Webinars, webconferences… whether for information or training purposes, these online seminars have become widespread tools, including in the world of agriculture. They can also be used by companies to build customer loyalty or attract new prospects. But who is the target audience for this format?
A public looking for continuous improvement
The women farmers* most likely to be interested in a webinar are probably those most open to the search for continuous improvement and innovation. They are actively looking to solve problems or develop practices. Let’s take the example of training courses: women farmers particularly appreciate getting away from the farm and creating links when they go on a half-day or full-day training course. But this also requires time, which they don’t always have. Webinars are therefore an appropriate tool to complement training sessions, without replacing face-to-face sessions. However, webinars can also be used outside a training plan: they can also be used to enrich a person’s knowledge on specific points on an ad hoc basis. Companies specialising in their field can therefore offer webinars to their customers or prospects. However, the only limit is… the Internet! But that’s another problem…
Some potential profiles
Like all training and information tools, webinars are particularly popular with :
– Women farmers looking for practical, effective solutions to specific problems (regulations, new markets, water resource management, pests, etc.);
– Young women farmers or new entrants looking for knowledge or practical advice to help them start or develop their businesses;
– Those wishing to change the type of production or diversify their activities;
– Members of agricultural networks or groups who want to strengthen the group’s skills ;
– And, of course, all the professionals involved: technicians, engineers, sales staff…
One subject, one problem
You have less time to capture the attention of your participants. To avoid flopping, the webinar should address a single, clearly-stated and well-defined subject. Then, the objectives can be diverse.
For example, the tool can be used to share campaign or trial results with a group of women farmers. For example, Arvalis and its crop reports and varietal recommendations.
Or informing farmers about regulatory and legal aspects… e.g. the Recovery Plan, by the Île-de-France Chamber of Agriculture.
Of course, it can also be used to provide training in tools and practices. For example: Comment mettre en place un drive de produits fermiers, by the Chambre d’agriculture de Paca.
And even “coach” women farmers to enable them to practise their profession more serenely. For example, Agridées can communicate on water management as a farmer.
The important thing is to offer something to grind. If you sell agricultural software, why not offer a webinar to your customers to publicise a new feature? If you work in precision agriculture, why not offer sessions with experts to explore specific issues?
Webinars are all about interaction
The main advantage of the webinar format is the exchange between speakers and participants. Unlike a webcast, which is pre-recorded and then broadcast online (on YouTube, for example), a webinar is a presentation broadcast live. Participants can ask questions and make comments, at least in a chat room, if not over the microphone. Then, of course, you can offer a replay for those who can’t make it to the end. Oh, and the webinar, unless it’s part of a paid training course, is generally free!
Avoid exceeding 1 hour
If you’re planning a call to action, it shouldn’t come too quickly. Whatever the reason for organising the session (building audience loyalty, generating leads, boosting sales, etc.), it’s essential to give participants what they’re looking for so that they want to convert. So there is no hard and fast rule about the length of a webinar. However, according to Zentio, the most popular length is 1 hour: around 5 minutes to welcome participants and introduce yourself, 40-45 minutes to talk about your subject, and 10-15 minutes for discussion. This last part can overflow, but that’s about it. If you have a lot to say, you can also propose different sessions over several weeks.
*Editor’s note: in this article, to avoid inclusive writing, which is not always easy to read, we use the feminine form instead of the masculine. The agricultural sector (farms, consultancy, veterinary practices, research, etc.) includes many women. This change of point of view is going to make you feel strange, but it’s worth getting to grips with it!