When it comes to generating income, either as a side hustle or perhaps a full-time job, we are always exploring any opportunities via a laptop. And today, we’re focusing on one of the options that may not get as much attention as other digital media side hustles — evergreen webinars. 

We are all pretty familiar with webinars by now. They’re basically an online seminar where someone or a company is presenting information to a target audience. 

The goal behind a webinar is conversion. Of course, what you’re converting the customer to is up to the creator. It might be to close a sale, gain registrations for an upcoming event, or generate leads. 

But what exactly is an evergreen webinar? And more importantly, should we be exploring this idea more like a legit side hustle or income?

Definition of an Evergreen Webinar

An evergreen webinar is one where the information presented is basically timeless. It remains relevant even if the presentation was created months or years ago. 

Think about where the name comes from, like an Evergreen tree. This tree keeps its foliage all year long, no matter the season. 

The same is true for this type of webinar. At any point, an audience member could watch it, and the information would be as practical now as it was in the beginning.

Advantages of Offering an Evergreen Webinar

Knowing how the information being presented is useful to someone throughout the year may get the gears turning in your head. 

Think about the scenarios when it would be helpful to have an ongoing reel of information, ready for someone to learn about a product or idea you’re offering at any time.

This offers various benefits, including the following:

• Can be used anytime to fill in the gaps. If you use webinars frequently for your business, whether it’s to gain leads or launch products, then creating an evergreen version is perfect for filling in during a time when you do not have something specific to promote. 
• Adds credibility. These types of webinars are great for enhancing your reputation as a subject expert. For example, if you frequently promote or talk about personal finance topics, an evergreen webinar centered around understanding how credit card interest works could make you sound even more authoritative.
• It’s good for SEO. Evergreen webinars could drive traffic to your website and are great for search engine optimization (SEO) when done correctly. Be sure to optimize the webinar with keywords as well. 
• Saves time. Once you record and load everything, you end up freeing up your time to focus on other projects. But during this time, you’re still generating traffic and activity. Plus, you don’t have to worry about creating something new and fresh each time like you do for a live webinar.
• Easily incorporated into sales funnels. If you have any type of sales funnel where you are dependent on leads, then an evergreen option may be the answer. Whether it’s at the top or in the middle of the sales funnel, it can help capture leads and move people to the next phase. 

Types of Evergreen Webinars

As you’re beginning to see how this type of information might be useful to someone, you should also be aware there are different kinds of evergreen webinars. There are certain categories where evergreen webinars work really well.

Tutorial

Think of these as webinars where you’re showing your audience how to do something. Don’t limit your imagination here either. People are always looking for help with topics ranging from cooking to repairing vehicles. 

Examples might include:

• How to create perfect Pinterest pins
• How to set up a blog in one hour
• How to choose the best online course platform

Educational

Educational topics work well for evergreen content. This is when you get to share knowledge about a certain topic or present something you’ve learned. 

You could also frame this into your own expert tips, tricks, or advice from your own line of work. As long as you explain it in a way that’s easy to understand in a webinar setting, there are no shortage of topics. 

Topics like these could be effective:

• Why most blogs fail in the first few months
• Why your dog runs away every chance they get
• The most common grammar mistakes and how to remember pesky grammar rules

Case Studies

At first glance, the thought of listening to a case study may sound as exciting as watching paint dry. However, this is exactly why an evergreen webinar is a great opportunity to present something a little less exciting in an easily digestible, fun format. 

The case study could be something with your own business. Perhaps where you helped a client and saw fantastic results. You could present the strategy you used for the client and then what happened from there. Something such as:

• How my client increased revenue the first month after running Facebook ads
• An online course creator doubled the number of students with this one simple trick
• A popular podcast host relies on this one method for booking the most fascinating guests

For the most part, these are the categories you would expect when hosting evergreen content. You want to avoid subjects where the information is too timely and dependent, like if you’re running a discount for a certain time period. 

Other Considerations with Hosting Evergreen Webinars

Now we know what we could create an evergreen webinar about. But what are some other considerations you should keep in mind before you start recording?

Scheduling Evergreen Webinars

Although the content is appropriate for almost anytime, the idea of an evergreen webinar is for it to be pre-recorded. 

Once it’s recorded, you have two main options for presenting it to an audience:

• On-demand: These evergreen webinars occur whenever your audience is able to access them. They can be shared, promoted, live on a website…you name it. 
• Automated: While these webinars are similar, your audience has to wait to watch the event until you allow them to view it. This may be after they’ve subscribed to your newsletter and they receive a welcome email with access granted to the webinar in two days. Or it may be webinars you put on a regular schedule of once or twice per week. 

It’s important to understand your options for these webinars. This way, you’ll know what to look for when you’re choosing a platform. 

Choosing a Platform

If you decide to go the evergreen route, picking a platform where this option is both supported and simple to use is your best bet. Fortunately, this option seems to be growing in popularity. 

This is good news because now there are more and more platforms offering a savvy approach to evergreen webinars. 

There are tons of choices when it comes to online platforms using software for hosting your event. When narrowing down the choices for webinar hosting, look for options offering:

• Flexible scheduling for your event
• Help with the CTA
• Audience engagement tools (such as surveys, polls, even chat features)
• On-demand and automated options
• The number of attendees allowed at each event
• Monthly or annual cost

Examples of webinar hosting platforms you might consider are EverWebinar, WebinarNinja, Livestorm, and ClickMeeting, to name a few. 

Best Practices for Creating Engaging Events

All of this work for finding the right topic and platform for an evergreen webinar is great to know, but it won’t do you any good unless your target audience actually engages with it. 

So what can you do to boost your chances of attracting, and converting, audience members?

Add a Sense of Urgency

Set a time when your offer, or whatever your goal is, expires. You should still create a sense of urgency with an offer, even if the webinar is available at all times. Remember, your audience doesn’t know this is evergreen. 

Make it Feel Live

Just because your webinar is pre-recorded doesn’t mean it has to feel like it. When done correctly, your audience will think it’s happening at that exact moment, but you’re actually sipping margs on the beach somewhere. 

But how do you accomplish this? It’s easy. You take out any timed references, such as commenting on the weather or mentioning a recent news story.

The Final Word on Evergreen Webinars

Whether it’s for lead generation, sharing your expertise, or building a strong brand, evergreen webinars are a great addition to your marketing strategy. When done correctly, these on-demand or automated webinars can boost your conversions while you sleep.