Video Webcasts Garner Viewers

Webcasting provider ON24 has provided its customer base with benchmarking statistics on business-to-business Webcasts, compared from the first half of 2005 to the first half of 2006. Publishers utilizing ON24’s service scheduled and delivered 33.29 percent more Webcasts during the time.

The company’s Webcasts generally drew an average of 500 or more registrants per event with a registrant-to-attendee conversion ratio above 55 percent. Audio Webcasts continued to provide the bulk of presentations with 830 in 2005 and 1,094 in 2006. The growth rate of 31.81 percent audio Webcasts were overshadowed by the 43.96 percent increase in video Webcasts in 2006 over 2005. Video Webcasts attracted an average of 45 to 47 percent more registrants and attendees, while audiences for audio Webcasts declined by 3 percent and 9 percent, respectively.

“If you look at the audio numbers, you’ll see its growth, but the audience is declining,” said Sharat Sharan, president and CEO of ON24. “Anecdotally, I think it’s because there’s more competition in that marketplace.”

Live Webcasts also saw greater viewer retention over on-demand Webcasts, with attendee viewing times averaging 39 minutes versus 34 minutes for 60 minute long presentations.

“I was surprised to see that the average time people are spending on a 60 minute Webcast is 39 minutes. I’d like people to be there for 50-55 minutes, but having said that, 39 minutes is a good amount of time,” said Sharan.

The report “ON24 Insider on Publishing: Key Webcasting Findings for the Publishing Industry,” is based on live or on-demand, audio or video streamed Webcasting events by 35 publishers lasting 60 minutes or less and held from January – June in 2005 and 2006 on the ON24 service.