Webinar Statistics 2024

Live Webinar – real-time webinar with real-time interaction

On-Demand Webinar – pre-recorded webinar, available any time (immediately after registration). Polls, Featured Actions, and Handouts can be scheduled to fire off automatically at specific times during the webinar.

Automated Webinar – pre-recorded webinar scheduled for a specific date and time, with the option to join live so you can engage with attendees via chat in real time. Polls, Featured Actions, and Handouts can be scheduled to fire off automatically at specific times during the webinar.

We analyzed attendance rates in the industries that conducted the most webinars (across all formats) with Demio in 2023. With information vital to patient health, pharmaceuticals, enjoyed the highest attendance rate at 50%. At the low end were Internet Software & Services (28%), Diversified Capital Markets (20%), and Education Services (20%). If you’re in one of these industries take extra efforts to boost your attendance.

The data shows that larger companies have more attendees while smaller brands struggle to secure audiences. Start-ups with less than $1 million in revenue have half the attendance rate of companies with $1--$10 million in revenue, and the rate increases for those with revenue over $10 million.

There was no significant difference in attendance rate by company size when revenue exceeded $100 million. It is worth noting though that brands with over $1 billion run three times more webinars on average than others. With more events and strong attendance rates, this unsurprisingly means that the largest companies command more attention.

We call it a Virtuous Cycle of Webinars; when content is strong, attendance increases. Due to strong showings, marketers run more webinars, which provides content that can be repurposed in new formats such as automated webinars, white papers, videos and more. That, in turn, increases ROI, which, if invested into marketing, creates a virtuous cycle.

Regardless of company size, attendance rate increases when brands use email notifications. (Note: Findings are based on the 800,000 webinars conducted using Demio this year; they do not include reminders sent from other systems.)

Many more on-demand webinars were conducted with Demio than live ones in 2023, with the average number per Demio customer being 27 (versus 9 live).

Live webinars provide immediacy and the benefit of real-time content. Yet, when attendees participate in live webinars, they typically do so during busy workhours when they are more likely to be distracted. That explains why focus rates are lower (74.2%) during live webinars versus on-demand webinars (86.3%).

This does NOT suggest you should avoid running webinars during the day, however. When people take time out of their schedule to attend during work hours, it means they are very interested in the topic (which is a good indicator of future action).

However, that also heightens the need to engage attendees during live webinars.

Engaged webinar attendees are more likely to take action, but how do you keep people focused so they can reach that next step? The data shows a measurable increase in attendee focus when polls are used, regardless of the webinar format. The mere expectation of a poll can boost audience attention. Neuroscience shows that our brains release dopamine (a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, motivation, and learning) before we receive a reward. Higher dopamine levels are associated with greater focus, but again, it’s the anticipation that triggers the neurotransmitter’s release in the brain. Polls are rewarding in that they’re fun, engaging, and provide insight on what others think. We suggest announcing them early on in a webinar so the anticipation keeps attendees tuned in. Studies also show that reward uncertainty can trigger even more dopamine: When people participate in these brief surveys, they often wonder, “Will others feel the same way I do?” This creates psychological uncertainty, which can further increase dopamine levels.

On-Demand and Live webinars experienced the same results.

Directionally, we also see a boost in Focus Rates when webinars employ Featured Actions. (In Demio, Featured Actions are live URL call to actions that populate during the webinar session, prompting attendees to act). For example, webinar hosts may use Featured Actions to drive audience members to a “book a demo” web page, a blog post, a meeting page, or any other URL they choose. In 2023, there were more than 655,000 Featured Action clicks across all sessions run on Demio. If chosen wisely, Featured Actions can indicate intent (e.g. Are your attendees interested in learning more? Are they ready to take the next step?). Identifying their position in the sales funnel helps marketers and sales teams better manage follow-ups after the webinar ends.

We analyzed data for the industries that conducted the most webinars in 2023, across all formats. There were a number of industries with high focus rates (above 90%) and two with much lower rates: Internet Software & Services and Human Resources.

We analyzed data for the industries that conducted the most webinars in 2023, across all formats. There were a number of industries with high focus rates (above 90%) and two with much lower rates: Internet Software & Services and Human Resources.

Overly long webinar intros and excessive background information are a snooze fest that encourage an early exit for attendees. Our analysis shows that more than half of all webinar participants drop off before 90% of it is completed. Specifically, all webinar formats experience significant drop-off during the first third of the session. When promoting your webinar, mention the inclusion of polls, handouts, etc., so attendees can look forward to a highly engaging session and materials they can take away. It also helps when speakers tease the engaging and high-value aspects early on so the audience stays longer. For example, let attendees know up front that polls, surprise speakers, big “aha moments,” or prize giveaways will occur later in the webinar or near the end. This is especially crucial for live webinars, which tend to have a higher drop-off rate since they typically happen during busy work-day hours.