Why webinar registrants don't show up, and how to raise attendance

You promoted the webinar, the registrations came in, and when you went live only part of the list showed up. This happens to almost every webinar, including those run by people who have done it for years. It doesn't mean the topic was dull or that something went wrong. It means a few days pass between signing up and the broadcast, and life happens in between.

You can't close that gap completely, but you can narrow it quite a bit. This article goes through the usual reasons people don't attend and what to do about each one.

Why people don't show up

Ask registrants who missed a webinar why, and you tend to hear the same answers:

• They forgot. They signed up on Monday and the webinar was on Thursday.
• Something else took the slot: a meeting, the kids, traffic.
• They couldn't find the link, or joining was too fiddly on their phone.
• They assumed there would be a recording and planned to watch it later.
• The interest they felt when registering faded, and it wasn't clear why the hour was worth it.

Each of these has an answer, and some of the answers are very simple.

A confirmation email that does its job

The first email a registrant gets is your best chance to get into their calendar. Make sure it includes:

• The date and time, stated clearly, with the time zone.
• The join link, easy to spot and not buried in a paragraph.
• A way to add the event to their calendar.
• One sentence reminding them what they'll get out of it.

People who add the webinar to their calendar get a reminder from their own phone, not just from you. It's one of the simplest ways to improve attendance.

Reminders at the right moments

One reminder isn't enough when the registration was a week ago. A sequence that works for most webinars:

1. The day before: a reminder with the time, the link and something that sparks curiosity, like a question you'll answer on air.
2. The morning of: a short note.
3. An hour before: the link and one sentence. This is usually the reminder that brings the most people back, because it arrives right when they're deciding what to do with the next hour.

If you have a group or community where your registrants gather, a quick "We're live, here's the link" right as you start also catches people who were running late.

A time that suits your audience

A lot of the problem is solved when you pick the time. Ask yourself when your audience is actually free. Business owners tend to be freer in the morning or at lunchtime. Parents of young children are freer later in the evening. Check that your date doesn't clash with a holiday or a big event your audience cares about.

If your viewers span several time zones, there may be no perfect slot. Pick the one that works for most of them, and make the recording easy to reach for the rest.

When in doubt, ask. A short poll on your email list with two or three options gives you an answer within a day.

Joining without obstacles

Every step between the link and the broadcast loses some people. If they have to install an app, create an account or remember a password, some will give up halfway, especially on a phone and especially when they're already a minute or two late. Joining should be one click on a link.

This is worth checking when you choose a platform, and we go into it in how to choose a webinar platform.

A reason to come live

People who are sure there will be a recording will wait for the recording. And many who wait for it never get around to watching. So give people a reason to attend the live session:

• A Q&A, where you answer the questions of the people in the room.
• Something that only happens live: an offer for attendees, a resource sent only to those who took part, or the chance to come on screen and ask.
• A poll whose result decides what you cover in the second half.

Say so in the confirmation email and the reminders. "We'll finish with half an hour for your questions" is a reason to show up. For more on polls, Q&A and chat, see webinar engagement.

The gap between sign-up and broadcast

The longer the gap between registration and the webinar, the easier it is to forget. That doesn't mean you should only promote a few days ahead, but it does mean you should stay in touch with the people who signed up early. An email halfway through with a small tip on the topic reminds them why they registered, without feeling like one more reminder.

During the broadcast

Attendance isn't only about who joins. Someone who joins can still leave after ten minutes. A few things help people stay:

• Start on time, and give something useful in the first few minutes.
• Say at the start what's coming, including the Q&A at the end.
• Involve the audience: ask a question in the chat, run a poll, mention people by name when they write.

A structure that keeps viewers to the end is laid out in a webinar structure that sells.

And the people who didn't come

Even when you do everything right, some registrants won't attend. They were still interested enough to sign up, so don't write them off. An email the next day with the recording, and the next step you offered on air, brings some of them back. You can also invite them to your next webinar, on a date that may suit them better.

Look at the numbers after each webinar: how many registered, how many came, and how long they stayed. After two or three webinars you'll see what works for your audience, which time, which day and which reminder.

Try it without committing

On Kolcast, everyone who registers gets a personal link by email and a reminder an hour before, and viewers join in one click from the browser, with no download and no account. Afterwards there's a replay at the same link for whoever missed it, and a report of who came and for how long. See the audience's side in the live demo, or read more on the webinars page.