Webinar toolkit

Webinars are a great way to connect with colleagues, staff members and external stakeholders.

They let us communicate about important organisational updates in a cost-effective way and they're relatively easy to run once you know how. All you need is the right equipment and access to the right tool.

• laptop/desktop
• headset - headset microphones or landline phone will ensure that the audience can clearly hear your presentation
• webcam - most laptops come with a built in camera but if you are working from a desktop computer you will need a separate webcam

You may need to set up an account to enable you to access the tools listed below.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams offers a tool for video and audio conferencing. It allows document sharing and storage, screen sharing and messaging.

Up to 1,000 participants can join a video call on Microsoft Teams.

Find more information and training on Microsoft Teams

Cisco Webex

Cisco is an enterprise solution for video conferencing, online meetings, screen share and webinars. It provides for controlled ‘room’ access. This may be suited to clinical consultation and larger meetings.

The Cisco Webex portfolio Includes:

• WebEx Meetings – web and video conferencing for up to 1000 participants
• WebEx Events - large scale Webinars for up to 3000 participants with chat, polling and Q&A
• WebEx Training – allows you to give online training with live instruction for up to 1000 participants

Read more about Cisco Webex Meetings

Once you have chosen your webinar tool the next step is to learn how to use it. Online training is available for all tools on the links listed above.

Before:

• pick the day and time - consider a time that will allow for maximum attendance
• prepare an agenda ahead of the meeting based on the goals of the meeting
• consider sending an online registration form to all attendees, including details about the event
• share dial-in details for those with slower internet connections and send the slides in advance if possible to those who have registered
• make sure you have the right equipment; headset, microphone, backup computer, spare batteries, printed copy of your slides
• decide on an event host to keep the webinar progressing at pace; they will talk through the housekeeping details, introduce speakers, announce breaks and invite questions if appropriate
• assign a chat moderator to manage any questions that come in from the attendees in the chat
• carry out a run-through/rehearsal of the webinar, if possible, to iron out the agenda, running order, timing and setup of all presenters
• if you’re presenting, make sure your presentation document is open before the start of the meeting
• tell the attendees in advance if the webinar will be recorded, and remind them again at the start of the call
• decide if you’d like attendees to submit questions in advance and communicate this to them clearly

During:

• ask people to mute their microphones while you or other presenters are speaking, or do so yourself if you have the ability
• let people know if there will be breaks and opportunities to ask questions
• make sure the host introduces the panel members
• use the chat facility to share any relevant links
• allow for a Q&A if appropriate. You can use the chat facility for this
• end your webinar by thanking everyone for attending. Advise people that presentation slides will be shared with everyone afterward, if applicable

After:

• follow up with participants and send an email thanking them for joining you
• you can also ask them to provide feedback and rate their experience. Some webinar tools can be used for a short evaluation survey when the webinar ends
• you can also send a recording to people who registered but were unable to attend the webinar
• measure and evaluate: Using in-platform metrics, you can analyse registration and webinar performance. You can also incorporate audience feedback and make tweaks to your webinar process to make your next webinar an even greater success

Do

• Choose a topic that interests your audience. If your idea is broad, narrow it down and cover one part in detail
• Make sure that your presentation is nice to look at and meets HSE branding guidelines - Visual identity guidelines - HSE.ie
• Promote the webinar in advance. Include a clear call-to-action for people to sign up to attend
• Practise the following with colleagues: opening up the meeting, muting all microphones, recording the webinar, playing videos, responding to chat and keeping chat closed
• Use PowerPoint slides, polls, chats and calls-to-action
• Connect to the event with a different device as an attendee, if possible, to make sure video and audio is working as it should

Don’t

• Overload your presentations with lots of text that people have to read. Keep any PowerPoint slides simple
• Run over the time allocated. Respect the time your attendees have given by staying on script. Instead of going down a rabbit hole about unrelated topics, take note of other subjects that might make good topics for future webinars
• Let the event stress you out. Practise and preparation are your friends, stress is not