Content Marketing

12 Webinar Platforms To Share What You Know

Webinars, when done correctly, can form an amazing part of your content marketing plan.  Webinars can really showcase your expertise and skill in a way that no other method currently can.

If you are considering using webinars as a tool to provide education as well as inadvertently promote yourself and/ or your business online, there are many services available.  In this post, we will check out 12.

But firstly…

What is a Webinar?

According to Wikipedia, a webinar is short for web-based seminar, a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web.

Webinars are the new extended form of teleseminars, which were exclusively done over the telephone.

Usually to access a webinar, you will be required to register or log in online first.

What are the Features of a Webinar?

  • Live/ Streaming Video – A webinar can be shared via a webcam, digital camera or through playing a multimedia file.  A lot of webinars are conducted by the host sharing their computer desktop online.  Webinars all tend to have an audio element and require the participant to have speakers built in or attached to their computer.
  • Slideshow – A lot of webinars involve watching a slideshow (powerpoint) presentation online.  The host of the webinar then discusses the content on each slide.
  • Recorded – It is very easy now to record a webinar so that it can be streamed again or saved as a multimedia file.
  • Whiteboard – Using webinars as a real teaching platform has introduced a whiteboard functionality where the host can write on the slides, or even make notes using a whiteboard like effect.
  • Q&A – Webinars should really be interactive, and most now offer a text box on the side of the presentation so that viewers and participants can engage the host and ask questions.
  • Polls/ Surveys – Some webinars involve the host asking the viewers questions, and getting them to respond straight away through a built-in poll or survey.

Webinar Software Providers

Not every provider is the same.  Each webinar provider offers different services, functionality and prices, and you will need to determine the one that will best suit your needs:

Go To Meeting (Webinar)

With GoToWebinar you can conduct do-it-yourself webinars with up to 1,000 people – all for one flat rate. Reduce travel while reaching larger audiences around the world.

  • Set up a webinar in minutes – without IT support.
  • Generate more qualified marketing leads – for less.
  • Present to hundreds of people from your Mac or PC.
  • Save with integrated audio conferencing (via computer and telephone).

Free Conference

FreeConference.com frees you from the hassles and expense of traditional call conferencing with simple, convenient, and reliable service at little or no cost.

For small businesses, large enterprises, individuals, community and nonprofit organizations, and anyone who appreciates high quality at low cost, FreeConference.com offers a variety of solutions to fit your conferencing needs.

Persony

Persony Web Conferencing 2.0 is a feature-rich web and video conferencing solution. You can share your desktop, give a sales presentation, see others in high-def webcams, or conduct a webinar, all from your own private web conferencing site.

Persony Web Conferencing 2.0 is web-based and doesn’t require download. Participants can join a meeting from virtually any web browser and computer.

Mikogo

Mikogo is a free desktop sharing tool full of features to assist you in conducting the perfect online meeting or web conference.
Take advantage of the opportunity to share any screen content or application over the Internet in true color quality with up to 10 participants simultaneously, while still sitting at your desk.  Mikogo can be employed for a range of professional, academic, or personal uses.

Calliflower

Calliflower integrates all the tools that you need for online collaboration in one nifty package. It’s the perfect tool for you to conduct online meetings, webinars, teleseminars, host product demonstrations and more.

WizIQ

WizIQ is a web-based platform for anyone and everyone who wants to teach and learn live, online. Teachers and students use WizIQ for its state-of-the-art virtual classroom, to create and share online educational content and tests, and to connect with persons having similar subject interests.

Zoom

Zoom unifies cloud video conferencing, simple online meetings, and cross platform group chat into one easy-to-use platform.

Join Me

Get everybody on the same page, when they’re not in the same room, instantly. Review documents and designs. Train staff. Demo products or just show off. join.me is a ridiculously simple screen sharing tool for meetings on the fly.

Udemy

A platform that makes it easy for anyone to build an online course. Instructors can use video, PowerPoint, PDFs, audio, zip files and live classes to quickly build a course and share their expertise.

Students can take courses across a great breadth of categories, including: business & entrepreneurship, academics, the arts, health & fitness, language, music, technology, games, and more.

Most courses on Udemy are paid and range in price from $5 – $250.

Any Meeting

A Comprehensive Free Online Meeting Service.  With meeting sizes of up to 200 participants, you can host a large webinar or a small collaborative online meeting.

GVO Conference

GVO conference is a dynamic and powerful conferencing provider. Our unbeatable Price point has made it affordable for any country in the world with an Internet connection.

Click Webinar

The ClickWebinar online conferencing platform allows you to reach large audiences far beyond your conference room. ClickWebinar allows you to easily:

  • Host and share presentations for up to 1000 peoplewithout leaving your desk.
  • Set up scheduled or on-demand training & demonstrations for clients,partners and employees in seconds.
  • Share your desktop to ensure attendees are involvedand “on the same page”.
  • Customize your conference room to create a unique, branded experience.
  • Take control of each webinar by managing the media & audience interaction.

Have you tried any of these services?  Does conducting a webinar appeal to you?  Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.

Marketing Manager, Content Strategist and Writer driving Engagement and ROI. On weekends I'm a Property Investor, Traveler & Coffee Snob

10 Comments

  • Bill Hanan

    Another web conferencing solution, without a doubt is web conferencing appliances from RHUB. This is so mainly because such tools save both time and money.

  • Jack Holland

    Both webinars and teleseminars can be effective tools… but its important to take the opportunity to add branding to the experience for participants. For example, customize your greeting, play some nice nostalgic hold music, and at least make the “wait” more enjoyable. http://brandedbridgeline.com does this– others that you might consider are uberconference and speek.

  • Lora

    Hi, I’m researching a different webinar platform as Gotowebinar is not ideal for me. Do you know if any of the platforms you mentioned are mac compatible?

    Thanks in advance to any insight!

    Lora

  • Neil Denny

    I have previously used GoToWebinar which always felt very robust. the “Back of house” reporting, lists, follow up and attention rates provides really useful data and metrics.

    Some delegates struggle with it though because you used to have to download a client. For delegates behind firewalls this could prove to be prohibitive.

    I may well go back to them but want to have a look around to see how the market has moved on. This article has been a great help in highlighting some alternatives to explore. Thank you.

  • Sion Williams

    Thanks for the list, im going to give “go-to-meeting” a trial and see how it fairs. I think this is the most popular, so im hoping the visitors will be familiar with the sign in process and not drop out at this point if they are unsure how to register.

  • Josepha Edman

    Hi Fiona,

    Thanks for the useful info.

    I started using Talk Fusion’s Live Broadcasting Webinar tool. It is great because you can see the presenter on video. So you see and hear the presenter and this makes the lecture a real live one. In addition, the monthly fee enables an unlimited number of attendees, which is very cool. And the price does not go up according to the number of attendees.

    You can take a look here: http://FunVideoMarketing.com

    Josepha Edman
    josepha.edman@gmail.com

  • Melanie Kissell @SoloMompreneur

    Hi Fiona,

    As always and as expected …
    You’ve over delivered!

    This is a fabulous overview of webinar services, most of which I’ve never heard of before so that makes your post even more exciting and helpful. Several weeks ago, I registered an account with “AnyMeeting” (formerly Freebinar) but I’ve haven’t tried it out yet. I’ll give you some feedback when I do!

    From your list, “Join Me” looks like one I’d like to explore a little further.

    Thanks,
    Melanie

  • Robin Smith

    This is a great post. I was just recently asked to check into some webinar programs and make a recommendation. You have cut the time I will need to spend researching considerably. Thank you!

  • Ray O'Connor

    Great list, thanks. Just wondering if Webex by Cisco features on your list. I’ve used this and found it to be most reliable.
    Ray

  • Extreme John

    Amazing list! Thanks for the share Fiona. I’m currently in the process of learning how to create Webinars and I like how Webinars make life simpler through easy and productive learning at our own convenient time and own pace. I see that people creating Webinars are attracting more audiences and building good traffic to their sites so I’m going to learn it too. 🙂