Streaming Media - 2008 Industry Sourcebook - (Page 146) how-to’s and tutorials how to execute a successful webcast Best practices and tips from a longtime webcasting pro by Nico McLane w hile a webcast is, by definition, a live event, a key part of a webcast’s success is the value it retains when it is accessed and repurposed after the fact. An effective webcast will live on long after the event has ended, and it has the potential to be repackaged across infinite channels that have a deeper “measure” of return on investment. If you deliver a meaningful, quality product in the live webcast, these are the opportunities that should not be missed or mismanaged. If you are working in an enterprise environment, the measure of success is ROI based on real (not implied) savings to the firm. This is what I call a transitional savings. For example, compare the cost of an operator-assisted conference call—i.e., a dial-in conference call with 500 or more participants that are able to ask questions during the call—to the cost of a live audio webcast with accompanying slides and a simple web-based Q&A portal (something between chat and a message board). The firm’s expenses for the operator-assisted conference call will average $10–$15 per caller for the live call, and the replay will run about 25 cents per minute. To see how these cost savings accrue 146 STREAMING MEDIA INDUSTRY SOURCEBOOK 2008 over the course of the year, with an average of one conference call/audio webcast/video webcast per year, see Table 1. Even when video is factored into the mix, the cost savings of webcasts versus conference calls remains substantial. What’s more, consumer expectation is different and offers a great deal more in marketable follow up. The “Grade A” Live Webcast Experience: Click and Go As with any live audio/video experience, production values are a key component of a good webcast. What are the defining features of a successful webcast and an effective webcast strategy? Here’s a checklist that may come in handy as you plan your webcast event: ■ Webcast participants require multiple methods for participating (e-vite, customized Outlook integration via CMS portal with a branded landing page, dedicated blog with on-site updates, text message updates, reminders or signup, on-air or location-based digital invitations and advertising, or other media portal access such as iTunes, Rhapsody, IP-based points of entry, etc.).
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