Organizing a live webcasting project is challenging, but the results may be exponential. Prior to beginning your project, be sure to ask yourself the right questions to confirm that the recommended approach is commensurate with the business solution.
What is the objective?
Every new project must have a purpose, an objective that solves a problem. Do we want to increase our revenues? By how much? Over what period? Do we want to address as many people as possible? Do we want to create a dedicated content channel? Do we want to become the go-to destination for professionals within the next two years?
The objective enables us to gage results and the path to take.
Who are we speaking to?
Depending on the audience and the context in which participants will access our online event, we must adapt. For example, when a company president is addressing his or her 2000 employees nationwide, image quality is key. The video’s quality, camera angles and lighting must be well thought out to ensure the message is front and centre.
In the event of a live scientific training where the accompanying PowerPoint contains graphs and data, each slide must be clearly visible in the video window; composite images that improve information retention will be used.
A webcasting experience is created with the audience in mind and adapted to the message being transmitted.
How to we plan to communicate it all?
Webcasting changes a company’s organizational culture. For the most part, organizations considering webcasting don’t necessarily have a strategy behind the desire to follow this trend. Yet, it is value-added; it sends the message “I understand your reality: you have a ton of things to do and your schedule is already full so I want to offer you this flexibility; I choose to make your life easier.”
Therefore, when integrating webcasting to an event, it is important to revaluate your communication strategy to make sure your audience grasps what is being offered.
What am I willing to invest?
Ah, the killer question! People tend to say: “Tell me how much it costs and I will tell you if I can afford it.” The answer? It’s free! If you want, it’s possible to do it yourself. You simply need to buy (or borrow) a camera, subscribe to GotoMeeting or WebEx, manage the invitations, the Internet connection, the recording, the encoding, getting it online… ouch!
One quickly realizes that this may not be our cup of tea. Webcasting is an investment. There are many ways to broadcast on the Internet, but the one you choose must be aligned with your objectives, your audience and your communication plan.
