Business Briefcase: Pocono Health System division gets 4-star rating

Visiting nurse and hospice care score tops region The Pocono Health System Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care recently received a 4-star rating, the highest in the region, from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services placing Pocono Health System Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care above both state and national averages in CMS' first-ever patient experience [...]

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9 Ways to Get Dirt Cheap Term Life Insurance

The biggest excuse that people have have for not buying life insurance is they say it costs too much.

Really?  Too much?

A recent survey found that those that had life insurance 2/3 of them paid less than $100/month for coverage.  Of those, almost half paid less than $50/month.

Did you catch that?  $50/month for cheap term life insurance.

Let’s get things straight: Life Insurance is NOT expensive.

In fact, term life insurance is super cheap. Stop making excuses and buy some.

Here are seven tips in helping you get the cheapest term life rate possible.

1. Don’t procrastinate

Unless you’re Jack Palance and doing one-arm pushups at the Oscars at the age of 70, the chances are as you get older, your health is going to decline. Surprise, surprise. Procrastinating in buying your term life insurance can have a drastic impact when you go to apply.

I know what you’re thinking:

Oh, nothing will ever happen to me.

Tell that to the 37-year-old male who had no prior condition but had a heart attack at the age of 32. Luckily, he’s okay, but due to complications that resulted from the heart attack, getting life insurance is not impossible, but it’s super expensive. Super expensive does not equal cheap.

The longer you wait, the more expensive life insurance could be. Every year that you get older, your term life monthly premiums could go up by as much as 10%. Every year that you age is one year closer to death (fun thought right?), which means that insurance companies have to charge you more to earn their money back.

Find the Best Life Insurance Rates

Enter your zip code below and be sure to click at least 2-3 companies to find the very best rate.

2. Cut out the crap

If your idea of the three healthy food groups is Cheetos, hot dogs and Ben and Jerry’s, then eventually you’re going to pay in more ways than one.

Eating crap, aka junk food, can have drastic effects on your cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure, which can crank up your insurance premiums super quickly. While these foods are delicious, are they really worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars every year? Instead of sitting down with the soda and potatoes chips, reach for the veggies and hummus.

Other crap includes smoking, chewing tobacco, and even over consumption of alcohol. Cirrhosis, anyone? One of the best ways to get cheap rates is to kick all the bad habits. If you’re a smoker, cut that crap out! Kicking the habit will save you thousands of dollars every year (not to mention the money you save from not buying cigarettes).

If you’re trying to get the cheapest term life rate possible, you have to cut out the crap. Harmful habits can cause your monthly premiums to go through the roof.

I had a buddy of mine who was young and in good health and applied for term life insurance. Initially, I had quoted him the best rate, preferred plus. Little did I know that he had a secret habit of chewing tobacco. His rates almost tripled because of it. Crap like tobacco can cause your rates to go down the toilet.

If you already have a life insurance policy, but you’ve kicked a bad habit like smoking, you can have your policy reevaluated. It’s easy to have your policy reevaluated, in most cases you just have to ask your insurance agent. Depending on how long you’ve kicked these habits, you could receive a lower monthly rate.

3. Slow down

A good friend of mine used to drag race cars as a weekend hobby. Supposedly, that weekend hobby transferred over into wherever he drove. His lead foot resulted in several traffic violations, not only increasing his auto insurance premium, but also jacking up his life insurance premium.

You might not know it, but your driving record can affect your life insurance rates. Having several accidents or speeding tickets could jack up (pun intended) your monthly premiums. Because of all the deaths that occur due to reckless driving, line insurance agents have started looking at driving records as a part of the application process.

Sure, going 10, 20, or even 30 M.P.H. over the speed limit might save you a couple of minutes, but it could break your bank. Stop driving like Jimmie Johnson – you’re not a NASCAR driver! Make sure that your term rates don’t get caught speeding, too.

4. Don’t forget the family

When applying for life insurance, many people don’t realize that family history comes into play, too. Even if you are super fit, but you’ve had a parent pass away prematurely (think before the age of 70), for a condition that could be hereditary, like heart disease in fathers for sons, or breast cancer in mothers for daughters, it could mean bad news for your insurance premiums.

If those conditions took their life, that could mean an immediate disapproval in the worst case scenario or a higher rated class in the best case scenario. Obviously, some conditions you can’t control with your parents, but if they’re not exercising and taking good care of themselves, you have an incentive to speak up.

If you don’t know your family history, or your adopted, don’t worry it isn’t going to hurt you. Be honest with your agent and tell them that you don’t know how healthy your family history is. So, before you start looking for cheap life insurance, call Uncle Bobby and see how his health is doing.

5. Shop independently

Back in the day, my wife used to sell insurance for a big outfit. Since I was also able to offer insurance, we did a comparison. We based it off a quote that she did for a male individual applying for term life. When we ran the quote with her company and me with my brokerage firm that can use any carrier, amazingly, it was more expensive to go directly through her, even though we were both offering the same company and the exact same products. Lesson learned: it pays to shop around.

For those of you that may not know, there are stark differences between a captive insurance agent and an independent insurance agent. Captive insurance agents usually represent one company and can only offer policies from that company. Independent agents are allowed to represent several different insurance agencies and are not tied to one specific business.

Using a captive agent could be much more expensive, even if you bundle all your policies together. Make sure to use an independent agent who can quote you among various carriers. This is even more crucial if you have some health condition that qualifies you as a high-risk individual.

Aside from being less expensive, there are several advantages to using an independent agent. One major advantage of independent agents is if/when your premiums ever go up, they can notify you and begin to search for a better policy.

6. Stop living like Sir Richard Branson

It’s always fun to take a little bit of risk to get your heart rate going. A scary roller-coaster ride, skiing, tubing behind a boat are all good examples of this. Even the top life insurers don’t think twice if you partake in any of these activities.

If you’re a sky-diver, space jumper, crocodile wrestler, that’s a completely different story. Just because Richard Branson likes to do crazy things doesn’t mean that you need to too, especially if you’re trying to get cheap term insurance. You don’t have to quit all of your hobbies and live in a bubble. You can still continue to do the things you love, as long as your hobbies are safe.

Aside from skydiving, several hobbies can raise your premiums that you might not think about. Activities like riding a motorcycle, hunting, boating, and scuba diving can cause your monthly premiums to go up anywhere from $500 – $2,000 every year.

7. Get off your tush!

Just because you aren’t wrestling crocodiles doesn’t mean you should be sitting at home on the couch binge watching your favorite television show. Regular exercise can significantly reduce your chances of having healthy complications or being diagnosed with diseases. Being active and at a healthy body weight is important when shopping for a cheap life insurance policy.

The American Heart Association suggests getting at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise every day. This exercise can be anything from lifting weights, jogging, playing tennis, or even dancing. Being active will make you healthier, feel better, and lower your monthly insurance rates. Similar to dumping bad habits, it you’ve lost a lot of weight and began to exercise, it’s a good idea to ask your agent for a policy reevaluation to see if you’re eligible for lower monthly premiums.

Some insurance companies even offer incentive programs to their customers. These programs are working to make their enrollees healthier and live longer. Each Wellness program is different, but most of them include some “point system” that reduces rates depending on how many points you accumulate. These programs typically include an activity tracker to measure the amount of exercise you do every day.

8. You can’t handle the truth

I recently took a call from a gentleman who was applying for life insurance and had recently gotten turned down by MetLife. He had used Select Quote as his insurance provider, and he had failed to disclose certain information about his past: a certain health condition. Through underwriting, the health condition was discovered, and sure enough, he was declined.

When applying for life insurance, you have to be transparent. You must share everything about your medical history, especially if it’s going to come back on your records. You might not be able to handle the truth, but the insurance companies will, and will do so by denying you. Lying to the life insurance agent does nothing but slow the process down and cause you more trouble in the end. The insurance agent wants to help you get the best rates possible; they are working on your team, being 100% honest is important.

9. Only buy what you need

The goal of life insurance policies is to provide for your loved ones after you passing. Because death is a scaring topic, many consumers get worried about leaving their loved ones with thousands of dollars in debt. This fear will cause a lot of people to buy a larger policy than they need. If you’re looking for a dirt-cheap life insurance policy, take some time to look at your current lifestyle, annual expenses, and any debts that you would leave behind. Debts like mortgage, student loans, and credit cards can quickly add up and leave your family saddled with debt if something tragic were to happen. After you’ve evaluated all those things, you can begin to decide how large of a life insurance policy you need.

Many financial experts suggest reevaluating your life insurance needs once every couple years. Because your life changes so frequently, you might find that your life insurance needs change also. Having children, paying off your house, or going back to college can drastically change your financial situation, which could impact the amount of life insurance you need. Don’t get scared into paying for more insurance than you need.

Dirt Cheap Life Insurance

Life insurance is important for any family. No family should ever have to worry about covering the final expenses of their loved ones. Life insurance will not only pay for bills if something were to happen to you, but it also gives you peace of mind knowing your family is taken care of. Getting cheap term life insurance is not difficult.  Get your free quote now so you can have a policy in place as soon as possible.

Find the Best Life Insurance Rates

Enter your zip code below and be sure to click at least 2-3 companies to find the very best rate.

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6 High-Paying Jobs That Require a Bachelor’s — But Not a Grad Degree

I truly detested school.

I was a good student, but I hated being told what to learn. The day I turned in my last college paper was one of the happiest of my life.

If you’re like me, and want to be done after four years of college, listen up…

Glassdoor just released its 2016 list of the 25 highest-paying jobs.

The only problem? Several of them — like physician, lawyer and pharmacist — require a graduate degree.  

Since not everyone wants to be in school for a million years, I thought I’d pull out a handful of jobs you can get with just a bachelor’s.

Yes, several of the positions are managerial — meaning you won’t reach them until you have some experience under your belt — but you’ll still earn an awesome salary as an entry-level employee in these industries.

To help you envision your career path, I used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to include similar jobs and salaries you could get without experience — eventually working up to the killer salaries on Glassdoor’s list.

So, while your friends in med and law school are paying out the nose, you’ll be earning a boatload and climbing the career ladder.

The 6 Highest-Paying Jobs That Don’t Require Grad School

Here are six jobs from Glassdoor’s list of the highest-paying jobs in America… no grad school required.

1. Software Development Manager

No big news here: Software jobs are hot. Really hot.

You’ll need several years of experience to become a software development manager and earn a median salary of $132,000, but pay for software developers (the stepping stone) isn’t too shabby.

The median salary is $97,990, with openings predicted to grow by 17% in the next eight years.

2. Integrated Circuit Designer Engineer

This career is pretty specific — with a whopping $127,500 median salary to match — but a broader field of study to consider is electrical and electronics engineering.

Openings aren’t expected to grow much between now and 2024, but the median pay is $93,260.

So if you love tinkering with motors and other equipment, it’s definitely worth a look!

3. IT Manager

Again, tech is king. Too bad that side of my brain doesn’t exist.

You’ll need at least five years of experience to become an IT manager. To get there, start as a computer systems analyst.

These jobs pay a pretty penny: $82,710. Even better, jobs openings are expected to grow by a whopping 21%!

4. Finance Manager

Love numbers? Finance managers oversee the financial health of various organizations.

To become a manager, you’ll need at least five years of experience — and you could earn a whopping $115,230 per year.

But fresh out of college, you could land a job as a financial analyst. The median salary for this position is $78,620.

5. Actuary

Remember Ben Stiller’s character in “Along Came Polly”? As an actuary, you’ll provide risk analysis for the insurance industry.

You’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree and pass a series of exams to get licensed.

And although you probably won’t get to date Jennifer Aniston like Stiller’s character, I still have good news: You could earn a median salary of $96,700, with openings expected to grow by 18% in the next decade.  

6. Computer Network Architect

You don’t need a graduate degree to land a job as a computer network architect, but you do need experience.

Start as a network and computer system administrator, and move up the ladder.

The median salary for this position is $75,790, and if you gain enough experience to become a computer network architect, it jumps to $98,430.

Want more? Check out these 12 majors that pretty much guarantee you’ll land a baller job.

Your Turn: Do any of these jobs interest you?

Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

The post 6 High-Paying Jobs That Require a Bachelor’s — But Not a Grad Degree appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Cord Cutters: Why Millennials Are Saying Goodbye to Cable TV

Judging from media chatter, social media sharing, and recent award shows, many of today’s most exciting TV shows aren’t actually on TV. At least not basic cable. They’re on streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, and premium cable channels like HBO and Showtime.

You probably know this. You might already be watching “Game of Thrones” on HBO Go, using your Amazon Prime subscription to tune into “Transparent,” and streaming “Orange Is the New Black” with your friend’s Netflix account. And you’re not about to miss a word Cookie says on Fox’s “Empire.” On Hulu.

Whether you’re into TV, movies, or sports (or all three), cutting cable won’t cut you off, but it might just save you upwards of $1,000 in a year.

When the Golden Age of Television isn’t on traditional cable, choices have to be made. Subscribing to every service to watch all the great shows can cost an insane amount of money, especially if you’ve also got a cable account.

The next thought you may have is: “I’ll just get a rid of cable.” Great! It’s probably the right choice, but it also involves navigating a maze of competing services and devices. Luckily, we’re here to walk you through the cord-cutting landscape and figure out the cheapest way to watch the shows you love.

The Best Shows Aren’t Just on Basic Cable

What Is Cord Cutting?

“Cord cutting” might be one of the buzziest terms in entertainment right now. Cord cutters are people — mostly young people — who cancel a traditional cable package in favor of services like Netflix, Hulu, and others that stream over the Internet. You can watch shows from these services on a smartphone or tablet via an app, or on your TV through a media hub like an Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or a video game console.

Cord cutting isn’t a new movement, but its adoption has accelerated in recent years, especially among millennials. One in four millennials doesn’t subscribe to cable and 11% of them never have (they’re called “cord nevers”). As a whole, cable providers lost 600,000 customers in just three months last year, compared with 500,000 in all of 2014. So yeah, this is a thing.

Cable Subscriptions Are Plummeting

Why are consumers cutting the cord? Three main reasons:

• Cost: Cable is expensive and it’s getting pricier. In fact, the cost of a set-top cable box has shot up 185% since 1994. (Tech prices are supposed to go down over time, not up.)
• Channel selection: We aren’t wowed by hundreds of channels anymore. We’d rather just pay for what we watch. If our favorite shows are on Hulu and Amazon, why pay for 20 sports channels and the Hallmark Channel? (And wait, what is the Hallmark Channel anyway?)
• Convenience: We want to watch our shows anytime and anywhere, and streaming services let us do just that.

The Savings

Not everyone will save the same amount of money by getting rid of cable. It’ll really depend on what you like to watch.

That said, there are a few costs that are universal to all cable subscribers. One is equipment fees, which you definitely won’t miss. They add up to around $231 a year (that’s roughly the cost of a new Apple TV and a year-long Netflix subscription). Then there are the monthly fees. They average around $100 today, depending on where you live, and they’ve increased 93% since 1993.

So how much could you save? If you love movies, for example, grab a $35 Google Chromecast and a $7.99/month Netflix subscription and you’ll save nearly $1,000 in one year. If you’re a TV fan, you can buy an Amazon Fire TV for $100 and subscriptions to HBO Now, Showtime, Amazon Prime, and Hulu for around $42 a month to save nearly $400 in one year.

In both scenarios, you could forgo the Hulu or Netflix subscription in favor of your local library’s free collection of films and shows, which, in some cases, are also available to stream. (Check out the visual below for more combinations and consumer-specific options.)

The Evolution of Cord Cutting

Millennial cord cutters are on the frontlines of disrupting the media industry. They want fewer fees, smaller channel bundles, and more flexibility to watch content on their smartphones and tablets. Cable providers are realizing they have to cave in to at least some of these demands if they’re ever going to get cord cutters back as subscribers. And the streaming services are going to keep sweetening their deals, too. Here are some recent developments:

• More selection: Early cord cutters were forced to make due with just a few apps and limited TV channels. Apple recently introduced ABC, NBC, A&E, and National Geographic to its Apple TV 4th generation users.
• Live programming: If you really love a show, you probably want to watch it when it airs, not an hour or a day later. You’re not alone, and the cable networks hear you. The aforementioned channels on Apple TV all carry forms of live TV, though some require a cable subscription. Sports can be a bit trickier when it comes to live action (more on that later).
• Cable packages for cord cutters: Cable providers know you’re unhappy with the current state of affairs, and they’re offering smaller and cheaper packages. Verizon, for instance, now offers a $55/month slimmed-down sports package. Cablevision’s Optimum also recently released a package for viewers who only want network TV. They’ll get high-speed Internet for streaming needs and an antenna for basic broadcast channels for $44/month.

What You’ll Need

New tech and services are rolling out every year, which means it’s tricky to stay on top of this stuff. We all just want to be able to watch our shows, right? Don’t fret. Below, we break down the major services, streaming devices, and other hardware you can use to enjoy your favorite TV shows, games, and movies without a cable box. Start by answering two simple questions:

 

Question 1: How do you watch your shows?

ON MY SMART TV
Smart TVs generally come loaded with popular apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Instant Video. Most connected TVs, however, don’t carry the variety of apps and channels that dedicated streaming devices, like the Roku boxes, do. So, you won’t need a set-top box but you might still want one.

ON MY TV
As mentioned, some cable companies are reaching out to cord cutters, offering packages that include high-speed Internet and TV via a digital antenna. Now, if you’re a millennial, you might be thinking, “Why would I need an antenna in 2016?” Here’s why: The four major networks (CBS, FOX, NBC, and ABC), PBS, and the CW, as well as many smaller networks, broadcast digitally over the air in most markets, meaning you can watch each channel with that antenna — for free. If you just want to watch popular shows like “NCIS” or “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and, say, the local news or Sunday’s football game, that antenna might be all you need. Just make sure you have the right one. AntennaWeb’s handy tool can help you figure out how close you are to the nearest transmitter, what type of antenna you’ll need, and how many channels you’ll receive. This will be the cheapest option for cord cutters, but it’ll also yield the least content. You’re basically living in the ’50s, at the mercy of network programming. But, like we said, it’s free. (More on this below.)

If you want access to more than just network shows, you’ll need a streaming device. And here’s where you’ll run into a variety of hardware — everything from the simple (a USB streaming stick) to the feature-rich (streaming boxes and DVRs) to the specialized (game consoles).

ON MY COMPUTER
No TV? No problem. You can still access content on your computer. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Instant Video, Sling TV, and premium channels like HBO and Showtime are all accessible on your desktop or laptop without a dedicated streaming device.

ON MY PHONE OR TABLET
If you’re constantly on the go, access to content is simply a mobile app download (typically free) and a streaming service subscription away.

 

Question 2: What do you watch?

SPORTS
“If I get rid of cable, I’ll miss my games!” While this thinking may have been true a few years ago, sports networks have their own streaming apps and they’re much more user-friendly these days. If you love your sports, consider swapping out your cable subscription for a media hub (a.k.a. streaming box), a basic subscription to Sling TV ($20/month), and an HD antenna for some local action. That subscription comes with ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and TNT. If you break it down by sport, you’ll get a good bit of live NFL, NBA, and MLB action as well as access to popular shows like “Mike & Mike,” “Monday Night Football,” and “Baseball Tonight.”

That said, local games remain an issue. For now, blackout rules apply for sport-specific streaming channels like NBA League Pass ($99.99 for the season) and MLB.TV Premium ($110/year) that let you watch every team except your own. Some leagues, though, are rethinking their blackout strategies given recent lawsuits.

This is probably sounding a bit pricey, right? It really isn’t. The total cost of a Chromecast stick, HD antenna, and subscriptions to Sling TV and one sport-specific channel are still nearly $780 less than a year of cable.

PREMIUM CHANNELS
Want to give up cable but can’t imagine life without “Game of Thrones” or “Homeland”? Not a problem. Today, premium networks offer their current programs and archives without a cable subscription. Both HBO Now ($14.99/month) and Showtime Anytime ($10.99/month) are available on all the major set-top boxes and media hubs as well as on mobile and online. Hulu subscribers can layer Showtime on top of their package at a reduced rate.

MOVIES
When it comes to movie libraries, Netflix and Amazon reign over other streaming services. That isn’t to say they have every film, especially new, popular releases. If you’re a real movie buff, complement your Netflix or Amazon subscription with occasional iTunes, Amazon Video, or Google Play rentals (about $4 to $5 across the board) that you can play on your TV using your set-top box or stream from your mobile device.

NETWORK TV
The simplest way to watch live TV without cable is to buy that antenna we talked about earlier and get your network broadcasts the old-fashioned way. NBC and CBS also have apps on Roku and Apple TV, but CBS only offers certain live broadcasts in its paid subscription service, and NBC requires users to input their cable credentials to receive its full offerings. If you don’t mind watching your favorite network shows after they air, a simple Hulu membership should do the job.

COMBO
For only $36 a month, you can subscribe to Sling TV, Hulu, and Netflix, and get a mix of live cable channels (including live sports), heaps of TV shows the day after they air, and a robust selection of movies and past seasons of popular shows. It’s a great price with lots of flexibility and viewing options.

What to Get

Ready to cut the cord? Great. We took a look at all the popular options for your streaming needs, so you can compare them side by side.

Streaming Sticks

For new cord cutters, the fact that a streaming stick and a media box, such as a Roku, can do similar things may seem odd. Don’t let the streaming stick’s small stature fool you, though: It’s capable of housing the same popular streaming services that set-top boxes do. In fact, consumers often prefer streaming sticks because they’re unobtrusive and easily transportable.

How do they work? Most new streaming sticks plug into an HDMI port in your TV. They have their own interfaces and carry apps (some are native to the stick while others are third-party apps like Netflix or Hulu). You also get access to games and music. Some streaming sticks come with a remote while others require you to use your smartphone to navigate the interface. The number of apps and media it holds depends on the storage capacity.

Product	Amazon Fire TV Stick	Google Chromecast (2015)	Roku Streaming Stick
Price (MSRP)	$39.99	$35.00	$49.99
Wi-Fi	Dual-band, dual-antenna 802.11a/b/g/n (MIMO)	802.11b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n
Video Resolution (max.)	1080p	1080p	1080p
Memory	1GB	512MB	512MB
Storage	8GB (flash)	2GB	256MB
Dedicated Remote Control	Yes	No	Yes
Dimensions (in inches)	3.3 x 1.0 x 0.5	2.0 x 2.0 x 0.5	3.1 x 1.1 x 0.5
Weight (in ounces)	0.9	1.4	5.0
The One Thing You Need to Know	The remote supports voice search, so you can instantly get to the content you want.	There’s no dedicated remote or on-screen interface, so you’ll need to use your smartphone, tablet, or PC.	You can set up Roku Feed to “follow” movies, TV shows, and even actors, so you get updates when there’s new, related content available.
	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More

Streaming Boxes

With an overhauled Apple TV (4th generation), a refreshed Amazon Fire TV, and continued excellence from Roku’s line, you may find you don’t miss your old cable a bit.

Streaming boxes work similarly to the sticks mentioned above. Not surprisingly, there are some differences. First, there’s some cabling involved (you’ll need to plug in for power and connect the box to the TV using an HDMI cable). And, set-top boxes have more horsepower, which means they run faster and operate a bit more seamlessly. They also give you the option of connecting via Ethernet instead of over Wi-Fi.

Product	Amazon Fire TV	Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition	Apple TV 32GB	Apple TV 64GB	Roku 1	Roku 2	Roku 3	Roku 4
Price  (MSRP)	$99.99	$139.99	$149.00	$199.00	$49.99	$59.99	$99.99	$129.99
Memory	2GB	2GB	2GB	2GB	Undisclosed	Undisclosed	512MB	1.5GB
Storage	8GB	8GB	32GB	64GB	Undisclosed	Undisclosed	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
HDMI (max.)	4K Ultra HD up to 30fps; 720p and 1080p up to 60fps	4K Ultra HD up to 30fps; 720p and 1080p up to 60fps	4K Ultra HD	4K Ultra HD	1080p	1080p	1080p	4K Ultra HD
Wi-Fi	Dual-band, dual-antenna 802.11ac (MIMO)	Dual-band, dual-antenna 802.11ac (MIMO)	802.11ac (MIMO)	802.11ac (MIMO)	Undisclosed	Dual-band 802.11b/g/n	Dual-band 802.11b/g/n	802.11ac (MIMO), dual-band 802.11b/g/n
Additional Ports/Interfaces	10/100 Ethernet, DC jack, microSD slot, USB 2.0	10/100 Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.1, DC jack, microSD slot, USB 2.0	10/100 Ethernet,  Bluetooth 4.0, IR receiver, USB‑C	10/100 Ethernet,  Bluetooth 4.0, IR receiver, USB‑C	Composite video	Ethernet, USB	Ethernet, USB 2.0	10/100  Ethernet, microSD card, USB
Remote Control Included	Yes	Optional	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Voice Search	Yes	Yes	Siri	Siri	No	Yes, with app	Yes	Yes
Dimensions (HxWxD, in inches)	0.7 x 4.5 x 4.5	0.7 x 4.5 x 4.5	1.4 x 3.9 x 3.9	1.4 x 3.9 x 3.9	3.2 x 3.7 x 3.7	1.0 x 3.5 x 3.5	1.0 x 3.5 x 3.5	0.8 x 6.5 x 6.5
Weight (in ounces)	9.5	9.5	15.0	15.0	3.5	5.0	5.0	14.4
The One Thing You Need to Know	Alexa voice search gives the Fire TV a leg up on other media hubs’ search platforms.	If you’re going to game with your Fire TV, the Gaming Edition, which comes with a controller, two games (Shovel Knight and Disney DuckTales), and a 32GB microSD card, makes sense.	No on/off switch here, but you can put your device to “sleep” by holding down the Home button.	You might not need the extra storage if you use the cloud for photos and videos.	Its composite cables make it good for consumers who own an older TV.	This stripped-down Roku has video output jacks for older TVs.	While similar to the Roku 2, it’s got a better remote and search.	It’s worth it if you want the best 4K-enabled streaming.
	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More

Streaming Game Consoles

Millennials looking to shed their cable bill may only have to look as far as their game console. Many modern systems feature the same apps and streaming power of set-top boxes and sticks.

Product	NVIDIA SHIELD	Sony PlayStation TV	Sony PlayStation 4	Xbox One
Price (MSRP)	$199.99	$99.00	$349.00	$349.00
Memory	3GB	512MB	8GB	8GB
Storage Capacity	16GB	8GB	500GB	500GB
HDMI (max.)	4K playback at 60fps, 4K capture at 30fps	1080p	1080p	1080p
Wi-Fi	802.11ac (2x2 MIMO)	802.11n	802.11b/g/n	802.11a/b/g/n
Additional Ports/Interfaces	Gigabit Ethernet, IR receiver, microSD slot, Micro-USB 2.0, two USB 3.0	10/100Base-T Ethernet, USB	10Base-T/100Base-T/100Base-TX Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.1 (EDR)	Gigabit Ethernet, three USB 3.0
Game Controller Included	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Remote Control Included	Yes	No	No	No
Dimensions (HxWxD, in inches)	1.0 x 8.3 x 5.1	0.5 x 4.1 x 2.6	2.1 x 12.0 x 10.8	3.25 x 13.1 x 10.5
Weight (in pounds)	1.4	0.24	6.2	7
The One Thing You Need to Know	You’ll need to use the game controller as a remote.	There’s no Netflix or Hulu app support yet.	In addition to being able to stream from your PC and USB stick, you can also download the media center Plex, making the integration of your media library even easier.	There’s a wider selection of entertainment apps than what’s available on the PS4.
	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More

Live Streaming Services

While the earliest cord cutters were limited to a select amount of apps that played older content, today’s cable defectors are able to enjoy live TV. You can’t get everything yet, though. Expect more live programming in the years to come. For now, here’s what’s available.

Product	Sony PlayStation VUE	Sling TV
Plans	Access: $49.99/month (50+ channels) Core: $59.99/month (60+ channels) Elite: $84.99 (85+ channels, including EPIX Hits and Machinima)	$20.00/month (23 channels, including ESPN, Food Network, and HGTV)
Notable Add-ons	Showtime: $10.99/month Machinima: $3.99/month EPIX Hits and Showtime: $13.99/month Fox Soccer Plus: $14.99/month	HBO: $15.00/month Hollywood Extra: $5.00/month (EPIX, EPIX2, EPIX3, EPIX Drive-In, Sundance TV, Turner Classic Movies (TCM)) Kids Extra: $5.00/month (Baby TV, Boomerang, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Duck TV) Sports Extra: $5.00/month (beIN Sports, Campus Insiders, ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Goal Line, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Outside Television, SEC Network, Universal Sports, Univision Deportes) World News Extra: $5.00/month (Euronews, France24, HLN, NDTV 24x7, News 18 India, RT)
Pauses Live TV	Yes (5 minutes)	Yes (on some channels)
Stores Shows	Yes	No
Supported Devices
Computers	None	Lion 10.7 and higher, Windows 7 and higher
Gaming Consoles	Sony PlayStation 3, 4	Microsoft Xbox One
Mobile	iOS 7 and higher (PlayStation VUE Mobile app)	iOS 8 and higher, Android 4.0.3 and higher, Android 4.4.2+, RCA
TVs via Players	Amazon Fire TV devices, Google Chromecast	Amazon Fire TV devices, Roku LT and higher, Google Chromecast, Google Nexus Player, ZTE
The One Thing You Need to Know	The service can get pretty pricey once you start adding on channels, and because it’s relatively new, as of February 2016, it’s only available in a few U.S. markets (Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco Bay Area).	It doesn't allow two devices using the same account to run the service simultaneously.
	Learn More	Learn More

DVRs

DVRs are essential for cord cutters who want to record network TV signals they receive from an antenna. Today’s DVRs do more than just record content, though. Modern DVRs can send content to your smart devices and even stream services, such as Netflix, directly to your TV.

Product	Channel Master DVR+ 16GB	Channel Master DVR+ 1TB	Nuvyyo Tablo 2-Tuner DVR	Nuvyyo Tablo 4-Tuner DVR	TiVo Bolt DVR	TiVo Roamio Pro DVR
Price (MSRP)	$249.00	$399.00	$219.99 (service: $4.99/month, $49.99/year, $149.99/lifetime)	$299.99 (service: $4.99/month, $49.99/year, $149.99/lifetime)	$299.99 (500GB), $399.99 (1000GB) (both include one year of TiVo service)	$499.99 ($14.99 monthly service with one-year commitment), $599.99 (includes one year of TiVo service)
Storage Capacity	16GB	1TB	None	None	500/1000	3TB
Recording Capacity (HD/SD)	160 hours	160 hours	Depends on external storage device	Depends on external storage device	75/150	3000
Simultaneous Recordings	2	2	2	4	4	6
HDMI (max.)	1080p	1080p	1080p	1080p	4K UHD	1080p
Wi-Fi	Optional	Optional	Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n	Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n	802.11a/b/g/n	802.11a/b/g/n
Skip Mode	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Additional Ports/Interfaces	10/100 Ethernet, IR extension, two  USB 2.0	10/100 Ethernet, IR extension, two  USB 2.0	Ethernet, two USB 2.0	Ethernet, two USB 2.0	Ethernet, CableCARD slot, coax connector, two USB	10/100/1000 Ethernet, CableCARD slot, coax connector, two USB 2.0
Remote Control Included	Yes	Yes	No (uses a smart device)	No (uses a smart device)	Yes	Yes
Voice Search	No	No	No	No	No	No
Dimensions (HxWxD, in inches)	0.5 x 10.5 x 8.0	0.5 x 10.5 x 8.0	1.4 x 6.9 x 4.6	1.5 x 6.9 x 4.6	1.8 x 11.5 x 7.3	2.4 x 16.5 x 9.7
Weight (in pounds)	1.1	1.1	0.8	0.9	1.9	6.9
The One Thing You Need to Know	Unlike other DVRs, there are no subscription fees.	Unlike other DVRs, there are no subscription fees.	A USB hard drive is required to watch live TV and record programming.	A USB hard drive is required to watch live TV and record programming.	It’s a DVR and media streaming system in one box.	Supports out-of-home viewing of live and recorded TV shows on iOS devices.
	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More

Related Articles

• Five Monthly Bills You Could Live Without
• Cost-Effective Alternatives to Cable and Satellite Television
• A-la-Carte Cable TV Is Basically Here (It’s Just Not on Cable)

The post Cord Cutters: Why Millennials Are Saying Goodbye to Cable TV appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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7 Ways to Improve Your Webinars (and Conversion Rate)

Webinars…they are known for their insane conversion rates.

You might have even heard about them from me. I’ve shared before how Kissmetrics used webinars (when I was still working there) to generate approximately $1,638,000 in revenue from just 77 webinars.

And those results are good but not that unusual.

A survey of marketers who regularly conduct webinars found that between 20% and 40% of attendees turned into qualified leads.

Overall, webinars are currently producing the second best ROI (return on investment) of any content for marketers.

It seems that marketers and business owners have finally started realizing how powerful webinars are. A fairly recent survey found that just over 60% of content marketers are incorporating webinars into their marketing strategies (at least occasionally).

That’s all great stuff, but…

How come your webinars aren’t producing those results?

While a lot of people are having success with webinars, know that these results take time to achieve.

You’ll make a lot of mistakes at first.

The faster you fix those, the faster you’ll have success.

And even if you haven’t done any webinars yet—but plan to—you can still learn how to conduct webinars in the most profitable way while minimizing your mistakes.

That’s what I’m going to help you with here. There are 7 big ways in which you can improve your webinars and deliver a better experience to your viewers, which will lead to big increases in conversion rates.

I’ll break them down in detail and show you exactly how to implement them in your own webinars.

Let’s begin.

1. Want a better attendance rate? Do these 4 things…

The above headline is a rhetorical question: of course, you want a better attendance rate.

When you offer a webinar, you will never get everyone who signed up to show up for it. There are many reasons why someone might sign up for a webinar but then not show up, including:

• something else came up
• they lost interest
• they were hoping to get a replay instead of watching the live webinar
• they forgot
• technical difficulties

You can take action to minimize the occurrence of some of these reasons for poor attendance; others, you just have to live with.

I have 4 different options you can use to improve your attendance rate. You can use one or more of them.

But first, you have to know what to expect realistically.

A survey of marketers who use webinars revealed that 40%-50% of the registrants actually attend the webinars they register for. Some webinars obviously get poorer attendance rates, while others get up to 60%-70% on a regular basis.

If you get above 60% or so at any time, you’re doing a lot of things right.

If you’re not there, start by using the options I’m about to give you to get your webinar attendance rates into that average range (or above).

Option #1 – Offer a free content upgrade bonus at the end: When “something else comes up,” that simply means that the person who registered decided they’d rather do something else with their time.

In other words, they’re bailing on you because they don’t put enough value on your webinar.

To combat that, you need to up the perceived value of it.

There are tons of ways you can do this, but one effective way is to give out a bonus at the end.

It could be personal templates, a free e-book, discount, or some other gift that’s related to the content in the webinar. You make it so that they have to attend the webinar if they want to get your bonus.

We did that often with the Kissmetrics’ webinars. We’d invite guests to host the webinars, and they would offer a bonus at the end in order to increase the attendance rate (and rate of staying through the whole webinar).

For example, Johnathan Dane helped us with a webinar on AdWords and conversion rate optimization. At the end of that webinar, attendees were given an e-book with 32 “hacks” for AdWords to get more phone leads:

As long as the registrants value the bonus, they’ll show up. And if you make the bonus relevant to the topic of the webinar, they will.

Option #2 – Don’t mention anything about your product until the very end: One of the fastest ways to screw up a webinar is to start selling products at the start of it or during it.

Attendees came to learn, not to get sold to (at least at first). You need to give value first, always.

Many don’t realize that by mentioning their products too early, they annoy their attendees, making them leave before the webinar is over.

This has two significant consequences:

• the attendees won’t attend your future webinars since they didn’t enjoy this first one
• they won’t recommend your webinars to anyone

Since you’ll drive away a lot of very good leads by doing this, the impact will be felt in both the short and long term.

Luckily, the fix is easy.

Don’t mention whatever your offer is until you’ve given the viewer all the value you promised.

It’s a much different situation when you fully satisfy the viewer and then ask for a minute of their time to explain how your product could be a solution to their problem.

Sure, you’ll get a drop-off still, but not nearly as big, and those viewers who leave won’t dislike you.

Option #3 – Send multiple reminders: The average person is busy. It’s understandable that they simply forget about your webinar.

This is possibly the most common reason why registrants don’t attend webinars, and it’s one that you can fix (or at least improve on).

It’s not difficult to do—you just need to send reminder emails.

The main factors here are timing and frequency.

You want to send emails at the right time so that they actually affect your attendance rate. If you send them at 2 AM the night before, people will ignore them.

Additionally, you want to send enough reminders in case someone misses one or two, but you don’t want to send too many emails to the point of annoying your potential attendees.

The ideal times are (at minimum):

• a week before - this ensures that the registrant knows not to schedule anything in that time slot
• a day before – this reminder gets them thinking about the webinar and anticipating it. It lets them plan the upcoming day as well.
• an hour before - this final reminder just brings your webinar back to focus once more so that they’re ready on time. They will also expect a final email right before the start of the webinar with a link to it.

You can also send more than one email on the day of the webinar just to give registrants some extra notice so that they can plan their day around your webinar.

You should be sending about 3 to 6 reminders, depending on how big your event is.

If you start getting emails asking you to stop sending this many reminders, just cut back on them.

One final thing to keep in mind is that you can use these emails to further build anticipation for a webinar.

Start by mentioning the time of the webinar, but then outline a few bullet points of the most exciting things you will be teaching.

This is how Bryan Harris structures his reminder emails an hour before the event:

If you created a bonus (option #1 in this section), this would be a great time to highlight it so that registrants take an extra effort to attend the webinar.

Option #4 – Emphasize scarcity: Asking someone to spend anywhere from 40 minutes to 2 hours to attend your webinar is asking for a big time commitment.

There’s always going to be something else that your registrants can do. It’s essentially a competition between your webinar and those other things.

One way to eliminate that competition is to utilize scarcity.

Scarcity is an established principle that marketers have used for centuries to improve conversion rates.

By framing something as a limited-time opportunity, you encourage people to take action. In this case, it’s to attend your webinar.

How do you incorporate scarcity?

There are 2 main ways you can do it with your webinars:

• by limiting space
• by limiting access

To limit space, just put a limit on the number of seats you’ll have for the webinar. Most webinar platforms have limits of 1,000 people, but there’s no reason you couldn’t set the limit lower.

The other way to introduce scarcity is to make sure that everyone who registered for the event knows that it is a one-time webinar.

If they know that they won’t get another chance to view it in the future, they’ll try harder to attend.

To really pump up the scarcity, you could not offer a replay of your webinars. Personally, I think that’s a little unfair because people might have some good reasons for not being able to attend.

Instead, you can take the middle road, as I’ve done in the past, and offer a replay—but only for a few days after the webinar.

2. Don’t skip past the introduction

Now that you know how to get most of your registrants to show up for the webinar, you need to take some time to get them on the same page.

Webinar audiences consist of many different types of viewers.

Many will come from your email list—these are the people who know you and your content pretty well. But others will stumble upon your webinar and not know anything about you. Of course, there are plenty of people in-between as well.

In order for you to deliver an effective webinar, it’s important for the audience to understand that you are an expert on the topic you’re presenting on.

For the people who know you well, that’s no problem.

But for the rest, you need to introduce yourself and explain why you should be trusted.

The second half of the introduction should be devoted to introducing the topic.

Again, you’ll have viewers who have different levels of knowledge and experience on the topic you’re covering.

It’s important to break down what you’ll be covering so everyone has at least the same basic overview of the topic.

Let’s look at how to craft each part.

Part #1 – Who are you? Almost every webinar should start with a slide or two about you.

If you don’t have this already, you need to add it.

There are two parts of a good introduction of the presenter:

• qualifications
• personality

The qualifications are by far the most important.

Tell the audience the most impressive things you’ve done in your field. For me, it’s usually facts about working with companies such as Gawker and people such as Timothy Sykes.

Here’s an example of one of my introduction slides in a webinar.

On top of that, it’s always good to inject a little personality if possible. Throw in a quick joke or personal story to show you’re a real person trying to connect with your audience.

Part #2 – What are you going to cover? Once you introduce yourself, you’ll want to go over what you’re going to cover in the webinar in 1-3 slides.

Here’s an example:

Go over the main topics, but phrase that information in terms of the benefits that the viewer will get (e.g., creating marketing campaigns that sell like crazy).

First of all, this gets everyone on the same page. Additionally, it makes viewers want to stick around for the whole webinar because all those areas now sound interesting.

3. How to speak in an engaging tone

There’s a saying about writers:

There are no boring topics, only boring writers.

And the same can be applied to speakers.

Assuming you went to a typical school (at any level), you know at least one teacher who could put you to sleep with their lectures.

But you also probably know some who held your attention even though they were teaching you about the most dull topics imaginable.

If you are a good speaker, you can turn even a poor webinar into a good one.

But if you combine great content with great speaking, you’ll start getting those conversion rates we talked about at the top of the article.

By no means do you have to be a perfect speaker to be effective, but you do need to be “good” (as judged by your audience).

I have 4 main tips that most webinar speakers can implement to improve their presentation skills.

Tip #1 – Rehearse, but don’t memorize: There are many types of bad presenters, but there are two in particular that are very common.

First is the presenter who never prepares for their webinars. They think they know their topic so well that they don’t need to prepare.

Needless to say, the laziness shows in their presentation. They frequently need to stop to figure out what they’re trying to say and where they are in the presentation.

The second type of a presenter isn’t as bad, but isn’t good either. They are the presenter who over-prepares for their webinars. Typically, they write down a script to read out, or sometimes they even memorize what they are going to say.

This type of speaker ends up sounding like a robot. Furthermore, they often freeze up while they try to remember the right words or find their place in their notes.

You don’t want to sound like you’re reading off a paper. Rather, you want to sound like you’re having a conversation with the viewers. That’s very hard to do if you memorize something.

The solution?

Practice what you’ll say before the webinar. You can make notes of talking points, but don’t do much more than that.

When you practice, mark down any areas where you don’t think you’re speaking confidently and re-do those sections.

There’s one key to this, however: you don’t want to practice too many times, or it will again start sounding too rehearsed. The more experienced you get, the fewer times you’ll have to practice ahead of time.

Typically, you’ll want to go through your presentation 1-3 times until you have a good idea of what you’ll be covering.

Tip #2 – Inflection makes speech interesting: One of the biggest causes for being put to sleep by someone is if they speak in a monotone (one tone) voice.

When you’re in a conversation with multiple people, this isn’t usually an issue because the tone will constantly be changing since different people are speaking.

But in a webinar, it’ll typically only be you, talking for upwards of 40 minutes. The audience needs changes in your speaking tone to keep them entertained.

To do this, you simply need to use inflection.

Inflection just means to emphasize certain words while you’re speaking. You slow down when saying those word(s) and sometimes even pronounce them louder.

You might have noticed that I italicize words to give them emphasis when I write. That’s inflection in writing. It gives you (the reader) something different to pay attention to as it breaks up the constant flow of normal text.

Here’s a great quick exercise to help you understand how using inflection can change your speaking.

Go through the sentences in the picture below, and emphasize the highlighted word in each sentence as you read them out.

Notice how the same sentence takes on a different meaning each time you read it. Also notice that you inject more emotion as you emphasize the words. That’s how your speaking comes across to your viewers during a webinar.

Start emphasizing words on a regular basis. Don’t go for an overkill, but do emphasize a word or phrase every 3-5 sentences.

Tip #3 – Don’t rush: One thing common in all public speaking is rushing through presentations.

A lot of it comes from nerves, but another part of it comes from thinking that your audience has a limited amount of attention.

But here’s the thing: people won’t stop paying attention if they’re really interested in your presentation.

When you rush, you make it harder to understand you, which makes it harder to understand and process your message.

Instead, take a slow, even breath once in awhile when you are presenting in order to slow yourself down.

More importantly, use pauses to vary your speaking tone even more. When you pause before saying a word, it serves as a signal to listeners to pay attention because something important could be coming up next.

Don’t worry about people leaving. Just speak naturally and at a normal pace.

Tip #4 – Practice: If you’re not confident in your speaking skills, you are not alone.

Doing presentations is very difficult. You have to present live, and you don’t get the benefit of several rounds of edits of your material like you do with blog posts.

And even though I’ve done hundreds of webinars and spoken at even more conferences and events, I still find myself improving.

The only way to improve is to practice.

There are two key things you should do to make your practicing more effective.

First, watch and listen to your own webinars. That’s the only way you can evaluate what you sound like and spot mistakes to fix.

Second, watch webinars of marketers you love. Start emulating their way of speaking and relating to their audiences. If you need a place to start, sign up for my next webinar.

4. Interaction is key, but make it simple

Your main goal as a presenter is to keep your audience entertained and engaged.

We just talked about trying to be as conversational as possible throughout the webinar.

And unlike blog posts, webinars are live. This means that you can, to a degree, have a two-way conversation with your viewers.

There are a few ways you can do this.

Ask questions, and call out participants by name: Every piece of webinar software I’ve used or seen has a chat function.

Viewers may not be able to interact with you using their microphones, but they should be able to interact with you through the chat box.

This is the primary feature of webinars that you need to take advantage of.

Ask questions throughout the webinar, sort of like having mini quizzes.

My webinars are typically on customer acquisition and building profitable businesses, so I might ask questions like:

• Do you notice any of these problems in your business?
• What kind of industry are you in? Do you think this tactic would work for your audience?
• Does that make sense?

The questions should be related to the topic at hand.

Pause the presentation while you ask the question and give your participants a minute to type in their responses.

Then, you need to reflect their answers. It’d be great if you could call out viewers by name (e.g., “that’s a great answer, Janet…”).

Make it sound like a real conversation.

Surveys and polls can be useful, but keep this in mind: In addition to the chat box, some webinar software will offer you advanced tools such as surveys and polls:

These are really useful if you want to get your viewers engaged, but they are also handy if you want to collect some information about audience to help you refine your marketing.

What you need to be careful of is using too many of these features.

First of all, while they are simple to use once you’re used to them, first-time webinar viewers might get confused if you’re asking them to complete a survey, take a poll, and use the chat box all at once.

I recommend to keep it simple and pick just one type of advanced tool to use.

Also, while surveys and polls can be nice breaks from the content, they get boring if used repeatedly, so limit their use to once every 15-20 minutes at the most.

Make sure your audience knows when to ask questions: Finally, you want to encourage communication with your audience.

Many of your participants will have questions about your presentation. Before you get started, let them know that you will have question periods throughout the presentation when they’ll be able to ask questions through the chat box.

The reason why this is important is because if they type in a question at any random time, it might accidentally get skipped over as people reply to questions you ask them.

Additionally, clarifying when you’ll have the question sessions keeps viewers from getting anxious about not knowing how to ask or whether they’ll be able to.

5. Follow a proven content structure

If there’s one way to guarantee that a viewer leaves your webinar early, it’s to make them confused.

If you’re jumping around from one topic to another, but it’s not clear how they’re connected, you’re going to confuse your audience.

Obviously, this isn’t good for your viewers or your conversion rate.

Instead, you should apply a copywriting framework to your webinar.

There are many frameworks you can use, but one that fits well with webinars is the P.A.S.T.O.R. model.

Here’s what it stands for and how to apply it:

• Problem - Start the webinar with identifying and clarifying the problem you’re trying to solve.
• Amplify - Go into as much detail as possible to illustrate why it’s important to solve it. You want viewers to feel the pain that the problem causes (or the benefits you can deliver) so that they’re motivated to pay attention and take action.
• Story/Solution - Now you get to describe your solution to the problem. If possible, tell the story of how you came across it and describe how useful it is.
• Testimonials - If your solution really works, you should be able to point to people or businesses who have been successful with it.

• Offer - After you’ve given away all your value and reinforced that your solution is awesome, it’s time for your offer. Explain how you can help implement the solution for them with a service or product.
• Response - This is equivalent to a call to action. Ask the customer to take action if they want to improve their lives or businesses right now. Be explicit, clear, and tell them exactly what to do (e.g., “go to this link” or “send me an email here…”).

If you stick to that model, your presentation will logically flow from one section to another. Your viewer will feel like they are watching a story unfold until it’s time for them to take action.

6. Examples matter more during webinars than at any other time

Webinars by their nature typically allow you to focus on a single strategy.

This means that the people who signed up to attend are very interested in that topic/strategy. They want to apply your lessons to their businesses/lives.

But learning something new and thinking about how to apply it at the same time is difficult.

That’s where examples come in…

If you can give real examples illustrating the concepts you’re teaching, you’ll give the viewers extra opportunities to understand how those concepts connect to their lives or businesses.

The more examples, the better.

I provide examples of specific tactics mentioned in my webinars:

…as well as real examples of implementing of the strategies, similar to mini case studies:

The bottom line is that your viewers want to apply what you’re talking about, but they don’t always know how.

Make it as practical as possible by providing examples whenever possible.

7. Solve the biggest frustration of webinar attendees

This final tip is an easy thing for you to implement, but your webinar registrants will greatly appreciate it.

Many marketers using webinars want to take full advantage of scarcity to drive up registrations and attendance rate.

They make people attend the webinar by not offering any replay.

And while that can work in the short term, it may have a negative long term effect because it’s not good in terms of the viewer experience.

Why? Because they might have missed a point you talked about during a webinar, or maybe they just need to repeat a section a few times to fully understand it.

If you don’t allow registrants to download a copy of the webinar, they can’t do this.

I talked about the fact that Kissmetrics had (and still has) impressive results with their webinars.

What you might not know is that they release them all publicly so that anyone can download any of the replay videos:

These webinars actually go on to attract more email addresses, which leads to more customers down the line.

You don’t even need to go that far, though, as long as you at least offer a replay to anyone who registers for the webinar, like Brian Casel does:

Finally, if you really care about providing the best experience to your viewers, make a list of all the resources you mention in the webinar. Then, post them online, or send them in a follow-up email:

Conclusion

Webinars are one of the most powerful traffic generation and conversion tactics that exist right now.

Take advantage of them.

I’ve shown you 7 tactics you can implement right away to produce better webinars for your audience.

If you implement them as I’ve shown you, your attendance rates as well as your conversion rates will go up.

If there’s anything that’s not clear to you right now, just leave me your questions in a comment below, and I’ll do my best to answer them.

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