Have you ever hosted a webinar or Instagram Live, and when you ask if there are any questions, there’s nothing but silence?
Oh, did I just describe every webinar you’ve ever given or attended? My bad.
Webinars can be deadly dull, but they serve a purpose – they’re meant to teach something, or share necessary information. And attendees are obviously interested in the subject, or they wouldn’t be there.
Instagram Live broadcasts are more fun, but can have a similar problem. If your followers tuned in to learn something, technical glitches or just the comments rolling up the screen could have left them remembering little.
But here are tips that can help!
Strengthen your request
Whenever you’re speaking to a live audience, try this technique from Louisiana high school math teacher Andre Sasser:
Give fair warning
I would add this: let your audience know at the beginning of your session that you want a question from them at the end. That will make them listen more actively.
Bribes are okay
Besides that, you might even incent them by saying you’ll send a small gift to the person whose question you like the best. Something small, like a branded notepad. (I’m an absolute sucker for branded notepads. There’s one within 3 feet of me at all times. Need to jot down a note? I got you.)
It’s always about engagement
The point is, their questions and your answers are literally engagement, and that’s what everyone’s going for on social media. It makes for a better experience, even for those who don’t pipe up. It increases the perceived value of what you’re saying. And it feels good to talk to an audience and have them be curious about what you said.
Have you tried this trick, or do you have others? Let us know in the comments below.
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Peggy is the founder of The Social Eye, a social media agency for optical businesses. She led social media efforts at ZEISS Vision US for 4 years, and prior to that created digital marketing for the tech and music industries. She has far too many pairs of eyeglasses, but can always find room for one more.