How do I make a successful Web Seminar – Videoconference – Webcast?

Online formats for networked work in the home office

Not only since the Covid-19 crisis, web seminars, video conferences and webcasts have become an integral part of modern corporate communications. Since the spring of 2020, with its severe restrictions on mobility, video-based work meetings as online workspaces have been enjoying great popularity. The beginner is simply overwhelmed by the range of platforms and gurus that promise to teach the optimal web seminar experience. The DIKT has also been involved in online training, online conferences and web-based learning for some time. In order to answer the many questions our customers have in this area, we have summarized our knowledge about web seminar, video conferencing and webcast here.

Definitions

What exactly is a web seminar?

The word web seminar is a compound artificial word made up of web (from WorldWideWeb) and seminar. A web seminar is an online seminar that is usually conducted and moderated by a trainer or coach. The trainer usually addresses the participants of the web seminar directly, as if they were sitting in the same room. The spectators and/or listeners are however only over a software location-independent over the Internet participant seminar. A web seminar is interactive, i.e. the participants can communicate with the lecturer. Depending on the system, this is done via chat or video and audio. Interaction and discussion with the web seminar host are essential components of a web seminar. The exchange usually takes place via microphone and webcam. Some providers also offer the possibility to ask questions in live chat via video and audio. In most cases, participants must register and log in in advance for the web seminar, which is scheduled at a fixed time and lasts between 30 and 120 minutes. In a good web seminar, the moderator will use several media for teaching. For example, PDFs can be displayed, videos played and three-dimensional models explained.

What exactly is a video conference?

A video conference is the synchronous exchange of information between several participants with electronic transmission of video and audio signals. If the data is transmitted via the WorldWideWeb, the term web conference is also commonly used today. (see Wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videokonferenz)

What is actually a webcast?

The term webcast is composed of the word web (from the www) and the English word “broadcast” (for TV show, television broadcast). The broadcast content is live, but in some cases the broadcasts are also available on-demand as recordings, for example in media libraries, following the live broadcast.  In the early days of the video age of the internet, webcasts were simply video broadcasts streamed over the internet. Today, the terms webcast and video conferencing over the Internet are becoming increasingly intermingled. Participants are increasingly offered the opportunity to ask questions to the organizer or moderator during the transmission. This form of webcast is now called a web seminar (see above). In contrast to a video conference, a webcast is still intended as a “one-to-many” transmission (one sender to many receivers). (see Wikipedia)

Become a Web Seminar Expert in 7 steps

1. 1. Find Web Seminar Strategy
   2. The right web seminar preparation from A-Z
   3. Getting and testing the necessary web seminar technology
   4. Make the Web Seminar known – Web Seminar Marketing
   5. The Web Seminar Moderator – Technology and Presentation Experience
   6. The Web Seminar Presentation- Season the Web Seminar with gadgets, film and Powerpoint / Keynote
   7. After the web seminar is not yet over, the web seminar follow-up

The DIKT conveys all of this content in its Web seminar training courses. Both in classroom training and in the form of a Web seminar.