How To Be A Good Emcee and Host For A Webinar
Emcee Singapore: Emceeing a webinar is no walk in the park. Just because someone is a subject matter expert does not make them a great emcee.
Attendees have said that webinars were least enjoyable when there was a poor host, emcee or presenter, which is why it’s a good idea if you follow some webinar presentation best practices.
We have compiled a list of some of the top tips every webinar emcee or host should know so that you can make sure you are equipped with the know-how to deliver an engaging and memorable presentation every time.
An emcee is the official host of an event, whether it’s a ceremony, conference, convention, party, performance or webinar. Their role is to set the tone for the event, make announcements, make sure it runs to time, provide a segue between each act or speaker, and make sure the audience is engaged and having a good time.
An emcee may also moderate panels of speakers, and facilitate Q&A between the audience and the speakers.
1) Be passionate and energetic
Attendees said they felt the most engaged when the webinar host or emcee Singapore emcee was passionate and energetic, so do showcase their personality while presenting.
How do you do this? Well, you could start by acting natural and speaking in a more conversational way. Remember, webinar scripts were written to be spoken aloud, so ensure that they sound natural. You can do this by writing your script in short, punchy bullet points and reading it aloud, so it doesn’t feel like you’ve put another person’s words in your mouth.
Bringing some energy to your webinar presentation will also help to increase audience engagement and prevent drop-offs. Attendees would much rather spend an hour listening to an industry expert who is passionate about what they are saying, rather than some monotonous robot who is reading straight from a script.
2) Share some personal experiences
Webinar presenters are selected for their real-world experience in the chosen topic, so if you’re presenting a webinar you should try and share some of your own personal experiences with the audience.
For example, you may want to share how you applied the theory you’re discussing to the workplace and the results this drove. This is information attendees can’t just learn in a textbook or blog post, which will lead to increased interaction, as it will likely prompt questions from the audience. Just ensure that your stories don’t veer too much off course, or if they do, try and rein it back in as soon as you can.
3) Encourage participation from the audience
Audiences make judgments about you and your message in the first minute, so it’s important that you grab your audience’s attention in the first 60 seconds and encourage engagement to ensure they stick around.
If you’re running a webinar for 30 minutes or longer, you need to make the most of every second to keep your audience engaged throughout. You can do this by utilizing various interactive features, such as live polls, live chat, and a live Q&A at the end, so your audience can interact with you in real-time. This two-way interaction will help to break down the barriers between the audience and webinar emcee Singapore emcee or host, increase viewing time and improve attendee satisfaction.
Using rich media, such as images, GIFs and videos will also help to improve engagement – as 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual. The old saying goes: “a picture is worth a thousand words”, but when it comes to video, a 1-minute video is equal to 1.8 million words to your audience.
4) Keep calm, cool and collected
Plan for the worst and hope for the best. If you lose your internet connection or your phone gets cut off what are you going to do?
Making a plan A, B, and C ahead of the presentation will make any potential issues seem immediately less stressful. Always have a printed or local version of your slides with you, so you can continue to present if you experience any problems with your internet connection.
Remember, your moderator or fellow presenters can transition your slides for you while you log back in and if you lose your phone connection your moderator can come back online and keep the audience informed.
Above all, stay calm.
5) Look at the camera, not the screen
Webinar emcee Singapore emcees should look at their camera and not the screen because it can help to create a more personal and attentive experience for the audience.
When you look at your camera, it can help to create the illusion that you are looking directly at the attendees, which can help to create a sense of connection and can help to make your presentation more engaging.
Looking at your camera can help to reduce the temptation to read directly from your slides too, which can make your presentation more dynamic and interactive.
6) Check your lighting and background
This cannot be emphasized enough. Check your lighting and background. It can help to create a professional and visually appealing environment for your webinar.
If the lighting is too bright or too dim, it can be difficult for attendees to see you and you could end up looking like a ghost!
Additionally, if your background is cluttered or distracting, it can be difficult for attendees to focus on the content. Spend some time before your webinar to find the best lighting for you (or invest in a ring light) and a space where your background is free from distractions. Minimal effort for maximum impact.
H/T: Workcast
