How to subvert the one-way webinar
Could it be time to subvert the one-way webinar – from the floor?
If you are fed up with talking-head, or talk-over-slides, webinars – those online ‘events’ where someone holds forth for 45 minutes, followed by a token Q+A – you’re not alone. Research suggests, for example, that 90 per cent of people who would normally go to trade shows don’t feel their needs are being effectively met by online events.
They’re giving online events a bad name! It’s very difficult to stay focussed enough to listen online for that length of time. People get distracted and give up, even with some of the best speakers around. It’s just easier to catch the recording – at least you can play it at double speed!
In our Web Events That Connect training we advise organisers to:
limit ‘chalk-and-talk’ sections to ten minutes at the absolute most
provide lots of opportunities for small-group breakout conversations, where human connections can be made around the content
facilitate participants to connect with each other before and after the ‘live’ event…
But what if you’re not an organiser? What if you’re ‘just’ a participant? My friend Charles Weir sparked some new thinking when he raised a question about ‘subversive engagement’. How might a participant in an online conference or other one-way event quietly subvert the one-way-ness, and get them more interactive?
It’s a really interesting question, because online, organisers have much more control over what participants can and can’t do than at an in-the-room event. Organisers control the tools, and the tools prescribe what’s possible.
‘Subversive engagement’ tricks that I have seen work – at least to some extent – include:
Contact organisers before the event to ask what engagement tools will be offered. They might not have thought about it!
If you know others who will be attending the event, make a joint plan for subversive engagement to avoid appearing as the ‘lone disruptor’
Use whatever tools are made available, even when they’re very basic, rather than getting annoyed about the lack of human interaction. For example, do comment in text chat while the talk’s running on, and participate in polls
Invite post-event conversation. For example, suggest in chat, “I’d like to discuss topic X in a more interactive format. If you’re interested, add your email address in the chat and I’ll contact you to fix a time.”
Again in chat, you can facilitate the group to some extent. “The speaker just said X, and I’m not sure I agree. I’d like to know what others here think of that. Please comment here in the chat.”
And, I appreciate that these ideas are pretty limited. What other ideas do you have? What have you tried, and how did it go? Please comment below
From old judyrees.co.uk
Richard Richards
12 August 2020 at 11:11
Love this idea – and although most webinars need a dose of subversion if we are ever going to wean organisations of them or shift the needle on their effectiveness, my approach would probably be to ‘dissent’, no doubt with nowhere near the same level of impact. 🙂
Semantics aside, I am with you. I recently dissented with my wallet. I requested a refund for a ‘global’ virtual conference on a subject close to my heart, after attending a preview, because of the quality of the webinar and the production values in general. As an audience member of less than 20, no thought had been made about my role or how I might participate. Death by chalk and talk and disorganisation. I wrote a detailed review of my experience and the organisation reimbursed me.
Thanks for posting this and raising our awareness.
TRine
12 August 2020 at 11:53
I’ve no experience…which is an advantage.To be a numbtie.Of zoom, Skype or What’s that whatssappening?via WhatsApp.. The advantage, Child’s mind
online working can be,time and energy consuming,an energetic whirl,
dizzying
Have you noticed that feature featuring…
Childmindedness. Kids have a way,their attention is, In awareness,present,and available,instant, and flexible in response.Response abled,. moment to moment. Vibrant
People find it,can refresh… Meetings get tired
Charles
14 August 2020 at 20:28
I’ve found a few other techniques too.
Often the organisers have a more sophisticated chat service as well as the online event, such as Slack or a conference-specific one. I use that to set up separate lightweight calls with other participants – #haveYouAMomentForABriefChat? The chat can be on Zoom, or Slack itself. People seem to like it, and I’ve even had organisers encourage it. Only thing is, the calls tend to end up longer – video’s like that!
It works even with Zoom’s person-to-person chat, but I’ve not used that so much.