1) Webinars have become an essential way for industrial marketers to connect with engineers as they seek online educational content and professional development. 2) Survey results show that webinars are one of the most effective ways engineers maintain and advance their professional skills. 3) Both engineers and marketers see value in webinars, with over 80% of engineers viewing them as valuable for research.

1. GlobalSpec
State of the Union:
Webinars in the B2B
Industrial Space
GlobalSpec.com/advertising
How engineers are using webinars –
and what they value

2. GlobalSpec.com/advertising sales@GlobalSpec.com 800-261-2052
2021 Pulse of Engineering, GlobalSpec
Introduction
Webinars have long been one of the easiest and most effective ways for industrial marketers to connect
with their audience. However, in 2020 they became even more essential as a connection point. Even as in-
person events return, webinars continue to be a strong source of engagement and learning for engineers.
Our State of the Union: Webinars will review not only updated best practices and tips for cutting through
the webinar clutter, but also provides a fresh look at how webinars have changed over the last year.
Why Webinars?
In an era where engineering, technical, and industrial professionals are being bombarded with information,
they continue to seek out webinars for valuable and timely educational information. In the latest GlobalSpec
Pulse of Engineering survey, we asked engineers what types of content were most effective in advancing their
professional skills. Webinars ranked near the top of the list.
What are the four most effective ways that you systematically or formally maintain, educate, and
advance your professional skills?
0% 15% 30% 45%
Training courses offered online
Colleague/Peer-to-peer
Webinars
Books
Professional development courses
Training provided by vendors
Certification training
Training provided by
professional associations
Technical white papers by vendors
Professional development courses from
university extension programs
Industry conferences
Video
I do not have a systematic/formal method
of advancing my professional skills
43%
41%
41%
35%
34%
31%
29%
29%
28%
25%
24%
23%
16%

3. 2021 Smart Marketing for Engineers, GlobalSpec and TREW Marketing
GlobalSpec.com/advertising sales@GlobalSpec.com 800-261-2052
Why Webinars?
A recent Smart Marketing for Engineers survey conducted by GlobalSpec and TREW Marketing asked
engineers expressly about the value of webinars. Eighty-three percent of engineers viewed them to be very
valuable or somewhat valuable.
How valuable are the following types of content when researching information to
make a product or services purchase decision?
Datasheet
Case study
White paper
Product demo video
How-to video
Webinar
Print catalog
Roi calculator
Trade publication article
In-depth blog post
Podcast
Very valuable Somewhat valuable Not very valuable
73% 24% 3%
41% 50% 9%
40% 48% 12%
39% 50% 11%
34% 50% 16%
31% 52% 17%
28% 49% 23%
23% 48% 29%
21% 59% 20%
14% 52% 34%
9% 52% 39%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

4. Since engineers are continuously telling us how much they value webinars, it comes as no surprise that B2B
marketers also value the platform. Fifty-six percent of marketers say they will create more webinars next year.
Around one-third (34%) of survey respondents ran between 50 and 150 webinars in 2020, with a little less
than half (44%) running up to 50.
ON24 Webinar Benchmarks 2021
% of marketers who say they will
create more webinars next year
57%
34%
% of marketers who say they will
create more webinars in 2021
% of survey respondents who ran 50-150
webinars in 2020
GlobalSpec.com/advertising sales@GlobalSpec.com 800-261-2052
The numbers are clear. Engineers look to webinars as a quick, easy, and cost-effective way to continue their
education, discover the newest products, and learn about industry trends. The virtual conferences are easy for
engineers to join during their busy workdays, either live or on-demand, and offer an efficient way to interact with
leading industry experts and vendors. For this reason, leading industrial marketers include webinars in their
marketing strategy, and invest the proper time and resources into ensuring that their content is of the
highest quality and relevance.
34%
56%

5. GlobalSpec.com/advertising sales@GlobalSpec.com 800-261-2052
2021 Benchmarks, BrightTALK
Webinar Content Trends
While webinars are not new to the industrial marketer’s toolkit, they have become even more essential to reaching
engineers and technical professionals. GlobalSpec delivered more webinars in 2020 than ever before.
Professionals are becoming increasingly choosy when it comes to webinars. Data shows that best practices, case
studies, and industry trends and predictions are winning content types.
Webinar Attendees Prefer Tips, Case Studies, and Industry News
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Tips, tricks, and best practices
Course (informal) - Learn at your own pace
Solution case studies
Industry trends & predictions
Course - Sessions released on a
regular cadence
Data insights and original research
Product trainings
Expert interviews
Product demonstrations or reviews
Panel discussions of 2-4 speakers
Panel discussions of 4+ speakers
67%
53%
53%
50%
46%
46%
44%
43%
37%
36%
21%

6. Webinars By Day
The long-held marketing belief that webinar content should be promoted in the middle of the week still proves to
be the trend, with the highest amount of webinar registrations happening on Wednesday. Tuesday and Thursday
are not far behind with both days seeing around a nine percent decrease in registrations when compared to
Wednesday. The first and last day of the week have the smallest amount of registrations, with Monday seeing an
18 percent decrease in registrants when compared to Wednesday and Friday seeing a 23 percent decrease.
GlobalSpec.com/advertising sales@GlobalSpec.com 800-261-2052
GlobalSpec Webinar Data
0
100
200
300
400
500
FRI
THUR
WED
TUES
MON
358
395
438
397
339
Average Webinar Registrants

7. GlobalSpec.com/advertising sales@GlobalSpec.com 800-261-2052
On-Demand is in Demand
Another rising trend is viewing webinars on-demand. After a long and involved campaign to advertise your webinar,
you may be tempted to judge its performance based on live views. However, we often see that more than two-
thirds of total views come after the original run date of the webinar.
It’s easy to imagine why – your content is intriguing to your audience, but impromptu meetings and
pressing deadlines mean that they can’t always carve out time during the hour you selected. It’s a great sign
when viewers seek out a webinar to catch up at a later date.
Our data is consistent with industry standards, which report that 84% of B2B consumers opt for replays over live
webinars. As stated earlier, we suggest that you shouldn’t judge the success of a webinar until 90 days after the
original air date, when the number of attendees is expected to level off.
When Do Engineers Register for Webinars?
Before Webinar
Day of Webinar
After Webinar
It’s Not All One-Sided
As we know, webinars are extremely valuable to engineers and technical professionals. As a result, they’re willing
to spend up to an hour watching a webinar, far longer than they engage with most other content. But since they
are constantly flooded with content options, many industrial marketers are experimenting with ways to modernize
the webinar experience and drive deeper engagement. This deeper engagement keeps an audience watching
for longer, ensuring you have time to get your full message across.
To drive engagement, consider utilizing webinar platform features like live polling and interactive Q&A. Polls allow
you to get to know your audience and their experience level with a topic, so that you can make sure to provide
relevant content. Interactive Q&A makes viewers feel seen and heard, they'll feel included in the event and
ensures they get the value they’re looking for.
Many marketers are understandably uneasy about engaging in spontaneous interactions during webinars. If
this is a concern for you, or if you are planning to pre-record your webinar, you can turn to pre-show
engagement to make sure your content is relevant. Use social media or email to solicit questions ahead of time.
Then you’ll have a better understanding of what your customers’ are looking for and can be sure to address their
queries. You can even provide prompts to engage with your audience before the webinar even begins.
Tips for Creating a Successful Webinar

8. • Coordinate an ideal promotion schedule – A successful webinar is not built in a day. You should begin plans
for your content at least eight weeks in advance. Start thinking about the audience, topic, and materials. Your
promotion should include your initial invite, a reminder, and emails when your webinar is available on demand.
• Don’t try to be everything to everyone – Your topic should focus on solving a prominent problem for your
audience. Before diving into content, make sure to define your goal. What message is right for this stage of the
customer journey? Make sure to align your subject matter to your customers’ interests and pain points.
• Strike a balance between education and product pitch – Engineers can spot a sales pitch a mile away. Your
webinar should provide value and education that engineers cannot find anywhere else. Tap into the unique
information that only your organization can provide. Coordinate with subject matter experts internally, or
consider asking an analyst in your field to contribute.
• Get on board with training – Engineers are most interested in training and up-skilling, followed by insight and
industry trends. Think about what you can teach engineers, or what industry insight you are uniquely positioned
to provide.
• Success starts with the title – List titles attract more registrants than non-list titles. Try to choose a title that
includes “How To,” “101,” “A New Way to,” or “Trends in.” Titles like this will help avoid the feeling of an
upcoming sales pitch.
• Include visual interest – Focus on the visual aspect of the slideshow. Don't overcrowd it with too many notes.
Use charts when providing data, keep your audience’s interest with video clips when possible.
• Experiment with interactive tools – Another way to hold your audience’s attention is to get them involved.
Make sure to solicit questions before the webinar, as well as during the presentation, if possible. If the poll
option is available to you, it can provide valuable insight into your audience and even help you tailor your
content.
• Use webinar questions as ideas for future content offerings – A successful webinar is not only measured in
attendance and leads. Monitor the questions you receive, even if you don’t answer them during the
live broadcast, to gain insight into your audience. The polling tool can also help you meet your
audience where they are in terms of sophistication.
GlobalSpec.com/advertising sales@GlobalSpec.com 800-261-2052
Tips for a Successful Webinar
Conclusion
Webinars have been known as an essential learning tool for engineers, and their value increased during the
pandemic. Which makes this the right time to look at webinars as a way to engage with your audience and
educate them on your value as an organization. Choosing engaging content and properly promoting your event
are key factors for success and offering an on-demand option increases your chance of drawing in a larger
viewership. If you're looking for cost-effective marketing strategies that can yield valuable and high quality leads,
then his is a tool you need to invest in.