10 Ways to Get the Most Out of a Webinar

1. Invest on a good headset with microphone. 

"You need to adjust a little bit because webinars are different
 from what most of us were used to - ordinary classroom discussions."
Photo: www.excellenceinwriting.com

If you see yourself attending a lot of webinars in the future, a good headset with microphone should be your next best investment. When scouting for one, look for the one that is comfortable in the ears even for a long-time use and the one that has a good microphone quality.

2. Choose a quiet place. 

Assign a place that you will be your “webinar space”. It must be quiet, free from distractions and if you can, get a good couch where you can comfortably sit on.

3. Research a little about the topic before a session. 

Reading a little about the topic that will be discussed in the webinar can do wonders for you. Not only that it can help you spark more interest for the topic, it can help you formulate questions beforehand that you can ask the facilitator during the webinar. Questions and points of information enrich the discussion. Practice becoming a good webinar attendee.

4. Make sure that your computer doesn’t block webinar programs. 

Some anti-virus programs block external programs such as the ones for webinars. Make sure that you check your computer for these blockers before any webinar session.


5. Check your Internet connection. 

In a webinar, you will be accessing files and links; listening; looking at the presentation; and doing some talking. You need a good internet connection to be able to do all these things.

6. Close unnecessary programs. 

It is best that you close other programs during a webinar. Not only that this can help you get a better Internet connection, it will help you focus too.

7. Maximize the use of boxes and buttons given to attendees. 

Sometimes there are boxes and buttons being made available for attendees such as chat boxes, question boxes, “Raise your hand” buttons and others. Know how to use these boxes and buttons and use them well.

8. Take down notes. 

In fact, do everything to learn as much as you can from a webinar. If you learn better by taking down notes, do it. If you learn better by just simply listening, do that too. You need to adjust a little bit because webinars are different from what most of us were used to - ordinary classroom discussions.

9. Ask if you can take screenshots of the slides. 

Do this cautiously because some slides are copyrighted. But some facilitators are generous enough to allow students to do screenshots. Some even allow students to download the slides. All you need to do is ask.

10. Ask for a file or link to the recording of the webinar. 

Some webinars are being recorded to be accessed by the students who weren’t able to make it to the webinar and for others who need to revisit the session again. If you can, ask if the webinar shall be recorded before the session even starts.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Delgado is a Certified Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur (CBSME) who is passionate about consultative works, creative writing, events management, ideation, startupreneurship, strategic marketing and training. He founded Mediactiv8, a startup social media marketing company that advocates digital marketing education and entrepreneurship in the Philippines. To see more of his works, please check out www.facebook.com/Mediactiv8.