Webinar by definition is the online presentation that is meant for professional events and is available in video or audio with slides for the educational, informative or instructional purpose. A webinar can be present in the form of an academic lecture or other types of presentation such as a business conference, marketing presentation and is normally broadcast in real time known as the live video presentation.
Unlike normal live video production, where the attendees only view the video in real time, webinar attendees are able to interact with the presenter online using their computers or mobile devices for Q&A sessions using instant messaging, file sharing via the social media sites. Webinars are also useful tools to conduct live interviews with the invited guest or the attendees to get better media attention as people are generally interested to listen to experts who are given the opportunity to discuss and share their knowledge on the certain topic of interest.
There are many features of the webinar which is useful to both the presenter and the online audience which the main feature or purpose of live webinars is the ability to interact online, sharing of digital material and the convenience to communicate with the presenter in real time during the event.
Below is the general description of some of the features that webinars can do.
1. The ability to display slides using the slideshow presentation online by using tools such as MS PowerPoint in your computer, Google slides for android phone or Apple’s Keynote for iPhone or Macbook.
2. Talking to the audience during the live video event as webinars use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) to create real-time audio communication to interact with the attendees online.
3. The ability to record the entire presentation during the event includes the visuals and audio which can be view later online.
4. Editing function that allows the host to create annotations, create markings or highlight certain objects on the screen during the presentation.
5. The ability to create a chat box as a two-way communication portal to send messages or to talk directly with the audience online.
6. The ability to conduct polls and surveys by the webinar providers for their audience members for the purpose of surveys or quizzes.
Advantages of using webinars
Using webinars online for seminars or business conferences which is broadcast in real time are convenient and effective for both the presenters and attendees. The reason is that the invited participants are able to attend the webinar event online without the need to leave their working place or country and can attend the live event or conference online anywhere in the world.
Due to its popularity and usefulness, webinars are often used for marketing, sales, corporate training and educational events. This means that the presenter can use the webinar to create seminars, conferences and even educational courses on any topic to the audience around the world.
