Take 5

How do you convert webinar attendees from cold contacts to warm leads?

Our immediate post-webinar step is to compare attendee information against our existing contact database to identify those with whom we have existing relationships. We then prioritize by region to separate contacts that are closest geographically to our offices. Those leads are sent to our partners for review. We request the partners highlight the contacts they most wish to contact personally when we conduct our post-event series of mailings and phone calls. We then often do a ZoomInfo search from the prioritized contacts to come up with additional information about the leads the partners can use for their follow-up.

Jennifer Dongarra Boehm, director of marketing, mid-atlantic region, UHY LLP

One of the best deliverables to come out of the pandemic chaos was our SWAT process. “SWAT,” short for specialized weapons and tactics, is Grassi’s process created to track, report progress and move opportunities through the sales cycle. Specifically, after webinars, professionals from marketing, BD and other key areas separate clients from non-clients, qualify, then identify any leads worth pursuing. In addition to being added to our distribution lists, these opportunities get personalized outreach depending on the topic of the webinar, any questions they may have asked and more research. They are then tracked and folded into our pipeline process.

Sarah Cirelli, chief marketing officer, GRASSI | Advisors & Accountants

We suggest providing a high-quality piece of content such as a downloadable guide, whitepaper, or checklist that solves a specific problem your webinar attendees have. For them to download it, they need to provide their email address and opt-in to receive emails. Then we send them a high-value email each week related to solving the problem the content addresses, via an automated email campaign. We have used this method for years, and it produces warm leads weekly.

Jon Hubbard, director, Boomer Consulting, Inc.

The first step is to put on a compelling webinar, then offer a call to action, such as signing up for a free consultation, newsletter, guide or another resource. Send a follow-up email with the slides or recording reminding them about the free opportunity. Add those who respond to your marketing funnel, your CRM and bring them through the marketing stages. Conversion time depends on the webinar’s topic and service you are promoting. For example, our webinars on the PPP and ERC during the pandemic resulted in multiple requests for consultations because they had an immediate need.

Chris O’Day, director of marketing, LGA CPAs

After hosting a webinar, we add attendees to our email distribution list so we can share future thought leadership with them. We also send a post-event email with the presentation slides or the recording. We include presenter contact information to encourage the contact(s) to reach out with any additional questions they may have. For smaller events and/or webinars, we have sent a customized, post-event “thank you” email that includes a link to the presenter's Calendly page. That way, the contact(s) can easily schedule time with our associates to learn more about our services.

Emily Victor, marketing coordinator, Bennett Trasher LLP

Interviews by Bruce Van Vreede