Video vs. Webinar
The test: What converts and performs better? A video or a webinar?
We wanted to know exactly and did a split test. We sent a sales newsletter to 10,000 people. We split it into 2 times 5.000 e-mails. The e-mails were exactly the same - except for the link:
- 5,000 e-mails led to a 50-minute sales video.
- 5,000 emails led to an automated webinar (with exactly the same 50 minute video).
At the end of the video and webinar a product was sold for 997 Euros. The evaluation ran over a period of 14 days.
Part 1: „Video Marketing“
Sales: 8 |
Part 2: „Automated Webinar“
Sales: 58 |
Everyone knows what a video is. But what exactly is a webinar?
Webinars are professional information or sales events, presentations or small "seminars" of 30 to 60 minutes, which take place at fixed times on the Internet and which interested parties can attend from home, regardless of their location.
Webinars are recorded by providers as a webcam- or screen-recorded "presentation". With the software from WEBINARIS, this "presentation" can then be uploaded, published and automatically offered, distributed and advertised.
What are webinars used for?
Webinars are designed to enable interested parties to make a qualified purchase decision by first obtaining information online and free of charge. Webinars help suppliers to address their target group online, reach them, pre-qualify them and build trust in them and your brand. This is how webinar providers automatically acquire new customers, bind them to themselves, their company and their products and position themselves as experts.
- Customer acquisition and retention
- Increase in turnover
- Brand and expert positioning
- Pre-qualification and confidence building
Why do webinars perform and convert much better than videos?
1. Attention
The viewer starts a video mostly spontaneously and independent of how much and whether he has time for it. However, very few people have "spontaneously" only a few minutes time in their daily routine.
→ Very short attention
2. Continuation
A video is opened anonymously, i.e. you do not find out who showed interest in your offer or perhaps even clicked on the video. This means that you cannot follow up in the following and the interested parties are lost for you.
→ Interested parties remain anonymous. They will not receive contact details for follow-up.
3. Termination rate
A video can and is stopped at any time, for example when the phone rings or a new mail arrives. Sources of interference are not eliminated from the outset, but are usually given priority.
→ High distraction and abort rate
4. Unconscious appreciation
A video is quite obviously a recording. Viewers therefore do not feel personally and live addressed. Therefore, they automatically and unconsciously show less appreciation for the content and the speaker than in a webinar.
→ Reduced appreciation and confidence building
5. Incentive
A video is obviously permanent, permanent and available to everyone. Many interested parties may decide to watch a video at some point (again), "if they have time". A video is available at any time and can therefore (theoretically) be made up for at any time. In fact, however, a maximum of 3 % do so.
→ Reduced incentive, appreciation and confidence building
1. Attention
An automated webinar is only available at a specific time. Interested parties actively register for an appointment when they have time or deliberately take time even over a longer period of time and schedule it firmly in the calendar.
→ Long and high attention
2. Continuation
For an automated webinar, a participant actively registers for registration and provides his/her contact details. Thus, he or she not only makes a conscious decision for the webinar, but already takes the first step towards a connection and building trust. And hands over his or her contact details, which you can use to further develop the connection and follow up.
→ First connection as well as confidence building and contact details for follow-up
3. Termination rate
A webinar cannot be fast-forwarded or stopped. You cannot switch off for a short time and supposedly catch up later. The participants therefore not only plan the webinar as part of their daily routine, they also eliminate sources of interference as far as possible by switching off the telephone, withdrawing to a quiet room, etc.
→ Significantly higher and longer attention
4. Unconscious appreciation
Automated webinars give participants the feeling of being addressed personally and live through the process and realistic technology. They automatically and unconsciously appreciate the content and webinar speakers more than they would with a video recording.
→ High appreciation and confidence building
5. Incentive
An automated webinar is (apparently) only available in limited numbers. So with a webinar you can do two things that cannot be rated highly enough psychologically for you and your prospects: A commitment and exclusivity of this webinar that a video never achieves!
→ High incentive through commitment and exclusivity
So this is the best time to use videos or webinars:
VIDEO - Main concern: "Quantity"
If your main concern is to reach a lot of people at least briefly, i.e. if you mainly want to attract attention and give short hints or explanations on the side.
WEBINAR - Main concern: "Quality"
If your main concern is to reach people "intensively/deeply", i.e. if you want the viewers/participants to take in a longer and more complete content in order to be really deeply informed or educated at the end and to be able to make a qualified purchase decision for example.