Getting quality leads in the B2B space is no small feat. Qualified leads must have a clear understanding of their business problem, a relatively urgent desire to solve it, and both the budget and institutional will to implement the solution.

The best strategy for quality B2B leads might just be interactive webinars.

In fact, 73% of B2B marketing leaders in a recent survey listed webinars as their #1 method for generating high-quality leads. B2B decision-makers are hungry for sophisticated, long-form content: 67% of registrations are for 60-minute webinars.

Here’s how to do it right:

1.Promote Your Webinar Early and Often

Most of your attendees won’t sign up the very first time they hear about your webinar. Many of them won’t even check out your landing page. The sweet spot for promoting a B2B webinar is 2-4 weeks from the date it launches. Be sure the webinar has a complete, conversion-oriented landing page that communicates the value attendees will receive.

2.Leverage Your Email Subscriber List

Email is hands down the best way to promote a webinar, driving more than half of all registrations. Social media is the next best option, adding about 15% of all registrations. Sending out an email once or twice a week with a direct registration link can substantially raise sign-ups.

3.Time Your Webinar Correctly

Wednesdays and Thursdays stand out as the best days to hold a webinar, attracting more than a quarter of all attendees. In terms of hour, 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. PST do best – perhaps because some attendees can tune in at lunch. Experiment with your local area to optimize your timing.

4.Use the Right Length and Pacing for Your Audience

Webinars of 30 minutes capture only 8% of registrations, while those of at least 60 minutes net two-thirds of all sign-ups. The optimal way to divide your time is with 30 minutes of presentation and 30 minutes of Q&A, a format preferred by 92% of attendees. A Q&A gives attendees the chance to clarify questions, overcome their own doubts, and see your expertise in action.

5.Focus on the Right Metrics

First-time webinar organizers might be concerned about attendance. Research shows that 78% of B2B webinars have 50 or fewer attendees. While this seems worrying at first, it simply reflects a time management strategy: 25% of registrants will watch the recorded webinar replay later on. Be sure it is available to them.

What are the key takeaways for webinar success?

• With appropriate planning and lead time, webinars are a great source of qualified leads
• Webinars should showcase your expertise with 30 minutes of Q&A at the end of the event
• Don’t simply read out a presentation – have an interactive discussion with your audience

Depending on attendance and the technologies used, a webinar can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000. However, many B2B brands can recover those costs with a single sale. With practice, a quarterly webinar can be one of the major lead generation engines in your business.