Webinar Attendance & Conversion: Perfecting Your Email Sequence

Many businesses struggle to get people to attend their webinars, and even when they do have attendees, they’re not converting them into customers. 

But don’t worry – in this blog post, we’ll share some email marketing tips and tricks to help you perfect your email sequence and boost your webinar success!

What’s a webinar email sequence?

Imagine this: you’ve put in the hard work to prepare an insightful webinar packed with value. Now, you want to ensure that your efforts don’t go unnoticed and that your webinar room buzzes with eager participants. 

The bridge between your content and your audience is a webinar email sequence – a series of targeted emails sent over a period leading up to and sometimes following a webinar event. 

These emails are carefully crafted messages designed to engage, inform, and motivate your audience to take action (to register, attend, and engage with your webinar).

Why should you set up a webinar email sequence?

A webinar email sequence serves several key purposes:

• Awareness: It introduces your webinar to potential attendees, highlighting what makes your event not-to-be-missed.
• Registration: It encourages recipients to sign up for your webinar, often showcasing the value and knowledge they stand to gain.
• Engagement: Through reminders and teasers, it keeps your webinar top-of-mind, building anticipation and excitement as the event approaches.
• Follow-up: After the webinar, it helps maintain the momentum, offering replays, additional resources, or next steps to take, thereby extending the lifecycle of your webinar content.

From the moment someone learns about your webinar to the time they take action after it concludes, each email is a touchpoint. It’s an opportunity to connect, educate, and convert. With each message, you’re nudging your audience closer to your webinar and building a relationship with them.

Platforms like WebinarPress understand how important this is and offer built-in features like email integration and automatic messaging. These features give you the flexibility to focus on creating a compelling sequence without getting lost in the technicalities.

What to include in your webinar email sequence

Crafting the perfect email sequence is an art, but don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with some essential elements to include that will captivate your audience and drive results.

1. The initial invitation: This email is your first impression, so make it count. Highlight the value of your webinar, what attendees will learn, and why it’s a can’t-miss opportunity. Personalize it to make the recipient feel seen and understood.
2. A value-packed reminder: People are busy, and even the most interested individuals might forget about your webinar without a gentle nudge. Send a reminder email a week before, then a few days prior, and finally, on the day of the webinar. Each reminder should offer a new snippet of information or value to keep the excitement building.
    
3. A behind-the-scenes sneak peek: Create anticipation and deepen the connection by sharing a behind-the-scenes look at your preparation. This could be a quick video message from your speaker, a photo of your setup, or a teaser of the content. This personal touch can make all the difference in boosting engagement.
4. The last-minute push: On the day of the webinar, a last-minute push can remind your audience to rearrange their schedule to attend live. Highlight what they’ll miss out on by not attending live, such as real-time Q&A sessions or special offers available only to live attendees.
5. The follow-up: After the webinar, your sequence should continue with a follow-up email. Thank those who attended, provide a link to the webinar replay for those who missed it, and offer additional resources related to the webinar topic. This is also a prime opportunity to guide attendees to the next steps, whether that’s scheduling a call, signing up for a trial, or attending another event.
6. The feedback request: Finally, don’t forget to ask for feedback. A short, simple survey about what attendees thought of your webinar can provide invaluable insights for future events. It shows that you value their opinion and are committed to improvement.

How to write a successful webinar sequence

Crafting a successful webinar email sequence is both an art and a science. It requires a delicate balance of compelling content, persuasive calls-to-action, and strategic timing.

Captivating subject lines

The subject line is your first – and sometimes only – chance to grab attention. Given the crowded nature of most inboxes, your subject line needs to stand out and compel the reader to open the email. Here’s how:

• Be clear and concise: Clearly state the benefit or the main draw of your webinar. Avoid being overly clever or vague; clarity trumps cleverness in the inbox.
• Create urgency or FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): Use time-sensitive language or highlight exclusive content to encourage immediate action.
• Personalize when possible: Including the recipient’s name or other personal details can increase open rates.

Engaging and persuasive content

Once you’ve nailed the subject line and your recipient has opened the email, it’s time to deliver on the promise. The content of your email should be engaging, informative, and aligned with the subject line. Here are some key elements to include:

• A warm and personal tone: Write as if you’re speaking directly to the reader. Use “you” and “your” to create a sense of connection.
• Highlight the value: Clearly articulate what attendees will learn or how they will benefit from attending your webinar. Use bullet points for easy reading.
• Use storytelling: Share a brief story or anecdote related to the webinar topic to draw readers in and make the content relatable.
• Include a clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Every email should have a clear, concise CTA telling the reader exactly what to do next – whether it’s registering for the webinar, saving the date, or watching a replay.

Language and tone

Your email’s language and tone should reflect your brand and resonate with your target audience. If your brand is more formal, maintain a professional tone. However, if your brand is more laid-back or quirky, let that personality shine through your emails. 

The key is consistency and authenticity – speak in a voice that feels natural for your brand but is also tailored to engage and excite your audience about the webinar.

Testing and optimization

A/B testing can improve your email sequence by helping you identify what is and isn’t working when it comes to engagement. This involves creating two variants (A and B) of a specific element and testing them against each other to determine which performs better.

You can A/B test different aspects of your messaging, such as email subject lines, email copy, CTAs, and send times. Try out different versions in order to see what resonates most with your audience.

Metrics like open rates, click rates, and conversion rates provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your email strategy. However, it’s important to test features properly for clear results. 

When conducting A/B testing, make sure you only change one element at a time. This is the best way to give you clarity in results. By refining your sequence based on A/B testing and using analytic insights, you can continue to optimize your approach down the line.

Examples of webinar email sequences 

Let’s delve into examples of webinar email sequences that cover various stages, including the invite, confirmation, reminder, and follow-up. These examples will provide practical insights into crafting emails that not only engage but also convert.

Invitation email

Confirmation Email

Reminder email

Follow-up email

Requesting feedback

Each of these emails plays a crucial role in nurturing your leads through the webinar funnel, from sparking initial interest with your invitation to maintaining engagement through reminders, and cementing the relationship with a thoughtful follow-up. Remember, personalization and clarity are key. Tailor these templates to match your voice and your audience’s needs, and you’ll be well on your way to hosting a successful webinar.

Post-webinar strategies

Your window of opportunity doesn’t end when the webinar does. In fact, it kicks off a phase with tons of potential for building leads and driving conversions. 

For attendees: Deepening engagement and nurturing leads

Attendees have already shown a significant interest in your content by dedicating their time to join your webinar. Your follow-up communications should deepen this engagement, provide additional value, and guide them through your marketing funnel.

✨ Bonus: WebinarPress helps these strategies by integrating with popular mailing list providers. This allows for timely communication without tons of work on your part!

• Thank-you email: Begin with gratitude. Thank them for attending and reiterate the value they gained. This email should be sent within 24 hours post-webinar to keep the momentum going.
• Access to webinar replay and resources: Offer a link to the webinar replay alongside any promised resources, such as slide decks, handouts, or supplementary guides. This not only adds value but also accommodates those who may wish to review the material.
   
• Exclusive offers: Present attendees with an exclusive offer, such as a discount on your product or service, access to premium content, or an invitation to a follow-up event. This can incentivize immediate action and reward their engagement.
• Feedback survey: Include a brief post-webinar survey to collect feedback on the webinar. This shows you value their opinion and are committed to improving future events.
• Segmented follow-up based on engagement: Based on their engagement during the webinar (questions asked, polls participated in, etc.), segment your attendees for more personalized follow-ups. For highly engaged attendees, consider a direct outreach or a one-on-one consultation offer.

For no-shows: Re-engaging and offering a second chance

No-shows represent potential interest that wasn’t realized, often due to timing conflicts or other commitments. Your goal here is to re-engage this group, offering them a second chance to connect with your content.

• Expression of missed value: Acknowledge they missed the live event but emphasize the enduring value of the content. Encourage them not to miss out on the learning opportunity.
• Webinar replay and resources: Similar to attendees, provide no-shows with access to the webinar replay and any relevant resources. This gesture shows you’re eager to provide value, regardless of their attendance.
• Invitation to future events: Let them know about upcoming webinars or events. This keeps the door open for future engagement and signals that you’re committed to providing ongoing value.
• Exclusive offers: Consider extending an exclusive offer to encourage re-engagement. While this offer might differ slightly from what attendees receive, it should still hold significant value.
• Feedback request: Even though they didn’t attend, ask for their feedback on webinar timing, topics of interest, or barriers to attendance. This can provide insights for improving future webinar attendance rates.

While your approach to attendees and no-shows will differ, both strategies should be unified by a consistent tone that reflects your brand and an underlying message of value and inclusivity. 

WebinarPress: Your all-in-one solution for webinar email sequences

Webinars give you a chance to connect and inspire people, and a compelling email sequence is your key to creating audience connection, retention, and conversion. 

WebinarPress is an all-in-one solution that understands the importance of a well-crafted email sequence. By integrating with leading email platforms and offering email automation features, WebinarPress helps you keep your business on attendees’ minds. 

It’s not just about sending emails; it’s about creating a personalized journey that drives conversions. Download the WebinarPress plugin today and start building connections, nurturing leads, and driving success in your webinars!