There are two main ways to manage a webinar. The first is to do it live, so that everything occurring is in real time. The second is to do it in advance, have someone or some program record it from the user's point of view, and then upload it to be watched later. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Taking a critical look at your needs and comparing that to what each one offers will help you ensure that you select the right option for your event.
Advantages Of Recording
Recording your presentation is roughly akin to making a movie. You get to plan everything out ahead of time. You can control the finished product with exacting specification. You can re-tape as many times as needed until everything is exactly the way you want it. And in addition, the finished product is guaranteed to end up professional, with a logical flow from beginning to end. It's designed to present a consistent narrative to people rather than having them interact and ask questions. But this kind of webinar doesn't necessarily exclude questions. Depending on where you choose to post it, you may be able to post it and then have a forum that allows questions and answers after the fact. This can be an advantage in itself because it opens your content to people who might not have been able to attend a scheduled online conference during its presentation.
Advantages Of Live Video Conferencing
When you run things live, you can get people involved like never before. Because they are watching directly, you can ask for their feedback and guide them through exercises as they ask questions. This format is much more like an interactive live class. Recordings are akin to a lecture: limited class involvement. With this format, people have to get involved for it to work. You can still run with all the additions that can be incorporated with a recording (for example, you can have a live chat or a comments section) and you can certainly record and share it later. Just keep in mind that you may find it difficult to balance the spontaneous nature of a live event with a quality experience for those who watch the recording. If it becomes too guided by the questions people ask it is likely to be derailed and unclear to people who weren't there and following the thread of questions & discussion.
Use The Right One For Your Needs
Generally speaking, unless you're running an FAQ or something else that explicitly requires your audience to participate, it's best to complete the webinar beforehand. But make sure that you post it in a way that encourages people to engage, and reply to their posted questions. This gets you the best of both worlds. You're able to produce exactly the material that you want and engage people at the same time.
