By Marianne Wiil Stoker, VP of Marketing at Quickchannel

With leading companies across all industries now using webinars to share knowledge, attract new customers and streamline internal processes, using reliable and versatile platforms with market-leading security features has become a necessity. Even with our dependence on virtual communication becoming vital during the pandemic, many industries could still be doing more to get the full benefits of what a successful platform can offer.

In the finance industry, by implementing modern forms of technology, security and embracing digital transformation, webinars can help businesses to engage a highly targeted audience of people who are interested in their industry and their products. So why are finance companies harnessing the power of webinars? 

Webinars can boost sales and marketing efforts

Incorporating live streaming into your marketing strategy helps make sure your finance business is reliable and in keeping with the tone and values it works by.

Live streaming is one of the top digital marketing techniques to communicate directly with clients, which helps them to understand your business better – including who your employees are and what matters most to you. Additionally, live streaming can offer more of a human element to business communications and is a great way to build relationships through a screen.

Live streaming is cost-effective, engaging and authentic and is only set to get even more popular. Viewers engage better with live videos, making them a great way to build content and visibility for finance businesses. Plus, the immediate feedback from your consumers allows marketers to repurpose live video content in a number of ways for use across the business.

Businesses also have a greater audience potential when live streaming because there is a higher chance of gaining more views if recorded. Offering the webinar or the live stream on-demand after the event can also encourage more views.

These techniques are just some of the advantages a live streaming strategy can bring, so it is worth revisiting your marketing plan and considering the use of live video. It could become one of the best strategies you’ve ever implemented and it’s only going to get better.

Experimenting with live content will also help professionals recognise what customers like and dislike as well as what they find valuable. To gain even better insights, ask viewers for feedback on the content and what they would like to see from you as a brand. When choosing a streaming service, businesses can also offer ad-free streaming to remove distractions and enhance the viewing experience. Creating a memorable brand experience with a customised video player will also connect the viewers to the brand, encouraging a positive relationship with customers.

The importance of a high-quality and secure platform 

Disruptions due to COVID-19 and the shift to virtual interaction has led to a rise in cybersecurity concerns for companies and their internal events. With ransomware attacks up 800% in 2020, a virtual setting also makes it much easier for competitors and/or unwanted guests to enter your online events and webinars and access potentially confidential information.

This has enormous consequences for businesses hosting online, whether they are streaming internal broadcasts or webinars to its employees and stakeholders.

Since technology is constantly evolving, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But through some simple proactive steps and using a secure streaming platform, organisations can protect themselves from common threats such as multi-factor authentication.

Protect your webinar from attacks, competitors and trolls by safeguarding your company from cyber security risks while still ensuring sessions run seamlessly. Users are relying on the companies they are communicating with to store their information correctly, so using a platform that prioritises security, something that is even more pivotal in the finance industry, is crucial.

A cost-effective alternative to in-person meetings

In a time when industries had no choice but to host sessions online, it is clear there have been a huge number of practical and ecological benefits to streaming over physical attendance. The most obvious of these are convenience, no need to travel and 24-hour access through mobile and desktop devices.

Although webinars have been around for many years, in-person communication is still the favoured option for many businesses, but at what cost to the planet? 

Great sustainability strides were achieved during the pandemic and with further advancements in technology, finance businesses and individuals are now opting for online discussions over physical ones more than they would have before, but have been faced with new challenges in the process.   

By choosing streaming services and webinars, CO2 emissions fall substantially, creating a fraction of the amount at an estimated 8,43 kgs in comparison, making it a great alternative to in-person collaboration. However, the security aspect should not be underestimated in industries where confidentiality is key. 

With a detailed digital strategy in place, finance professionals can look to take advantage of gaining engagement and how to leverage it in order to create long-term relationships. By helping audiences become aware of how you can solve their problems through products and services, sustained attention and focus, those in the industry will be prepared to meet the demands of both the current and next generation of customers. Positioning the business as a thought leader by offering educational webinars will help clients or prospects reach their end goals.