Running Webinars with Your Affiliates: A Comprehensive Guide

Webinars aren't just events. They're opportunities to grow your email list and boost your affiliate marketing efforts. And running them together with your affiliates, or supporting them to run their own, is a marketing tactic you shouldn’t overlook.

In this article, we dive into the world of webinars, especially for affiliate marketing. 

Whether you’re a brand looking to launch a webinar or an affiliate marketer prepping for one, there’s a nugget of wisdom here for everyone.

Why Webinars Belong in Affiliate Marketing Strategies

Webinars serve a dual purpose in affiliate marketing.

Firstly, they act as a bridge, establishing trust between affiliates and their audiences by delivering direct, value-rich content. During a webinar, affiliates can showcase products or services in action, addressing questions and dispelling doubts in real-time—fostering personalized relationships.

Secondly, they offer an engaging way to convert potential leads into loyal customers. It’s a welcome change from a static blog or social media post.

With the right approach, webinars can be a game-changer, driving sales while solidifying an affiliate's position as a credible industry voice. But, how to do it the right way? The following steps will help you.

Find the Perfect Webinar Topics

Let’s start with the basics: what will you talk about?

Webinars should not only provide value but also tie in with the products or services of a brand. This means you need to find the right balance between discussing the products but not turning it into an hour-long sales pitch. 

Here's a deeper dive into selecting the most effective webinar topic and relevant talking points:

1. Research your audience

• Affiliate data: use insights from your SaaS affiliate software dashboard (like Rewardful) to understand which products or campaigns resonate the most with your audience.
• Attendee feedback: if you’ve run webinars or online events before, collect feedback from past attendees about the topics they’d like to learn in the future.
• Affiliate community: engage in affiliate marketing forums, groups, or communities. The challenges and questions discussed on these platforms often give you more than enough ideas for webinar topics.

2. Leverage trending topics

• Industry-specific trends: while tools like Google Trends or X can highlight general affiliate marketing trends, you should filter the results specific to your niche.
• New product launches: if there's a buzz about a new product within the affiliate networks you're part of, consider running a webinar that introduces or deep dives into its features and benefits. To attract more attendees, provide special discount codes that will be given in the webinar.

3. Collaborate with affiliates

• Joined brainstorming sessions: organize sessions with your top-performing affiliates. Given their proximity to the audience, their topic suggestions will likely have strong market relevance.
• Survey affiliates: consider sending a short survey to your affiliates about the challenges they face, missing knowledge, or tools they wish they knew better. Their answers will inspire you.

4. Keep an eye on competitors

• Competitor webinars: track webinars hosted by fellow affiliate marketers or those in your niche. It’s not about copying, but understanding the gaps they might left can inspire some unique topics.

5. Evergreen vs. timely topics:

• Evergreen: topics that are always relevant can attract a consistent audience over time. For instance, "Basics of Affiliate Marketing" or "How to Choose the Right Affiliate Product."
• Timely: these address current issues, updates, or trends. For example, "Impact of the Recent Algorithm Update on Affiliate Marketing" or "Emerging Niches in Affiliate Marketing for the Year."

Whatever topic you choose, the primary goal is to offer genuine value to your attendees. If sign-ups are low, your topic may not fit with what your audience needs. Don't hesitate to reach out to them to ask for feedback. 

Amplifying Your Webinar’s Reach With Affiliate Marketing

Although the number of attendees doesn’t always determine the success of a webinar, more attendees can make the webinars more alive and enjoyable.

Here's how you can synergize your promotional efforts and maximize attendance:

• Harness email lists: write a personalized email campaign. Inform subscribers early with enticing teasers and automated reminders.
• Social media: generate buzz with preview content like videos or infographics. Schedule consistent promotional posts in the weeks and days leading up to the event. 
• Affiliate network power: enable affiliates with tailored promotional materials. Boost their drive with bonuses or increased commissions for attendee referrals.
• Compelling value proposition: clearly highlight the unique benefits attendees will receive. Boost credibility with testimonials or feedback from past webinars.

Regardless of your tactics, start promoting early. This shows the webinar is not a last-minute event and you are putting time and thought into it. 

Additionally, don't be discouraged if the numbers are not high. If it’s about a specific topic, and people do sign up, chances are that their intent is there. You’ll end the talk with super-engaged viewers. Quality over quantity, always.

Hosting Tailored Webinars With Top-Tier Affiliates

A great way to ensure your webinar is well-watched is by partnering up with your biggest and best affiliates – those who drive significant traffic or conversions. 

Hosting individual webinars tailored to their specific audiences can strengthen your partnership and drive results. The following tips will make the sessions successful:

1. Understand their audience

Before crafting the content, invest time in understanding the affiliate’s audience. 

Are they seasoned professionals looking for expert insights or newbies seeking foundational knowledge? This will dictate the depth and style of your presentation.

Also, review the types of content or products in which the audience has shown interest. This will provide clues about topics that will resonate.

2. Co-creation is key

While you bring industry knowledge to the table, your affiliate understands their audience best. Schedule sessions with your affiliate to co-create content. This not only ensures alignment but also fosters a sense of shared ownership.

3. Divide and conquer

Hosting a webinar involves multiple tasks, from promotion to content creation and follow-ups. If your affiliate has a solid social media presence, they can take the lead on online promotions while you handle the technical side or content creation.

4. Post-webinar strategy

Just because the webinar has ended doesn’t mean the engagement must, too. Include a call to action (CTA) that directs them to more than just clicking specific URLs, such as gathering post-webinar feedback. This can inform future collaborations and help refine content or presentation styles.

5. Celebrate shared wins

A successful webinar is cause for celebration and reflection. Review key metrics, such as engagement rates, conversions, or lead generation, to measure the webinar's success.

And don’t forget to acknowledge and appreciate the affiliate's role in the process. Without them, the webinars wouldn’t be such a success.

Building an Email List Through Webinars

Hosting webinars is not only about imparting knowledge or promoting a product but also for building a robust email list. 

This list becomes a direct channel to communicate with an audience who has already shown an interest in what you offer. Here's a focused action plan to capitalize on this:

1. Lead magnets with real substance: start by offering compelling lead magnets during the sign-up phase. This could be exclusive e-books, cheat sheets, or resources directly related to the webinar topic. The idea is to give tangible value upfront, making the sign-up process feel more like a beneficial exchange than a mere registration.
2. Maintain the momentum with post-webinar engagement: send out a thank-you email along with the link to the webinar recording and additional resources. These can be supplementary guides, articles, or tools that can deepen their understanding or give them practical steps to implement what they've learned.
3. Guide them to relevant offers: now that you've established value and trust, guide your audience towards relevant products or services. For instance, if you've discussed the nuances of affiliate marketing during the webinar, it might be the moment to introduce them to SaaS affiliate software.

Choosing the Right Tech Tools for Your Webinars

Understanding what you need and, more importantly, why you need it can make the tool shopping process streamlined and effective. 

When choosing your webinar platform, make sure that it has the following key characteristics:

• User experience: opt for an intuitive, easy-to-navigate platform.
• Reliability: prioritize stable platforms with minimal technical issues.
• Engagement tools: features like live polls and Q&A sessions enhance interaction.
• Analytics: access to detailed post-webinar insights for future improvement.
• Customization: customizing the webinar that goes with your brand will make it more professional.
• Integration: ensure compatibility with your other marketing tools.
• Recording: the platform should facilitate easy recording and content repurposing.
• Security: features like encryption and GDPR compliance are vital.
• Pricing and scalability: select a platform scalable to your growing needs.

Supercharge Your SaaS Affiliate Marketing

Webinars combined with affiliate marketing can significantly amplify your reach and conversion. It helps you foster a deeper, more meaningful relationship with your prospects than just through blogs or social media approaches.

Start promoting your webinars with Rewardful’s built-in email campaign solution. You can tailor it to match your brand look, add custom URL parameters, or set up an attendee referrals program. Try it out today!