The Difference Between Webinars and Webcasts

This article discusses the difference between a webinar and a webcast for those that may not know the difference.  Each one does have it’s pluses and minuses, and what I like about this article is that the author does discuss this topic so the reader can get a better idea of what their next step should be in using this kind of technology for marketing their business.  While the author does seem to promote webcasts over webinars as far as marketing goes, I think that there is a place for webinars in terms of marketing your business.  Read on for more on this topic.

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The main difference between webinars and webcasts is that webinars are usually intended for a specific audience and number of people while a webcast is visible to everyone who chooses to watch it. Webcasts are often used in business to try and attract new clients and get them to buy your business or service.

Although webinars can also be used to promote a business to outsiders this is not their primary function. Webinars are mainly used by companies who need to bring training and development to their workforce and also for business meetings that includes people from many different places. While some businesses may make use of a webcast to advertise their services when it comes to business meetings and staff seminars, webinars can be used to inform only those people who are part of the company.

Webcasts are often used in viral marketing because it gives the business person access to a much bigger audience of prospective customers. Webcasts are more useful for promoting a business to a wider audience that is not necessarily business minded. Webinars on the other hand are generally available only to invited participants who may all use the same password to access the seminar as this makes the webinar more secure.

Webcasts are meant to be shared online and can be accessed by the general public. You might recommend someone to watch a webcast to learn something about your business but a webinar is not meant for the general public as the person running the webinar may be lecturing on sensitive information that is not meant to be accessed by anyone who is not a company member.

You can set up a webcast yourself with just a few clicks of the mouse whereas a webinar is often hosted by a vendor and companies pay either a monthly fee or a fee for individual lectures and participants. You can access a webcast when you are surfing, just a few clicks and you can see whatever the seller is trying to get across to the public. Most webinars are pre-booked with an invited audience only, if you have not been invited to attend a webinar then you will not be able to see the lectures or attend the business meetings. Most of the content of webinars is meant only for the members of a company, who may be privy to sensitive company information that, in the wrong hands, could harm a company.

If you are a small business or a sole trader then webcasts give your business greater visibility. Most people access a webcast because they have already landed on a site that makes use of this technology – they are on your site and one more click for the webcast doesn’t make much difference. Although webinars and webcasts use similar technology they are meant for entirely different audiences and purposes.

If you are looking for a reliable and affordable webinar provider we recommend Go To Webinar. For a detailed review as well as more information on the cost of webinars, visit BestForWebinars.com.

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2 Responses

  1. webinar continues to gain in popularity and usage. I just used the Google Trends application to check on the relative change in search frequency and news reference volume for the terms “webinar”

  2. Penelope Menzella says:

    Only wanna comment that you have a very decent web site , I like the style and design it actually stands out.

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