Whether as a digital training or for customer acquisition: Webinars are becoming increasingly popular among trainers. However, webinars are diverse; it all depends on the focus! In this article, we present you with 4 types of webinars, from passive to interactive, and which one fits your goal.

Online seminars or webinars are as diverse as the topics themselves. Many trainers are currently shifting their in-person courses into a digital space to maintain close contact with their participants regardless of location. Webinars are also a popular method for lead and customer acquisition.

When planning webinars, there are significant differences that you should consider depending on the course's goal. After all, you don’t want to hold just another webinar, but a successful webinar that excites your participants or future customers! Christoph Meier, expert in digital transformation and informal learning from the scil Institute, distinguishes between four webinar scenarios that we have prepared for you:

Reading Tip: If you would like to know in advance which video conferencing tool we recommend for webinars and other areas of application and why, feel free to check out our blog: The best tool for online training, coaching, and meetings?

4 Scenarios for Webinars and Online Trainings

As already mentioned: Webinars can be very different in their process and outcome, which mainly depends on their goal. Do you want to pitch your service to your viewers, convey your expert knowledge, start a discussion, or develop new knowledge with your participants?

From these different scenarios arise the four types of webinars: Passive, active, constructive, and interactive. The key characteristics and goals of the four scenarios are summarized here at a glance:

You can find a more detailed presentation directly on the scil of the University of St. Gallen. Our summary is based on the short presentation provided there and has been supplemented by additional information from us.

So what does this mean for me as a trainer?

As you can see in the table, the scenarios differ primarily in the speaking shares of you as a trainer and those of your participants. As you move from left to right in the table, your participants increasingly take over the conversation within your webinar. You are exchanging roles with your participants, transitioning from being the active speaker to becoming the more reserved moderator.

Before you plan your next webinar, think about the framework and goal in advance:

• Is it more of a lecture, and are your participants supposed to listen to you? Then it will probably end up being a passive webinar.

• Have your participants already independently worked on content before the actual webinar and are they supposed to present this in the webinar? Then a more interactive format is suitable, where you only take on a moderating role.

As you can see, the scenarios also influence the dynamics within your webinar. Therefore, be aware in advance whether you want to convey knowledge and act more as a teacher or whether your participants are themselves a more active part of the webinar. By taking these factors into account, you can tailor your content more effectively, and your webinar will be a great success.

Are you currently planning your own online training and want to increasingly hold your courses digitally? Then feel free to check out our learning materials, where we have compiled a large collection of guides and checklists for you to support the creation and conception of your courses. These are, of course, free!