While you can certainly host a webinar all on your own using various types of technology today, it’s probably better if you get some help. First, assess whether or not you can do it yourself by testing out some of the technology and then deciding whether it’s less stressful to get help or not.
- Tech Support – This is really important if you’re not experienced with webinars. There are people who are and they can help you with all the technical aspects of setting up your webinar, plus help out your audience with issues.
- Speakers – You may not think of speakers as support, but they are. If you have other speakers outside of yourself, then some of the pressure is off your back for creating a successful webinar. Choose people who market to your audience but who aren’t direct competition.
- Webinar Organizer – There are people who do this for a business. They set up webinars, including the technology and sales pages, and even monitor your webinar live during the event to ensure everything goes off without a hitch.
- Customer Service – You may want to set up special customer service for webinar subscribers so that they can get their tech questions answered faster. That way you’ll divert those emails to someone who can truly help them without bothering you.
- Chat Monitor – The reason having a chat monitor is so important (and this is even if you don’t hire anyone else to help) is because they sign on as if they’re a guest, and see exactly what the guests see. They can alert you to anything that is going wrong (or right).
- Co-Host – The great thing about having a co-host is that you can feel as if you have some support, if only moral. They don’t even have to say anything, but they can take part by helping introduce you to the audience and monitor the chat.
- Webinar Support Pro – Hire someone who knows the technology you have chosen to use, but who also understands how a webinar should progress. They can help you with all aspects of setting up your webinar – from sign-ups to follow up.
- Miscellaneous Assistants – You may want assistants who help with ensuring that prize winners get their prizes, that unanswered live questions are answered via autoresponder within 24 hours of the event, and more.
You can certainly host webinars without any help, but you’ll find that you’ll be more successful if you get help where you need it. If nothing else, have someone available to help out if something goes wrong so that you do not have to deal with it on your own. Having that person will be very helpful, if only for moral support.