As marketing departments continue to cut spending on traditional media in order to fund increased online efforts, more and more are turning to webinars as a solution. According to a recent study by Frost & Sullivan, webinars are often ten times less expensive than live meetings. But to really drive brand awareness and generate leads, a strategic approach and wise investment are needed. One of the easiest and most cost effective ways to get started doing webinars is to sponsor a third party webinar, which includes full production and promotional support, and full registration and attendee lists. A combination of competitive pricing and promotion from the banner ads, e-mail blasts and other promotional activity around the event can greatly reduce the cost per lead for webinar sponsors.

A webinar should not be a sales pitch, but should instead position you as a thought leader. Studies show that the primary reason webinar attendees leave in the first five minutes is because the presentation is too sales oriented. A third party can lend credibility that combats the perception of the webinar as a sales pitch by integrating a sponsor’s topic with an original, research-based presentation. But companies looking to sponsor a third-party webinar need to be aware of what they are getting. Look for exclusivity – we’ve heard tales of sponsors having to fight to get a word in edgewise because they are sharing the floor with a competitor. Having multiple speakers can be a positive asset, when properly strategized. For instance, a mobile device manufacturer may want to invite a carrier to provide a testimonial. Another issue to consider is to ensure you are given more of a voice than just “a word from our sponsor.”

Webinars can be a great lead generation tool, like a white paper. Solid content will position your company as an expert, and compel the audience to wantto learn more about your business and services. But remember that the sales pitch should occur after the event, when organizations can contact registrants with additional content or information, or an offer for a free evaluation, etc.

Webinars are now a widely accepted alternative to face-to-face events for both the B2B and B2Cmarkets, since they allow organizations to easily and cost-effectively reach out to a geographically dispersed audience. Compared with “road show” product launches, webinars can deliver better information retention, to larger audiences, in less time and for a much smaller investment. Plus, third-party webinars let organizations outsource their needs for all stages of an event.