Presenting a Webinar from Home? Here’s What You Need to Know

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Dogs barking, kids doing their homework and dinner cooking in the background, yep, presenting webinars from home is now the new normal

And while we can’t always control our surroundings, we can take a few steps to ensure our next remote webinar presentation is stress-free and as well planned as possible.

Here’s some tips to ensure you’re well prepared for your next online presentation:

1. Tips for your internet connection

Let’s be real, Australia isn’t exactly known for its high speed internet, but let’s work with what we have. When presenting remotely, it’s important to have reliable internet connection. If you’re unsure, we recommend finding another location to present from.

Visit https://www.speedtest.net/ to run a quick internet speed test.

The time of day you choose to run your webinar will also have a significant impact on your internet connection. Your provider’s connection supply can fluctuate during different times of the day. Therefore, running events in evenings might impact the quality of your connection as evenings are usually a prime time for internet users in any local hub. Choose your event time wisely for streaming video content considering internet usage peak hours.

2. Tips to minimise disruption

Always close down any other applications and programs on your computer before you start your webinar. Notifications on your emails and messaging tools can be disruptive and slow down your connection.

It’s also recommended to disconnect from any VPN connections to achieve best results.

3. Tips for enhancing bandwidth

When presenting from home, there’s a chance that other people living in your household will be accessing the internet at the same time. This has the potential to overwhelm your internet connection and can result in low speed.

Before you begin your webinar, try to ensure you are the only person using your household internet.

4. Tips for backup options

It’s always good to have a backup plan. You could test and test, but on the day, there’s always the potential for your internet connection to drop.

Have your mobile phone on standby and make sure your webinar provider supplies you with dial in numbers should you need to dial in.And of course, double check your phone is fully charged. If you need to dial into your webinar to present, your technician will be able to display your headshot instead of your glitchy webcam.

If you have had poor experiences with your home internet in the past, try using the 4G network available on your mobile. Your laptop can connect to 4G on your phone via hot spotting. Alternatively, you can try using a 4G dongle if one is available.

5. Tips for your surroundings

Always remember the viewer experience when setting up for your webinar – here’s a few tips:

  • Ensure you are removed from all noise – this includes outside traffic and children in the background. Try to set-up in a room with the option to close the doors
  • Lighting is key – be mindful of the time of day you’re presenting and where the sun will shadow you. Refrain from having your back to a window – if possible, face to window for optimum lighting
  • Background is also key. Ensure you have a neat and tidy display behind you, nothing too distracting works best.

And above all – enjoy the experience!