So, you’ve got a killer webinar lined up.
The content is solid.
Your delivery is on point.
The only problem? Getting people to actually register—and, you know, show up.
It’s a tale as old as online marketing: you pour your heart into creating an amazing webinar, only to end up talking to an audience of… crickets.
The good news? You’re not alone. The even better news? We’ve cracked the code on getting high-quality leads into webinars that actually convert.
We’ll spills the beans on how one of our clients turned a brand-new webinar into a ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) of 2.8x—on the very first run.
And no, we didn’t sacrifice goats to the marketing gods. We just used these five proven ideas to get the right people registering (and showing up).
Let’s dive in.
Five Proven Ideas to Advertise Your Webinars (And Actually Get People to Show Up!)
#1 Stop Being Boring—Your Ads Need to Stand Out
Most webinar ads look like they were made by a robot that just discovered Canva. Generic stock photos. Boring headlines. The kind of copy that puts you to sleep faster than a YouTube ad you can’t skip.
If you want attention, you need to EARN it.
That means:
✅ Using pattern interrupts—think bold visuals, memes, or even curiosity-driven headlines.
✅ Speaking directly to pain points. (E.g., “Still struggling to close high-ticket deals? Here’s how to fix it in 60 minutes.”)
✅ Making it clear why this webinar is different from the 5,000 others floating around the internet.
Our client did this by focusing on a single, juicy outcome and making their ad impossible to ignore. And guess what? It worked.
#2: The $1 Strategy That Boosts Show-Up Rates
Here’s a little trick that most marketers ignore: if you want people to show up, get them to commit before the event.
A simple way to do this? Charge a tiny fee for registration—yes, even if it’s just $1.
Why? Because people value what they pay for. When someone spends even a dollar, their brain registers it as an investment, making them far more likely to attend.
One of our clients went from a 30% show-up rate to over 60% just by doing this. And let’s be honest—would you rather have 1,000 registrations with 200 people showing up, or 500 registrations with 300 engaged attendees?
Quality over quantity, my friend.
#3: Use SMS and Messenger Reminders (Not Just Email!)
Most webinar hosts rely on email reminders. And that’s fine—if you enjoy getting ghosted.
People are drowning in emails. If you want to cut through the noise, use SMS and Facebook Messenger reminders too.
A few quick rules:
✅ Don’t be spammy—keep it personal and helpful.
✅ Send a reminder 24 hours before, 1 hour before, and 5 minutes before the webinar.
✅ Use humor or urgency (e.g., “Your seat is still saved—but only if you show up in 5 minutes!”)
Our client increased show-up rates by 35% just by adding SMS reminders. Simple, but crazy effective.
#4: Retarget Like Your Life Depends on It
Here’s the deal: most people won’t register the first time they see your ad. Life gets in the way. Their dog starts barking. They get distracted by another tab.
That’s why retargeting is your best friend.
We set up a killer retargeting funnel for our client, targeting people who: 🚀 Clicked the ad but didn’t register. 🚀 Registered but didn’t show up. 🚀 Showed up but didn’t buy.
Each group got hyper-specific messaging, nudging them back into the funnel.
And guess what? It led to an insane ROI boost.
#5: Run a Post-Webinar Offer Sequence (Because People Forget)
Think people are going to buy immediately after your webinar? Some will. Most won’t.
That’s why a post-webinar email and ad sequence is a MUST.
✅ Email 1: Recap and replay link (for those who missed it).
✅ Email 2: Testimonials + social proof.
✅ Email 3: FAQ + objections handling.
✅ Email 4: Urgency (cart closing soon, limited bonuses, etc.).
Layer this with retargeting ads, and you’ll turn ‘just curious’ attendees into high-ticket buyers.
Our client followed this exact system and saw a 40% increase in conversions—just from the follow-up.
Final Thoughts (And Your Next Steps)
Look, getting people into webinars isn’t rocket science, but it does take a smart strategy. The key is:
✅ Making your ads impossible to ignore.
✅ Getting micro-commitments (even $1 can work wonders).
✅ Using reminders beyond just email.
✅ Retargeting like a pro.
✅ Having a killer follow-up system.
Apply these, and you’ll not only get people registering for your webinars—you’ll get them showing up, engaging, and BUYING.
Want the full breakdown? Listen to the Founders Go Naked episode where Terence dives deeper into how we scaled this webinar from scratch:
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Key Points
- 00:00 Introduction and Case Study Overview
- 00:49 Leveraging Email Lists for Webinar Success
- 02:19 Harnessing Social Media for Webinar Promotion
- 03:07 Effective Use of Paid Traffic to Promote the Webinar
- 04:35 The Power of Retargeting Ads
- 06:13 Building a Strong Personal Brand
- 07:22 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
This podcast is hosted by Terence Tam, author of Lead Surge: 8 Radically Effective Marketing Funnels for Coaches and Experts. He is also the Founder of Radical Marketing, a digital marketing agency that partners with high-ticket coaches to scale their businesses with Webinars – by using a proprietary blend of story ads and battled-tested sales funnels to achieve better returns on ad dollars.
