Our Best Practices are the guidelines we outline to help you get the most out of your turn-key campaigns with Steep. 

You can read a full list of our Best Practices on this page, but here is a shortlist of the most important items:

• Time of Day: 6:00 - 7:00 PM
• Days of Week: Monday - Thursday
• Length: 30 - 50 minutes 
• Call to Action: Automated Appointment Scheduling (15-20 minute call)
• Advertising: 4 Days
• Lead Time: Ideally, orders should be submitted at least 10 days prior to the webinar date
• Content: Steep Turnkey Presentation 
  
  

TIMING OF YOUR ORDER

• We need your order 10 days before your webinar event. 
• We will launch ads 4 days before your webinar event date
• Please email logos, bios, headshots, appointment scheduling link, and your presentation to us when you submit your order.
• Rush Fees will be applied when there is less than 1 week between when the order is received and when the campaign is scheduled to go live. 1-2 day turn around will be $500; 3-4 day turn around will be $250. To avoid rush fees, ensure your order is submitted by 5pm MT on Wednesday the week prior to your webinar date.

Best Practices (full list)

In running hundreds of digital campaigns a month for advisors across the country in various markets, we know what works, and what doesn't. Why fix what's not broken? We have put together this list of Best Practices to help you get the best response possible, so you don't have to try to figure it out on your own. 

DAYS OF THE WEEK

• Monday through Thursday evenings are the best days/times for webinars.
• Only 1 webinar date may be used on any one campaign for webinar campaigns

TIME OF DAY

• Because evenings out-perform day events, start times must be between 6 and 7 PM.
• Webinars should ideally run between 30 and 50 minutes in length.

 WEBINAR SETUP

• Webinar Equipment: Having quality lighting, camera and microphone will help you deliver a polished product. To view a list of recommended equipment, see our blog post here: https://steepdigital.com/an-advisors-guide-to-the-best-webinar-equipment/
• The webinar app is owned by Steep: We will send you login information to test and launch your webinar, but the application itself is owned by Steep. Your access will start and stop with plenty of time for you to test and host your webinar, but once your campaign concludes, you will not be able to access this application. 
• About your TEST webinar campaign: Once you have logged into your application you will see TWO webinars in your account. Always do your testing in the TEST webinar. Do not launch the live webinar until you are ready to go live for your actual scheduled webinar. Clicking the launch link prior to your live webinar may cause attendees to not have access to the live webinar. Watch the Steep Webinar Technical Training Video and reference the included documentation if you have any questions.
• Technical Issues: Steep has no liability for technical issues outside of our control. If there were to be a technical issues that impacts your campaigns success (whether caused on your end or platform related) Steep cannot accept financial responsibility for these issues.
• Important info about the Chat Feature: Most compliance groups do not allow their advisors to use live chat on webinars. Because of this, we will automatically disable the use of chat on your webinar. If you are permitted to use chat, and if you would like that enabled please reach out to your Campaign Specialist and request for this option to be changed.
• Do NOT change anything: Your Steep marketing team has prepared this application and have proofed that it is set up properly. Do not make any changes. Changing settings within this application can cause irreversible problems with your campaign. By signing this page, you are acknowledging that the application is in good order and claiming responsibility for any problems caused by changes you make.
• Switching between Live and On-Demand: It's important that you perform your webinar in the same format as you order it, whether live or on demand. It is possible to switch a campaign from live to on demand mid-campaign, but it is not recommended. If you choose to change your campaign while it is running, we cannot accept responsibilities for any issues.
• Check your roster: You will receive a Google Sheet roster to view your webinar registrants when your campaign launches. Be sure to click the INFO tab at the bottom of the sheet to see additional resources we have provided you (webinar coaching video, webinar technical training video, pre-webinar checklist, etc). This sheet will update itself after your webinar concludes allowing you to see information on attendance. If you have done more than one webinar with Steep, each webinar will show up in this same sheet with a new tap for each campaign.

Please note it is your responsibility to setup your presentation/recording space and test all features prior to your webinar start time. We'll provide login credentials to the webinar platform 24 hours prior to your event to allow for testing. 

AUDIENCE SIZE AND DEMOGRAPHICS

• Your audience must meet our size guidelines and be within a reasonable driving distance (10 mi) of your venue. If the number of people reached isn't as large as the minimum that gets the best response, we will let you know.
• If there are any changes to the demographics that will affect the conversions and number of registrations negatively, then Steep will advise you find a venue that will get a better response. Most urban and suburban areas have plenty of population, but rural areas may not reach our minimums.
• Standard Demographics: Each campaign has a set of standard demographics including age, income, net worth, and liquid assets. These may be changed at your request but is not recommended. 

 FREQUENCY

• Each campaign should be 14 days after the previous campaign to allow a “cool down” period in the marketing zone.
• Marketing to the same zone sooner than 14 days will cause market saturation sooner and will decrease your conversion rate. This period helps avoid that.
• If you want to do campaigns more than 14 days, we recommend requesting a second marketing zone.
• If you are granted 2 marketing zones, then both will be on their own 14-day cycles.
• If you have an aggressive webinar marketing schedule, it’s also beneficial to change the webinar content that you do on subsequent campaigns. This combination of event timing and content variety will help maintain the integrity of your marketing zone and avoid saturation.

 ATTENDANCE AND CONFIRMATION

With webinar marketing, it’s not required that you make confirmation calls. With our standard email and text message confirmations, our average attendance rate is 40% with webinars. Some offices choose to make confirmation calls, and since we collect phone numbers for each registrant, you can do this if you choose to.

What we will do:

• Automated Email Confirmations: 3 emails (immediately upon registration, day before the event, day of the event). 2 additional emails will be sent at 10 days and 5 days before the event date if the client is registered that far in advance.
• Automated Text Reminders: Registrants will receive an automated text message 30 minutes prior to the start time of your webinar reminding them the event is starting soon.
• Real-Time Registration Notification: You will receive real time data as soon as registrations are made by referencing your campaign roster. Each registration will include: Name, Email, and Phone number. 
  
  

 ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

• Delayed Launches: If you launch is delayed due to non-payment, late approval, or rush order, your campaign will see lower registrations and conversions. 
• All or Nothing: Changes to this proven process may lower conversions. We recommend going for a custom campaign option if you look to make changes regularly to the content.
• Cancellation Charge: If you must cancel your campaign there will be a $250 cancellation fee. A new campaign may not be scheduled until the $250 fee is paid.
• Change Fee: If there are major changes to your campaign (ie: add/remove date, campaign type), there may be a change fee of $250 if work has already been started.
• Custom Campaign Work: A $1000 one-time build fee may be applied to any campaigns requiring custom landing page content or ad copy. 
• Custom Campaign Communication: A $150 fee will be charged for any additional email or text blasts included in your campaign.  
• Payment Before Launch: Steep requires full payment before launching your ads. Your campaign will not be launched without full payment.

EXPECTATIONS: 

Custom Content: Page design plays a large role in the success of your campaign and all of your turn-key campaigns come with a proven page design. Please be aware that any design or custom content changes to your campaign will affect the performance of your campaign and incur a semi-custom charge.

COMPLIANCE: 

• Broker Dealer and RIA Compliance: You are responsible to get your marketing approved by your BD/RIA. Please plan your time accordingly if there is approval time needed with your BD/RIA.
• Most of our distribution partners have reviewed and approved our content, so let them know the event is being marketed by Steep.
• Please provide any required disclosures in the order form.
• Facebook Compliance: We do our best to write ads and landing pages that follow Facebook’s advertising policies. All of our pages have links to privacy policies and our external website for our global brands. In addition to this, we have other disclosures that we will use on your landing page to ensure we’re complying with Facebook’s ad policies. If something happens outside of our control that causes Facebook to not deliver your ads, we cannot be held responsible for the performance of your campaign. We do not share facebook ad copy, on any facebook data for client campaigns unless the campaign is run for a custom client through their own ad account. 

UNDERSTANDING MARKETING ZONES:

• We will not market the same campaign in the same market at the same time. 
• Once your campaign takes place, you have rights to that same marketing zone for 14 days (campaign date one to campaign date two). 
• There is a separate marketing zone for each campaign type. For example if there were 2 campaign programs available, each marketing zone could be used separately for each of the 2 campaign topics.
• If you rescheduled another campaign with dates 14 days from the previous campaign, you maintain control of your market. If your second campaign date is sooner than 14 days apart, we cannot guarantee the second campaign's performance to help avoid over-saturation. If the second campaign's dates are past 14 days, you are at risk of losing that territory to someone else. 
• There is a 3 day grace period before and after the 14 day requirement (essentially making it a 14-20 day window). 
• In order to schedule a second campaign within your 14 day window, you will need to submit that order approximately 3-5 days after the first campaign occurs. 
• Once your marketing zone request is approved, you can submit an order through our online order system. Your approval is good for 7 days from when we send it to you. In order to retain the approval for your territory, the campaign dates cannot be more than 3 weeks from the order date (ex: you could not submit your first order in February with event dates in July). 

MARKETING IS A RISK:
Marketing is a risk no matter how you go about it. Following the best practices outlined on this page help give your campaign the best possible shot at success, however it is not guaranteed. Factors outside our control such as weather, launching late, changes requested mid-campaign, holiday/e-commerce season, or any deviation from our tested formula of ad copy, landing page copy, or image requests can have significant impacts on the final performance of any campaign. It is our Client's responsibility to accept this risk and also keep track of the performance via the provided roster. 

So many rules, right?

Don’t worry, we’re doing all of this to help you! Campaigns that conform to best practices have a consistent track record of success. By following this proven formula, you’re on the fast track to great results.

See you at the top!

Having marketed thousands of digital campaigns, we've learned a thing or two about what it takes to execute a GREAT digital campaign. Below are some details of our Webinar Best Practices. Please read these carefully to give you the best shot at a high converting webinar campaign. These guidelines are meant to help you get the best response possible.  

Here's the formula for a successful online webinar campaign!

Webinar Best Practices

Steep Digital Marketing Webinar Best Practices

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