The Do’s and Don’ts of Webinar Etiquette

We’ve spent more time than ever in virtual meetings either as a guest or as a presenter. Have you been in a session and had that annoying person making inappropriate remarks in the chat? Or had the presenter drone on and on and on? Neither situations make for a pleasurable experience and it’s annoying to attend a session and not get anything out of it.

So, here are some tips to make your video conferences more productive and enjoyable.

Tips for Presenters

Set the tone. Start on time. Your attendees are busy, so don’t waste their time. First impressions matter. When the webinar starts, you set the tone – so you will need to keep everyone engaged by welcoming them. Make sure to capture your audience’s attention immediately and keep them engaged by interacting with them to keep them around.

Present what’s expected. People attend webinars to learn. To have a powerful webinar, you need to narrow it down to a specific topic that will be informative to your target audience. You must show that you know your stuff and that you’re in-tune with whatever’s going on in your space.

Do a practice round. Don’t wing it! Get familiar with the hosting platform and learn about it’s key features. Make sure all your equipment and internet is working properly, the slides are all in order, and you know what you are doing.

Repeat the question. Presenters should always repeat questions out loud before answering them, so that the audience understands the context of the answer. It’s also a good rule to keep the attendee’s name anonymous unless the attendee has requested otherwise.

Record the session. A great way to add value to users who are interested in your session but are unable to attend live is to record it. You can limit access to the recording for a week or two following the live session and add a password to access the footage for added security.

Tips for Attendees

Be on time. Don’t be that person that joins late and then asks for information that’s already been presented. Instead, join on time or even a few minutes early. Bonus presenter tip: Don’t let that late-comer hijack your presentation and DON’T repeat what you’ve already presented. Be respectful of everyone else who was there on time.  Instead, let the person know that they can connect with you after the webinar or get the information from the recording that they’ll be receiving.

Don’t use the chat room as your personal water cooler. Just like you would not stand in the back of the room gossiping with someone while a presenter was lecturing, refrain from using the chat room just to socialize.  Use the chat room to ask great questions and to amplify what’s being presented.

Turn off your camera during breaks.  This may seem like a small thing but turning off your camera during breaks or when you need to do something like answer the phone can help avoid potentially awkward or distracting situations. Many video meeting and webinar attendees have found themselves in awkward positions like eating or being inappropriately dressed on camera. You’ll want to avoid that!

Focus, focus, focus. It’s not so much webinar etiquette as it is about you getting the most from the webinar you attend. When you show up ready to absorb and retain as much information as you can, you’ll likely stay engaged because you’re actively participating. Take notes, submit questions during Q&A and collaborate openly with other attendees in breakouts.

Avoid self-promotion. If prompted, it’s appropriate to mention your brand as it relates to the content of the presentation. But self-promoting during someone else’s webinar is like blowing out someone else’s birthday candles. It’s just poor taste.

We hope these few simple do’s and don’ts will help create a more positive webinar experience that everyone enjoys.