Marketo Interactive Webinars - A Three Part Series - Part One

GaryV

Part 1: Getting Started with Marketo's Interactive Webinars

Introduction

Welcome to the world of Interactive Webinars with Marketo! If you're looking to engage your audience, provide valuable content, and generate leads, you're in the right place. Marketo's Interactive Webinars, integrated with Adob

e Connect, offer a powerful platform for creating and managing webinars. In this blog series, we'll guide you through setting up and using Interactive Webinars, best practices for using Adobe Connect, and how to manage event registration and communications through Marketo.

Setting Up Your Interactive Webinar

Let's dive right in! The first step is accessing Interactive Webinars in Marketo. Head over to the Admin tab in Marketo, and you'll find the Interactive Webinars option under the Admin menu. This is where you can add users who need access to create and manage webinars. It's a straightforward process, but if you need help, it is well documented here.

Next, it's time to create a new webinar program. Go to the Marketing Activities tab, select New Program, and choose the Event type. You'll then select the Webinars channel, the Interactive Webinars option, and fill in the program details, including the title, capacity, and schedule. This will create and schedule your event in Adobe Connect.

Once your program is set up, it's time to design your webinar in Adobe Connect. Click on "Design Your Webinar" to launch Adobe Connect. Here, you can create a new room or select an existing template. Customize the room layout with pods for sharing content, conducting polls, and managing Q&A. Adobe Connect offers a lot of flexibility, so you can tailor the experience to fit your needs.

Best Practices for Setting Up Adobe Connect

When it comes to setting up Adobe Connect, there are a few best practices to keep in mind. First, use templates to standardize the look and feel of your webinars. This not only saves time but also ensures consistency across your events. Customize layouts to fit the flow of your event, including lobby, presentation, and Q&A layouts.

Using pods effectively is key to a successful webinar. The Share Pod allows you to upload and share presentations, videos, and other content. The Poll Pod is great for engaging your audience. The Q&A Pod helps you manage questions from participants efficiently, and the Chat Pod facilitates real-time interaction among participants.

Managing participants is another important aspect. Add co-hosts and presenters to help manage the webinar. Use the Attendees pod to monitor and manage participant permissions. This ensures that everything runs smoothly and that you can focus on delivering great content.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

You might have some questions about Interactive Webinars, so let's address a few common ones:

Do I need a separate subscription to use Interactive Webinars?

No, you only need an active Marketo Engage subscription to use Interactive Webinars.

What languages are available for Interactive Webinars?

Interactive Webinars is available in all six Marketo-supported languages: English, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Why do some of my leads have a “Registration Error” status instead of “Registered?”

If the lead’s “first name” or "email" field is empty, they cannot register for the webinar. You can resolve this by entering a valid first name and email.

Conclusion

Setting up an interactive webinar in Marketo and Adobe Connect involves several steps, but with careful planning and the right tools, you can create engaging and effective webinars. In the next part of this series, we will dive deeper into running the webinar and utilizing Adobe Connect's features to enhance participant engagement.

Part Two >>