Choosing a topic for your webinar is something that people often struggle with.
People often ask us:
How do I pick a topic people will sign up for?
A lot of people think that a webinar topic will spontaneously come to them in a magical moment of inspiration.
The reality is that your topic has nothing to do with you!
So you shouldn't sit there waiting for inspiration to strike.
Instead you can go out and actively find your webinar topics by doing some simple research.
1. Copy Stalking
The number one way to research your webinar topic is through what we call “copy stalking”.
So, what is copy stalking?
Copy stalking is a process of doing research in the communities where your audience is already hanging out and pulling exact phrases to use as your write your own copy and come up with ideas for content (including blog posts, podcasts and webinars!).
What you’re doing as you copy stalk is paying attention to the actual way your target audience words things.
You as the expert might use phrases that are jargony, which doesn’t connect as much with your target audience.
That’s why you want to use the exact words and phrases your audience is using without putting your own phrasing on it!
This process takes a little bit of time to do (3-5 days), but it’s worth it. Go on a copy stalking safari!
Where to start researching for copy:
Look in free Facebook groups your niche hangs out in, or forums that people use in your industry.
You can also check comments of other people's blog posts, especially if there's a blog post that's really popular on someone else's blog.
Reviews people are leaving on Amazon is a great place to copy stalk, too!
When you’re copy stalking, pay attention to:
What are people posting?
What are the most popular threads?
How they are phrasing the questions they have?
Copy stalking is one of the best ways to find your webinar topic. You’ll be able to see the biggest questions people are asking everyday and answer them with your webinar.
2. Repurpose Your Most Popular Content
Repurposing your content and turning it into a webinar is a great way to re-emphasize what you’re already teaching your audience!
Look at your blog, YouTube channel, podcast, Facebook page, or wherever you publish content and see what your top three most popular posts are.
In Squarespace, this is super easy to do!
All you need to do is take your best performing content and repurpose it into a webinar to share with your audience.
Since you know that the original piece of content you published (blog post, Facebook post, YouTube video, etc) has already resonated with your target audience and has been super helpful, you now have a pre-validated webinar topic.
By repurposing popular content and turning it into a webinar, you’re going to be able to connect and teach your audience even more, and in a live setting that is super engaging!
3. Pick One Quick Win
Your audience should be able to accomplish a quick win after watching your webinar. Whether it's a mindset shift or a result it should be something they can start and finish in about 20-30 minutes.
A lot of times you'll see webinars with “seven steps to do XYZ” and the audience leaves feeling overwhelmed.
This isn’t working in 2017 anymore, and does not engage your audience.
Your goal is to pack a punch and deliver a webinar that gives your audience that quick win!
Ready to Start Doing Webinars?
Webinars are such an effective way to connect with people and your audience!
It also helps you connect with people in your niche and in your industry.
Now you’re equipped with three ways to pick your webinar topic --copy stalking, repurposing your content, and picking a quick win to give your audience.
If you're going to start venturing into webinars, definitely grab our checklist below. It’s going to give your all the steps of everything you need to for your webinar.