To work with webinars, you will need a verified Google account. You can verify your account here by providing your phone number. If you have already verified your account, proceed to the next steps.
Anton Oshmian
Project Owner
2. Set Up a Streaming Encoder
To start streaming from your computer, you’ll need a special program for encoding streaming video. We recommend OBS Studio: it’s free and has all the necessary settings for YouTube. In it, you can manage video parameters.
OBS automatically pulls in your computer’s settings and immediately detects connected webcams and microphones. Therefore, we recommend leaving the default settings at first and testing them. If the sound quality or frame rate doesn’t suit you, you can change the settings in these sections.
How to set up data transfer from OBS Studio to YouTube:
- Add a scene to OBS and specify “Display Capture” as its source. Then the program will show your laptop screen and transmit sound.
- Add a scene with the source “Video Capture Device” if you additionally want to show video from a webcam.
- Add a scene with the source “Image” – this will be a splash screen that you can switch to during pauses. You’ll need an image with a resolution equal to your laptop’s resolution.
3. Start Your YouTube Broadcast
OBS setup is complete, now you need to go to YouTube and link it to the program. It’s not difficult:
- Log in to your YouTube account and open YouTube Studio. Click “Create” and select “Go Live.”
- Add a title for your broadcast and fill in all the settings. We recommend filling them out again before each broadcast: this way, there’s no risk of accidentally leaving old times or access settings.
- Specify the time when the broadcast will start. This way, users will see how much time is left before the webinar begins.
- Add a thumbnail – this is the cover image of the webinar that users will see before the broadcast starts. You will need a 1980×720 pixel image. After that, click “Create Stream.”
- Select “Lowest latency” in the stream control panel. This way, viewers will see and hear everything you say faster.
- Copy the stream URL and key, and then add them to the broadcast settings in OBS. The URL is the same for all broadcasts on your YouTube channel, but each broadcast has a unique key, and it needs to be changed before starting the stream.
Additionally, in the YouTube stream management settings, you can enable auto-start and auto-stop. Then you just need to start the broadcast in OBS, and you won’t have to return to YouTube. However, we advise turning everything on manually, as this allows you to double-check the settings.
Everything is ready to start the broadcast. All that’s left is to click the “Share” button and copy the short link to the broadcast. You need to send it to everyone who registered for the webinar.
4. Engage with Your Audience After the Webinar
Once the webinar is over, don’t forget about your listeners. Here’s what you need to do after the live stream:
- Send the presentation and webinar recording. To help your viewers save all the useful links and watch anything they missed, send them the materials within a couple of days after the broadcast. This will remind them of you, show your care, and also allow you to communicate with those who, for some reason, couldn’t attend the live event.
- If necessary, limit the time the recording is available. This increases the likelihood that participants will watch it rather than put it off. YouTube allows you to restrict access or completely hide the video from viewing. You don’t need to delete the video, it will be saved in your “YouTube Studio.”
- Gather feedback. The email with the recording is a great opportunity to ask participants about their impressions. Create a survey in Google Forms or ask them to write a review in a reply email. This will help you understand your audience’s expectations and make your next webinars even better.
- Offer a bonus or invite them to the next webinar. Usually, a webinar is one of the touchpoints with a potential customer. It’s where potential clients get to know you, so it will be easier for you to nudge them towards a purchase. Offer a bonus, special promotion, or discount for webinar participants, and if the webinar was paid, it’s helpful to invite them to other webinars and events. It’s best to mention this at the end of the webinar and remind them about the bonus and its expiration date in the email with the recording.
As you can see, conducting a webinar is not that difficult. The main thing is to plan enough time for preparation.
Go for it!
