benefits of this webinar for the audience• If you’re not sure, here are some questions to help you

decide:• After the webinar, what would you like them to know? To feel? To

do?• This is about their outcomes, not yours!

What will you learn?

<benefit #1>

<benefit #2>

<benefit #3>

<benefit #4> Picture: Mauro Cateb

Give them an incentive• Give them an incentive to stay to the end – for example:

• Free copies of a report or e-book• A competition for a prize (e.g. a prize for the best question)

• Also announce that you’ll be promoting something• Don’t be shy in telling people that you’ll be making an offer at the

end• They are already expecting it (because it’s a free webinar), so be

upfront and honest about it• But you don’t have to explain the offer in detail at this stage – just

mention it

You could win!

Insert photograph of

the gift

<describe the gift / incentive>

State any unspoken objections• Are there any objections, obstacles or negative

impressions you need to overcome?• About the topic• About your company• About your industry

• If you know what they might be thinking, tell them• This shows them you understand their world• It lets you address those objections now

You might be thinking...

Picture: Katherine Johnson

Stop for questions• Even though you haven’t started your main presentation,

you’ve addressed a number of issues already• Stop briefly now for questions, because it:

• Gives them a chance to ask for clarification• Encourages them to interact with you• Gives you a chance to stop and take a breath

Any questions so far?

Set yourself apart• On the next slide, you explain why this webinar material is

different from what others say• Why? So you can

• Set yourself apart from the competition (or from common wisdom)• Keep the audience interested in learning more

• How• List 2-3 pieces of common wisdom

• Example: Good parenting is about spending quality time• For each, list your dissenting view

• Example: No, the quantity of time is equally important

• But don’t be too critical• This is not about criticizing anybody else• It’s about explaining your genuine point of difference

This is why we’re differentWhat

Others Say

<point #1>

<point #2>

<point #3>

What We Say

Instead

<counterpoint #1>

<counterpoint #2>

<counterpoint #3>

Choose a structure• Now comes the main body of your presentation

• You will have a number of main points• This template has space for 3 main points – you can add more as

you need them• Choose a logical structure for organizing the main points

• The easiest format is just to list all your points• But you can do better by organizing them in a logical structure

Sample structures• Timeline

• Past: How were things done in the past?• Present: What is the current situation?• Future: What are you proposing for the future?

• Traffic Lights• Red: What should they stop doing?• Amber: What should they continue doing?• Green: What should they start doing?

past present future

stop

continue

start

More sample structures• Problem Solver

• Problem: What problem are they facing?• Cause: What is the underlying cause?• Effect: How much is this costing them?• Solution: What are you suggesting to fix the problem?

• Geography or Scope• Local: Office, family, local community• Medium: Regional HQ, extended family,

country• Global: International head office, global

“family”, entire planet

problem

cause

effect

solution

global

medium

local

Create an overview slide• Create an Overview slide listing the main points• You’ll use this slide as a “signpost” throughout the

presentation• Start by showing it now• Repeat it before each of your main points• Repeat it at the end for your summary

Overview

<main point #1>

<main point #2>

<main point #3>

Remind them of your key message• Repeat the “Our Key Message” slide here

• Remind the audience of the key message

Our key message

<insert your single biggest takeaway message here>

Main point 1• This is the first point of your main presentation• Copy the Overview slide and insert it here

• Change the title• Highlight point #1 by changing its color

<main point #1>

<main point #1>

<main point #2>

<main point #3>

Now explain this point• You will now have a number of slides, explaining the first

point in detail• The slides will vary depending on your material, of course• Vary the layout of each slide to match your content – for

example:• Just one phrase or sentence• A phrase or sentence with an accompanying picture• A quotation• A diagram or model• A graph or chart

• Don’t just show a list of bullet points!• Some sample layouts are shown next ...

A slide with just a phrase or sentence

A slide with one sentence and a picture

“A slide with a quotation”

<who said it>

A slide with a modelExample: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Independent

Be proactive

Begin with the end in

mind

Put first things first

Interdependent

Think win/win

Seek first to understand

Synergize

Sharpen the saw

A slide with a chart

Jill

Mary

Matthew

Cameron

Julie

Learn to use SmartArt• SmartArt converts bullet lists into visual models

• A relatively new feature of PowerPoint• Available on both PC and Mac

• Example – before and after using SmartArt:

• Search PowerPoint Help for “smart art”

Tips for designing webinar slides• Use more slides

• Because your slides are the visuals, not just visual aids• Make them more visual

• To keep the audience’s attention• To encourage them to keep watching the screen

• Don’t use big photographs• They take longer to transmit across the Internet

• Don’t use fancy animations or transitions• They also take longer to transmit

• Build complex slides piece by piece• Easier for the audience to understand

Where to find graphics• Microsoft Office

• Much more professional now than it used to be!• Flickr Creative Commons

• http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/by-2.0/• You can use these pictures, as long as you give credit

• Open Clip Art• http://openclipart.org/• Free clip art released into the public domain

• iStockphoto• http://www.istockphoto.com/• Buy pictures for a few dollars each• Not free, but high quality, and with a good search facility

<do another poll here>

<or stop for questions>

Point 2• This is the next of your main points• As before, copy the Overview slide and insert it here

• Change the title• Highlight point #2 by changing its color

<main point #2>

<main point #1>

<main point #2>

<main point #3>

<do another poll here>

<or stop for questions>

Point 3• This is the next of your main points• As before, copy the Overview slide and insert it here

• Change the title• Highlight point #3 by changing its color

• Continue in the same way for any other points

<main point #3>

<main point #1>

<main point #2>

<main point #3>

<do another poll here>

<or stop for questions>

Summary• Repeat the previous steps for all your main points• When you’ve done them all, show this summary slide

• This is simply a copy of the Overview slide, so you can recap the main points

Summary

<main point #1>

<main point #2>

<main point #3>

State your key message again• Repeat the “Our Key Message” slide here

• Remind the audience of the main takeaway message

Our key message

<insert your single biggest takeaway message here>

Tell them what to do next• What do you want your audience to do next?

• List 2-3 things they can do• Include one easy thing they can do immediately

• Mention briefly how you can help them• You’ll get the chance to make an offer on the following slide

Action plan

<action item #1>

<action item #2>

<action item #3>Picture: oatsy40 on Flickr

Make an offer• This is your chance to promote something• What to say/show

• What are you offering?• How is it related to this webinar topic?• What makes it special (e.g. normal price versus special price)?• What limits are there (e.g. limited places, deadline)?

Special offer

Ask for feedback• Take a few minutes to ask your audience what they plan

to do• This gives them a last chance to contribute• Some people are motivated by speaking up and sharing their ideas• Others are motivated by listening to what others will do

• Some people will even say they will take you up on your offer!

What will you do now?

Give them the gift• Follow through on the promise you made in the “Please

Stay to the End” slide – for example:• Give them a download link• Give them a phone number to call• Ask them to send their addresses to receive a physical gift, like a

book.

Thank you attending!

<insert instructions here>

Picture: asenat29 on Flickr

Thank your audience• Thank them for attending• Thank them for their attention and participation• Thank them for making a difference in the world

Picture: Steven Depolo

Wrap up• Contact information

• Tell them how to get in touch• What can they do now?

• Can they download handouts?• Can they download notes?

• What happens next?• Will you send them notes?• Will you send them a recording?

• Mention your offer again

Parting words

Conclusion• Congratulations on completing

your webinar slide deck!• Review it carefully now:

• Check spelling and grammar• Check facts and figures• Share with key stakeholders for

review and approval• Practice out loud to check timing

and flow• Good luck with your webinar!

Picture: Gihan Perera

About Gihan Perera

Gihan Perera is a consultant, speaker and author, who helps professional speakers, trainers, coaches, consultants, thought leaders and other business professionals to leverage their products, services and business practices – particularly with their online strategy.He is the author of the books Webinar Smarts and Fast, Flat and Free, among others; and Forbes magazine rated him the #5 social media influencer worldwide in book publishing. He blogs at GihanPerera.info and his website is at GihanPerera.com.