How to Build a Webinar Lead Generation Engine: Recap Blog

Another day, another flat webinar. You put in the effort, built the deck, dragged a subject matter expert (SME) to speak, and got... eight attendees, one of whom is your intern.

But what if webinars weren’t just vanity plays? What if they became a repeatable lead-gen engine?

We’ve gathered insights from Geordie Carswell, a webinar lead generation expert, co-founder of ActualTech Media (acquired by Future PLC). He’s run thousands of webinars and knows exactly what separates the forgettable from the follow-up-worthy.

This post isn’t your average recap. It’s a remix. The best ideas, the sharpest tactics, and a few spicy takes on what your next webinar should look like if you want results (and not just attendance).

The Foundation: Webinars Are Not Events. They’re Ecosystems.

“Sometimes we can overcomplicate campaigns... but webinars are the right fit.” – Geordie Carswell

The best webinars don’t live and die in a 45-minute slot. They’re part of a strategic flywheel. Geordie recommends mapping them across the funnel:

• Top: Teach something useful. Earn the right to be heard.
• Middle: Introduce the “better way” with context
• Bottom: Workshop, panel, or guided demo

Every one of these can and should be reused. Replay, rebroadcast, repackage. If your content is good, don’t let it be disposable.

The Hook: Start with the Pain, Stay for the Solution

“Explain the problem, how it’s currently handled, why that sucks, show a better way, then have a call to action.” – Geordie Carswell

Don’t open with your product. Instead:

• Surface the real-world tension your audience faces.
• Break down the traditional (and flawed) way of handling it.
• Then, show how your solution reframes the issue.

The best-performing sessions? They feel like therapy for the ideal customer persona (ICP). They say, “Yes, we get what you’re up against. And here’s how to do it differently.” 

The Voice: Energy > Expertise

“If the presenter doesn’t know the webinar’s objective and just comes on, does their thing, and leaves. That’s a fail.” – Geordie Carswell

Your topic might be killer, but you're done if your speaker sounds trapped in a legal disclaimer. Geordie’s tip? Presentation energy trumps product knowledge.

• Choose your most animated voice, not necessarily the most technical
• Use moderators or hosts to add rhythm and momentum
• Interview-style > slide deck marathon

And whatever format you choose, bring some energy. One presenter even used a laser pointer, yes, with actual lasers. Was it necessary? Maybe not. Was it memorable? Absolutely.

The Dialogue: Turn Attendees Into Participants

“Use polls as a strategic way to gather more intelligence about your audience.” – Geordie Carswell

You're already too late if you're waiting until Q&A to interact.

Ideas to encourage engagement:

• Open with a hot-take poll: “What’s the biggest webinar fail?”
• Offer a mid-session handout or cheat sheet
• Let someone unmute to ask a question live (yes, it works)
• Give something away: value first, swag second

Participation breeds retention. Retention breeds conversion.

The Afterparty: Milk the Content

“Take the recording and run it again, simul-live. Use a recording. Use it with other partners. Use a set schedule.”  – Geordie Carswell

The webinar may be over, but the content's life is just getting started.

Every strong session can become:

• A video clip for social (try a juicy 90 seconds)
• A blog post (like this one 👋)
• A gated guide or workbook
• Email follow-up content
• A sales enablement asset

Your webinar isn’t the end of the campaign. It’s the beginning of a new content stream.

The Hype Plan: If You Build It, You Still Have to Promote It

“Email is still king... but if you’ve got alliance partners or tech partners, they’re a great way to co-promote.” – Geordie Carswell

Promotion isn’t just about frequency. It’s about focus.

• Use email first; it's still the best-performing channel.
• Don’t sleep on your partners; if you’re going to mention them, give them a reason to share it.
• Keep the registration form short—intentionally short.
• Segment messaging based on role, not just industry.

And yes, a $300 Amazon gift card does boost attendance. Just make sure the content earns it.

The Scoreboard: Metrics That Matter

“We always recommend treating no-shows and attendees differently in follow-up.” – Geordie Carswell

Not all webinar data is created equal. Geordie recommends you track:

• Attendance rate (live and replay)
• Poll participation
• Number of demo requests or hand-raisers
• Post-event engagement + meetings booked

Then, tag everything not just by webinar but by topic. That’s how you learn what moves the pipeline.

Final Take: The Future of Webinars Isn’t Gimmicks. It’s Thoughtfulness.

The next great webinar won’t have the flashiest intro video. It’ll be the one that made people think, laugh, or act.

So rethink your next session:

• Are you teaching or pitching?
• Are you energizing or exhausting?
• Are you converting or just counting registrants?

People still want to show up; they’re just done wasting time.

You can watch the full webinar on Youtube.

Tired of webinars that go nowhere? So are we. Join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society and get the creative tools, fresh formats, and peer-tested playbooks that help marketers like you build better, bolder programs.

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