How to create and run a webinar campaign

Webinars are one of the most effective ways to show expertise, build trust and generate high quality leads. They give people a chance to hear from real humans inside your organisation and they give you a chance to share useful, thoughtful insights that stick.

But running a webinar that feels polished, engaging and well attended takes planning. A lot of businesses jump straight to creating slide decks or choosing hosting software, but the real magic comes from having a clear purpose and a smooth process from start to finish.

Here’s how to create and run a webinar the Articulate way.

1. Start with a plan

Begin by deciding who you want to reach and why. Webinars work best when they are designed for a specific audience and a specific need, not a vague topic that tries to appeal to everyone.

At Articulate, we focus on thought leadership in marketing, particularly within healthtech and sustainability. These sectors have unique challenges and opportunities, which means there is plenty of room for focused, helpful content. That is your first task: choose a theme or subject that speaks directly to the people you want to attract.

Good starting questions include:

• What question do we answer all the time?
• What topic keeps coming up in conversations with prospects?
• What misconception do we want to clear up?

Once you have that nailed down, you can build everything else around it.

2. Decide on your tech

The right tools remove friction for you and your audience. We use Riverside.fm to record and broadcast webinars because it offers high quality video, backstage controls and reliable performance. On the campaign side, we use HubSpot to handle registration, promotion and follow ups.

You do not need complicated software. You just need a setup that lets you look and sound good, and a system that manages the admin for you.

3. Create your slides and presentation notes

A strong webinar tells a clear story. Keep your slides simple and visual, as an aid to support your message. Avoid walls of text and focus on one idea per slide. We use Pitch for this.

Prepare short presentation notes to keep your delivery anchored. They should guide you, not script you. People connect better with presenters who sound like themselves rather than someone reading a teleprompter.

4. Build your webinar campaign in HubSpot

This is where the experience really comes together. You will need a few key assets:

• A landing page for sign ups
• A thank you page that confirms registration
• Promotional emails with calendar links for easy one click sign ups
• A reminder email sent shortly before you go live

Make your landing page clear and benefit focused. Tell people exactly what they will learn and why it matters. Include the names of your speakers, a short description of the topic and the length of the session.

5. Run your event

This is the fun part, whether you choose to present live or use a pre-recorded session. Both formats work well, as long as the experience feels polished and engaging.

A few quick presenting tips:

• Start strong with a clear statement of value.
• Keep your energy up, because attendees will multitask.
• Speak to the camera and avoid reading directly from your notes or slides.
• Keep it concise. Most people prefer 30 to 45 minutes.

Before the event, schedule a short tech rehearsal. Check microphones, cameras, lighting, slide sharing and internet stability. Make sure any guest speakers have what they need too, including access to the platform, the correct equipment and a quick run-through of the format.

Invite a colleague to act as moderator so you can focus on presenting. They can monitor questions, manage tech hiccups and support the audience while you speak.

6. Follow up in HubSpot and share your recording

Once the webinar is finished, send a thank you email to all attendees. Include a link to the recording and any promised resources. Send it within 24 hours while the event is still fresh in their minds.

Next, update your landing page and thank you page so they reflect that the webinar has taken place. Replace the sign up form with on demand access. We use Vimeo for hosting recordings because it plays nicely with HubSpot and keeps the quality high.

This is also a great time to:

• Post highlights on social media
• Share the recording with your sales team
• Turn key points into a blog or downloadable guide

7. Make your webinars easy to find on your website

A good webinar does not end when the live session finishes. If you want to extend its value, make sure people can discover past events long after the live date has passed.

Create a dedicated webinars section on your website that lists all upcoming and on demand sessions in one place. It should be easy to browse, filter and search, just like the webinar library on our site. Give visitors the option to explore by topic, industry or date, because most people arrive with a specific need in mind. A curated, well organised library helps them find the right content quickly.

This also extends the long-term impact of your work. A single webinar can continue generating leads, educating prospects and building authority for months, simply because it is easy to access.

The work does not end here

Running a webinar is not a one off activity. It is part of a wider content and marketing strategy. Once one event ends, it’s time to start preparing for the next one.

Look at your analytics to understand what worked. Review sign ups, attendance, engagement and questions. Use that insight to improve your next topic, your next campaign and your next delivery.

Webinars get better every time you run one, so the most important step is simply this: keep going.