Last Updated on March 31, 2024 by Ali Hamza
Webinars and webcasts often create confusion and are used interchangeably. Webcasts are the type of live streams that are broadcast to a large number of people. On the other hand, webinars are gathering (virtually) targeting a specific group or audience. In simple words, a webinar service is an interactive conference or seminar that is presented to people; a webcast is similar to a traditional TV broadcast.
They both are online events that are used to connect audiences and presenters. While they are similar in execution and purpose, there are some key differences in terms of functionality and responsiveness. In order to successfully host a webcast or webinar, you need to understand the difference between these forms of events including the purpose they serve and what they offer. In this session, you will find the breakdown of these online events.
What is a webinar?
A webinar is a combination of web and seminar. In simple words, It is a web-based meeting or seminar that takes place over the internet. A webinar is similar to an online gathering or web conference that is only open to interested individuals or an audience and takes place over the Internet.
However, in the context of the webinar, the term meeting can refer to a variety of things. Instead of a conference room or a banquet hall, it simply refers to the process of harnessing the Internet’s ability to create a virtual location that is available via adjacent computer screens or Internet-supported mobile devices. Participants can actively participate in the webinar from almost anywhere in the world in real time because the virtual space respects neither time zones nor geographic borders.
Presenters utilize webinar services and webinar platforms in order to share important information, educate the audience and spread awareness. A live webinar hosting platform offers a wide range of features such as file and screen sharing, video clips among other multimedia tools, and presentation slides. With the webinar, participants can interact among themselves and with the hosts, share feedback and ask different questions by using interactive tools such as surveys, Q&A, live chat, and polls. The main purpose of using live webinar services and hosting a webinar is to encourage engagement and community building.
When to use webinars
You can use webinars for different purposes such as improving brand awareness and engaging external audiences for marketing purposes. This type of online event can include educational content, leadership content, customer product demos, inspiring stories, and more.
The main purpose of the webinar is to present a topic that is relevant, engaging, and informative to targeted audiences. A webinar can focus on anything from:
- Remote employee onboarding
- Product demonstration
- Attracting target traffic
- Brand building
- Lead engagement
Many presenters utilize this form of online event in order to promote their product or create a network by following up on participants through email, polling questions, and surveys.
Benefits of webinar
- Offer more flexibility than webcasting
- Effective for learning and teaching
- Two-way communication and Q&As are possible
- Better control over the virtual meeting environment
- Highly interactive and intimate
What is a webcast?
A webcast is a broadcast, one-way flow of information over the web to a large audience. The audience doesn’t usually contribute much to the content of this form of online event, which might include presentation slides, an audio stream, or video clips. This online event is used to extend the reach of normal live events. It also allows virtual participants to watch the content at their homes according to their convenience.
By extending the reach of in-person events, virtual participants from all over the world can participate. Webcasts are also referred to as live streams because of this. Because webcasts are basically broadcasts, participants cannot interact with one another or the host.
When to use a webcast
A webcast is one of the best ways to make in-person events more inclusive. You can also use webcasts to broadcast different events such as panel sessions, conferences, announcements, corporate events, etc. The purpose of the webcast is to inspire, educate or entertain more people without any physical attendance barriers.
Benefits of webcast
- No need to register
- Easily accessible
- Highly shareable
- No scheduling necessary
- Excellent repeatability
Webcast Vs Webinar
Purpose
In the space of a conference room or a banquet hall, a webinar simply describes the process of leveraging the Internet to create a virtual location that is accessible via web-enabled mobile devices or computers. Similar to a standard TV broadcast, a webcast is often one-to-many communication between a speaker and the audience in which the speaker disseminates information via slides.
Collaboration
Webinars are a fantastic tool for lead generation for marketers. Participants can engage in conversation during webinars by participating in polls and Q&A. In contrast, webcasts enable communication through customized conferencing and collaboration solutions.
Features
Compared to a webcast, a webinar offers a variety of functions. Webinars are intended to be participatory and to offer a more cooperative setting for virtual meetings. Webinar software includes poll, live chat, survey, and other capabilities to make this possible. Webcasts, on the other hand, are intended to concentrate more on the presentation. It includes a PowerPoint or slide share feature.
Audience size
Webcasts draw more viewers than webinars do. In reality, webcasts frequently attract more than a thousand live viewers. By posting your live stream to social networks like Instagram and embedding it on your website, you can expand the audience for it.
Final words:-
Webinars and webcast services both help organizations achieve various goals, allow interaction at various levels and need various amounts of preparation. Plan a webinar and use the best webinar platform if you want to create a community, nurture leads, or conduct an interactive event for either internal or external audiences. If you want to broaden your audience and invite more people to your conference, event, or festival, regardless of where they are in the world, a webcast may be the best choice for you.
Apart from this if you are interested to know more about How Do I Promote A Live and On-Demand Webinar then visit our Daily bites category
