You would think that someone who used to generate substantial revenue organizing and hosting webinars would embrace the flood of new webinars and virtual conferences that this pandemic has unleashed on our Inboxes. Not so much in my case. We are all trying to cope with the rapid ups and downs of the Rona-coaster we are on. It makes sense to allocate some of our prodigious screen time to hear the solutions and coping strategies of smart peers. I have caught a couple good sessions, but I find myself craving more than a slide deck of pain points and video monologues. It is time to rethink the whole webinar model.
Legal technology marketing has always struggled with the ethical/practical constraints regarding confidentiality and privacy that our roles impose. The sponsor goals of these outreach events are to generate leads, build brand awareness and otherwise create short/long term revenue. I see nothing wrong with that as long as consumers understand the sponsor motivations and the content is worth the spam. I have been pleased with the nascent trend of personal interviews and casual vblogs that feel more ‘real’ instead of neatly packaged sales pitches.
I am challenging the sponsors and fellow ‘speakers’ to rethink the format. The best sessions that I have hosted or participated in were designed for audience participation. Well conducted customer roundtables or small group moderated topic discussions encourage active participation. These ‘town hall’ style events require boundaries and a talented moderator or they tend to devolve into a presidential debate. I do not feel like I have the ‘magic bullet’ to create meaningful community engagement. Instead, I want to hear about your favorite recent events. What worked? What made it worth your time?
Since returning to blogging I am getting speaking requests again. Since I am no longer ‘speaking for hire’ these requests compete with billable time. I do not want to be just another voice clamoring for your attention. So help me come up with new ways to make the time fun, entertaining and interactive. Drop a comment (hint) or send me an email.
Greg Buckles wants your feedback, questions or project inquiries at Greg@eDJGroupInc.com. Contact him directly for a free 15 minute ‘Good Karma’ call. He solves problems and creates eDiscovery solutions for enterprise and law firm clients.
Greg’s blog perspectives are personal opinions and should not be interpreted as a professional judgment or advice. Greg is no longer a journalist and all perspectives are based on best public information. Blog content is neither approved nor reviewed by any providers prior to being posted. Do you want to share your own perspective? Greg is looking for practical, professional informative perspectives free of marketing fluff, hidden agendas or personal/product bias. Outside blogs will clearly indicate the author, company and any relevant affiliations.