General Information about Webinars and Automated Webinars

General Information about Webinars and Automated Webinars

Online events are becoming increasingly popular, with webinars and automated webinars standing out among them. At first glance, they may seem similar, but they have important differences. In this article, you'll learn what each format entails, how they differ, and when it's better to use one or the other for effective audience engagement.

What is a Webinar?

A webinar is a live online broadcast held in real time.

The presenter delivers a live presentation, showing slides, videos, and demonstration materials. If desired, a chat can be enabled for participants — and it can be moderated by an assistant or admin. Webinars may also include CTA buttons, banners, lead capture forms, and surveys. To boost engagement, you can use a pre-written chat script to simulate activity and generate interest. Webinars are often used as a tool for sales and product presentations.

What is an Automated Webinar?

An automated webinar is a pre-recorded webinar that is played back to participants as a live broadcast.

The main advantage is the ability to prepare and edit the recording in advance: you can cut out mistakes, re-record parts, and create a polished result without the stress of live performance.

You can also set up a scripted chat, banners, CTA buttons, and forms to appear under the video — increasing engagement and potentially boosting sales.

Automated webinars are easy to scale: they can be scheduled to run as often as needed, even daily.

Sometimes, a moderator is available during the session to manage the chat and assist participants. Viewer questions can be collected in the chat and answered later by email — with no need for the presenter to be live.

Automated webinars save organizers significant time and effort, while also making it easier to scale training and sales efforts — since the same content can be shown to a large audience without repeating live sessions.

Which Format to Choose: Webinar or Automated Webinar?

Choosing between a webinar and an automated webinar mainly depends on your personal preferences and goals.

If you’re comfortable presenting live, improvising, and engaging with your audience in the moment — go with a webinar.

If you prefer to prepare in advance, record at your own pace, and reduce performance anxiety — an automated webinar is likely the better option.

For beginner presenters, the recorded format may be especially suitable since it offers more control and opportunities for refinement.

On the KWIGA platform, you can use both formats — and for attendees, they appear the same. You can enable chat and participate live or via a moderator. There's also the option to upload a pre-written chat script to simulate live interaction and engagement.

Additional interactive tools include:

• CTA buttons and banners (e.g., linking to a payment page);

• contact collection forms;

• surveys and quick polls;

• automatic delivery of bonuses — like access to a lesson, mini-course, PDF, etc.

These tools can be configured in advance for both live webinars and automated ones — with precise timing for each element.

Depending on your goal — whether educational, sales-driven, or engagement-focused — you can adapt the format to suit your needs and achieve maximum effectiveness.

So, What Should You Choose: Webinar or Automated Webinar?

The choice between a webinar and an automated webinar depends on your event’s purpose, audience, and available resources.

If you’re more comfortable presenting live — a webinar is the right choice.

If you prefer to prepare everything ahead of time, record and edit — go with an automated webinar.

In terms of interactivity, both formats are similar: they support chat, banners, surveys, and other engagement tools.

The key difference is that a webinar happens in real time, while an automated webinar is a pre-planned solution that helps save time and allows you to reuse your content.

In practice, many professionals combine both formats — offering greater flexibility and overall effectiveness.