Keeping customer communication going is critical, especially during these unprecedented times.

Over the last few months, there have been some unimaginable changes to the way we do business. With the ongoing pandemic, companies have shifted their business to digital, having employees work from home and replacing conference room meetings with virtual meetings.

Things like trade shows, marketing events or fundraisers are hard to keep dates for when the world is in isolation, putting companies at risk of losing potential new customers or deals. In response, companies have turned to video conferencing, not only to keep up with their employees, but to market to their base via webinars and virtual sessions.

Even when you’re operating digitally, it’s critical to keep those webinar attendees coming back to future events, making purchases or just staying engaged. We’ve pulled together the three best practices for locking-in potential new customers after a successful webinar.

Don’t Forget the Follow Up!

Consider requiring registration or RSVP form before launching your webinar in order to capture attendees contact information – you’ll want a way to contact participants after the event in order to pursue potential sales or to keep the engagement boosted. Their contact information can also be used to connect with them on social media.

If you’re looking to engage with users via a webinar and keep them supporting your brand, be sure your attendees are familiar with your social media channels. Follow up with your audience by publishing a post across your business’s channels, thanking them for attending the webinar and posting the highlights. This can help draw attention to the event and have other non-attendees on social media keep an eye out for the next presentation.

For sales-based companies, it’s best to follow up within a week of the presentation. If too much time passes, you’ll risk the chance of them forgetting the event or even your brand. The more immediate and direct the follow-up, the better. In these cases, an email is best practice.

When crafting an email to your audience, here are some things to consider:
1. Personalize subject lines. Customers are more likely to open an email that’s personalized. For example, try a subject line like this in your follow up: “Hey, Mark- Thanks for Supporting BrandName!”
2. Link your social channels at the end of each email. This gives customers a fresh opportunity to engage with your pages, in the event they didn’t do so during the webinar.
3. Remind your base why you’re reaching out. Include a small recap of the webinar and include any codes or gifts promised to attendees.

Special Gifts for Participants

In addition to the follow-up, consider throwing in a few free perks or gifts to your audience for participating in the webinar. Discount coupons, free gifts, or samples are just some ways you can pull in those who attended and keep them as a lasting audience.

Keep in Touch

Finally, continue to track your base’s activity long after the webinar has ended to gauge who is still interested in your brand’s product or service. It’s easiest to gauge interest if you have a way to track and analyze your customers’ patterns. Learning the behavior of your newly acquired audience will help better your chances of a more accurate follow-up down the line. A great way to manage interactions with customers is a CRM system, such as HubSpot, Salesforce and Zendesk Sell.

Segmenting and organizing your buys in email lists is a good way to gauge interest long after the webinar has ended. Follow-up, continuously reach out to customers over the next few months to see how you can either better their experience or provide them with the resources they need. Maintain the personal relationships with your base to keep them coming back for more!