You’ll hear us say over and over that the most powerful chamber benefits help members and prospects do something they can’t do for themselves. That’s why we’ve curated this huge list of free webinar ideas specifically for chambers of commerce.
Because doing for your members what they can’t do for themselves is the definition of member value. Or if it’s not the “definitive” definition of it, it’s certainly the key to getting there.
But who’s got time to think all that up? We do! Keep reading for our huge list of ideas.
Think about your own life.
If someone does something to help you, you’re immediately thankful and want to spend more time with them.
Not a bad thing for your members and prospects to feel about you, right?
One of the ways to provide them with this elusive concept of “value” is through education such as free webinars. There are a lot of good resources out there that offer free online learning these days but few have the reputation of providing the type of worthwhile programming that the chamber can.
But boy is that a lot of pressure on you!
You can become a very important part of community and professional growth if you offer webinars on topics that are important to your audience. This giant list is bound to get those creative juices flowing:
130 Free Webinar Ideas Your Members and Prospective Members Will Love
If you don’t have the expertise to host some of these ideas in-house, consider asking members to put them together for you. You can customize, personalize and in other ways “jazz up” these titles to fit your chamber, community and audience.
- Design 101: how to create beautiful branding on a shoestring budget
- # things you must redo on your website if you want more sales
- How to do business on Instagram (or any other social media platform)
- Getting started in email marketing
- How to host a successful webinar
- Online networking
- How to get more reviews from customers
- Switching careers
- How to use affiliate marketing in your business
- How to improve customer service, relations, experience, etc.
- Search engine optimization 101
- Search engine optimization changes in 2020 and beyond
- Dealing with difficult customers
- Building a culture
- Building a brand
- # things to improve your website content
- How to start a blog and why you need to
- How to look your best on camera/livestreaming
- How to make money on your website
- How to get customers (or employees) to love you
- Navigating a PR nightmare
- Improving diversity at your place of business
- How to start a business in <your town>
- How to know if chamber membership is right for you
- Sneak peek at a new service, offering, or something new in your community
- # chamber benefits you aren’t using but should be
- # little-known chamber benefits for the hospitality industry (or other big industry in your area)
- Improving your tourist business
- Member onboarding
- How to sell your business
- Buying a franchise
- Tax info for 2020
- Pandemic money, how to qualify, apply, and receive
- Virtual town hall or candidate discussions
- Panelist discussion of a local topic of interest
- Hobby recommendations with your staff
- Book club (this is a great idea of your audience is comprised of readers)
- Interview experts
- Share good news (people are in desperate need of this right now. Become a feel-good stories reporter for your community. This might not be a highly attended webinar but if you record it, it could become widely shared and watched content.)
- Technology you need to be using
- How to be more productive
- How to decide when it’s time to go out on your own
- Legal concerns with launching a family-business
- Tax deductions you wished you’d known about last year or the most overlooked tax deductions
- How to land government contracts
- Grantwriting
- Companies that are hiring. Each week you could invite an HR professional on to discuss opportunities in the community.
- Weathering the storm as a small business owner
- How to use online events to grow your business
- How to increase your revenue streams
- How to excel in difficult situations
- How to win in difficult conversations
- Free tools to improve your marketing
- How to drive more people to your website
- How to find the riches in the niches
- Become an industry thought leader
- Ways to get more speaking opportunities (this is a great way to identify who in your community is interested in pursuing this. You might be able to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement by providing them with a platform in exchange for content.)
- Self-care for busy professionals
- Understanding business financials
- Things you need to know when exploring a new market, customer base, product/service
- Things you’re doing wrong on LinkedIn (or any other social media platform)
- Mastering Instagram photos and growing your business
- How to be your own publicist
- Increase your influence through podcasts
- How industry influencers can help your brand
- Zoom 101
- How to take your business virtual
- What’s your Plan B? Pivoting in 2020
- Productivity hacks
- Facebook Live 101 (or multiple options of livestreaming)
- Creating powerful online presentations
- How to get started with YouTube
- Online sales 101
- Conveying confidence virtually
- Enneagram Test (or other personality types and how knowing yours can help you be more effective in business)
- Google My Business info
- Increasing your EQ
- Video made easy (tools and tips you need to get started)
- Monetize your following
- Facebook + Instagram Ads
- Telling your business story
- Benefits of being a woman-certified (or minority-certified) business
- How to create your own online course (tips and tech)
- SEO copywriting secrets revealed
- Crafting your message or mission
- Mobile phone tools/apps you need to be more productive
- Video tips for people who hate to be on camera
- Building your own personal style to become more memorable
- Serving on a non-profit board
- Volunteer opportunities in the community
- Customer journey mapping
- Building an effective bio
- Do’s and don’ts of email marketing
- Beginner’s guide to digital ads
- Tribe marketing
- Understanding Facebook audiences
- Redefining goal-setting (or budgeting) for COVID
- Influencer content that converts
- Facebook & Instagram Live
- Understanding Google Analytics
- # Things you can automate for greater efficiency
- Is it time to outsource (or use freelancers)
- How best to work with freelancers or geographically distant employees
- Master making powerful first impressions
- Inbound marketing 101 (or digital, word of mouth, or content marketing 101)
- The successful marketing mix of 2021
- TikTok for business
- Intellectual property protection & pitfalls
- Simple ways to build your email list
- Giveaways and contests that drive engagement
- The art of selling live (or some other sales technique)
- Shatter your income ceiling
- Social media monitoring (tools and tips)
- Should you write a business book and how to get more sales by doing so
- # videos you need to have for your business
- Annoying online marketing practices you need to ditch now
- # hacks for a better day
- Creating an online community for your business
- Attention-grabbing techniques for webinars
- Partnering with other businesses for greater returns
- Acing a virtual interview (could do webinars for job seekers and those hiring)
- How to follow your dream with little funding
- Find your side hustle
- # things that impede most businesses from growing
- Balancing business and homelife
- Surviving the first year of business
- Surviving the teenage years of business (you’re no longer the new kid on the block or the venerable tradition. How do you get the market’s attention?)
- # tips from a business coach you never knew you needed
- Top employee perks you never knew they wanted
- What to do when it’s time to bring employees back in-house
These ideas can get you started but when deciding if they work for your audience, consider audience needs and wants. Then market those aspects of the webinar. If the webinar will somehow make their life easier, for instance, be specific in how the information presented will help.
Tips for Post-Webinar Success
Finally, record your webinars.
You’ll want to send out the recordings to those who registered whether they attended or not.
People who attended may want to revisit the concepts you went over, while people who couldn’t make it may still be interested and want to watch it on their own time. Be sure to post a teaser, summary and invitation to your blog, website and social media.
You can also use quotes and concepts from your webinars to create additional content, lessening the creation load on you and your staff. This additional content can be served up as teasers, conversations starters on social media, and inspiring image posts.
Keep track of what webinars people sign up for.
Signing up means they have an interest in that topic and you can customize future communications with that topic in mind.
