Best Time and Day to Host a Webinar

When orchestrating a digital seminar, selecting the best time to host a webinar is crucial for maximising attendance and engagement. The timing of your event can mean the difference between a packed virtual room buzzing with interaction or a disappointing turnout with minimal participation.

Webinars have become an indispensable tool for businesses, educators, and thought leaders to share knowledge, generate leads, and build communities. However, even the most compelling content won’t guarantee high attendance if it’s scheduled at an inconvenient time for your audience.

So, how do you ensure that your webinar reaches the right people at the right time? By understanding your audience's preferences, analysing data, and leveraging insights from past events, you can strategically schedule your webinar for maximum impact.

To help you navigate the process, here’s a step-by-step guide to choosing the best time to host a webinar:

Table of contents 

1. Why selecting the best webinar time is important
2. Understanding your target audience
3. The role of audience insights in scheduling
4. Beyond scheduling: leveraging a robust video conferencing solution

Before diving into the specifics of scheduling, it's important to understand why timing plays such a crucial role in the success of a webinar. Even the most valuable content won’t be effective if it's presented at a time when your audience can’t attend or engage.

Why selecting the best webinar time is important

Hosting a webinar is an effective way to engage audiences, generate leads, educate participants, and build brand authority. However, even the most well-prepared and insightful webinar can fail if it is scheduled at the wrong time. Selecting the best time to host a webinar is critical because it directly impacts attendance rates, engagement levels, and overall success.

Let’s explore why choosing the right time matters and how it can influence your webinar’s outcome.

Higher attendance rates

One of the biggest challenges in hosting a webinar is getting people to show up. Many attendees sign up for a webinar with good intentions but fail to attend due to scheduling conflicts, distractions, or inconvenient timing.

Why timing matters:

• If the webinar is scheduled too early, attendees may not be ready or may still be commuting.
• If it’s too late in the day, they might be tired, busy with other commitments, or winding down.
• Scheduling during lunch hours may clash with break times, reducing participation.

According to a study by ON24, midweek webinars (Tuesdays to Thursdays) see up to 50% higher attendance rates than those held on Mondays or Fridays. A well-timed webinar maximises turnout by aligning with your audience’s availability, increasing the likelihood that registrants will actually attend.

Increased engagement and interaction

Webinars are most effective when attendees actively participate—asking questions, responding to polls, and engaging with the content. However, engagement levels decline dramatically when people join a webinar at an inconvenient time.

Why timing matters:

• Attendees who join at a peak productivity hour (e.g., mid-morning or early afternoon) are more likely to be focused and engaged.
• Webinars scheduled too close to the end of the workday might suffer from distracted or fatigued participants.
• If the event clashes with other meetings or deadlines, attendees may join late, leave early, or multitask instead of paying full attention.

Solution: By choosing the best time to run a webinar—when your audience is most alert and available—you increase interaction, audience retention, and overall impact.

Better lead conversion and ROI

For businesses and marketers, webinars are an important tool for lead generation and sales conversion. The goal is to move attendees through the buyer’s journey, turning them from interested viewers into paying customers.

Why timing matters:

• A well-attended, highly engaging webinar gives you a better chance to convert leads into customers.
• If participants are distracted, busy, or leave early, they may miss key call-to-action moments, reducing the conversion rate.
• Scheduling your webinar when decision-makers are most likely to attend (e.g., mid-morning or early afternoon on weekdays) increases the likelihood of generating sales or business leads.

Research from HubSpot found that the best webinars have engagement rates above 40%, and higher engagement directly correlates with increased lead conversions.

Solution: The right webinar time improves audience retention and keeps potential customers engaged, leading to higher sales and return on investment (ROI).

Aligning with industry-specific availability

Different industries have different work patterns and availability windows. Scheduling your webinar at an inappropriate time for your industry can result in low participation from key stakeholders.

Examples:

• Corporate professionals are busiest on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons. Midweek sessions (Tuesdays to Thursdays) perform better.
• Medical professionals may prefer early mornings or evenings since they have patient appointments during the day.
• Freelancers & entrepreneurs often have flexible schedules and might prefer late afternoons.
• Academics & students tend to be available in the evenings or weekends.

Solution: Understand your industry’s peak work hours before setting your webinar time. Conduct surveys, review past attendance data, or ask registrants about their preferred time slots.

Knowing why timing matters is just the first step. The next crucial factor in scheduling success is understanding your audience—who they are, where they are, and when they are most likely to be available.

Understanding your target audience

The first and most important step in scheduling your webinar is understanding who your audience is and where they are located. No matter how compelling your content is, an inconvenient schedule will significantly reduce attendance rates. A well-timed webinar ensures higher engagement, better participation, and a more interactive session, helping you achieve your goals—whether that’s generating leads, educating an audience, or fostering discussions.

Before setting a date and time, consider the habits, routines, and preferences of your target audience. Are they business professionals who prefer webinars during work hours? Are there students who might be available in the evening? Are they in industries with strict working hours, making lunchtime the only viable option?

A mismatch between your schedule and your audience’s availability can lead to no-shows, even if they originally expressed interest.

Consider time zones

If your webinar is targeting a local audience, scheduling is relatively straightforward—just ensure it aligns with the typical work schedule of your attendees.

However, if your event is open to an international audience, time zone differences become a significant challenge. A webinar scheduled at 12 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time) may be ideal for attendees on the U.S. East Coast, but for those in PST (Pacific Standard Time), it's too early (9 a.m.). Similarly, a 6 p.m. EST webinar might work well for Europe but fall in the middle of the night for Asia.

How to balance multiple time zones

Instead of picking a time that works only for one region, aim for a time slot that accommodates the largest portion of your audience. Here’s how:

• Analyse past attendance data (if available) to determine where most of your participants are located.
• Identify overlapping time slots where multiple regions can attend conveniently.
• If your audience is highly global, consider hosting two live sessions at different times to cater to different time zones.

Example:
If your audience is spread between the U.S. and Europe, a 10 a.m. EST (3 p.m. GMT, 4 p.m. CET) time slot may work well. However, if you have participants in Asia, you may need to schedule an additional session at 7 p.m. EST to cover multiple regions.

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The role of audience insights in scheduling

Once you've identified your audience's location and general availability, the next step is to refine your scheduling based on their specific work habits and routines. Different industries and demographics have different peak engagement times, and recognising these patterns can further enhance attendance and participation.

By carefully considering who your audience is, their work-life patterns, and when they are most likely to engage, you can increase attendance, maximise engagement, and enhance the overall experience of your webinar.

Business professionals: mid-morning & early afternoon work best

If your webinar is targeting business professionals, such as corporate employees, executives, or industry leaders, timing is key to maximising participation. These individuals typically operate within structured schedules filled with meetings, deadlines, and productivity peaks.

Best time slots:

• Mid-morning (10–11 a.m.) – Professionals have already settled into their workday but are not yet overwhelmed with tasks.
• Early afternoon (1–2 p.m.) – Right after lunch, when people are refreshed and before they hit the late-afternoon energy slump.

Why these times work:

• Avoids the morning rush when employees are catching up on emails and meetings.
• Prevents scheduling conflicts with end-of-day deadlines and wrap-ups.
• Increases focus, as professionals tend to be more engaged in these time frames.

Example: A financial services company hosting a thought leadership webinar on market trends would likely see higher attendance at 10:30 a.m. or 1 p.m., rather than early morning or late in the day.

Freelancers & entrepreneurs: later in the day may work better

Unlike corporate employees, freelancers and entrepreneurs have flexible work schedules, meaning their peak productivity hours may not align with traditional business hours. Some prefer early mornings, while others are more active in the late afternoon or even evenings.

Best time slots:

• Late afternoon (3–5 p.m.) – After they have completed most of their focused work but before winding down for the day.
• Early evening (6–7 p.m.) – For entrepreneurs who are juggling multiple responsibilities and prefer post-business hours.

Why these times work:

• Avoids clashing with client work, meetings, or peak productivity hours.
• Offers a relaxed time for learning and networking.
• Appeals to digital nomads and remote workers who have flexible schedules.

Example: A startup accelerator hosting a "Scaling Your Business" webinar for early-stage entrepreneurs might find better engagement with a 4 p.m. or 6 p.m. session, rather than mid-morning.

Students & educators: evenings & weekends work best

If your webinar is aimed at students, teachers, or academic professionals, you need to consider their class schedules and study habits. Many students attend lectures during the day, while teachers have fixed working hours that extend into late afternoons.

Best time slots:

• Evening (6–8 p.m.) – Ideal for students who are done with their classes and have time to focus on external learning.
• Weekend mornings (10–12 p.m.) – A great alternative for educational webinars that require longer engagement.

Why these times work:

• Students and educators are often occupied with classes or grading papers during the day.
• Evening slots allow students to attend after their daily obligations.
• Weekends provide flexibility, especially for self-paced learners.

Example: A university offering a career development webinar for graduating students might see the highest attendance at 7 p.m. on a weekday or 11 a.m. on a Saturday.

Global organisations: multiple sessions or on-demand webinars

For large corporations, international businesses, and organisations with a global workforce, choosing a single best time can be challenging due to time zone differences. Instead of forcing one-time slot, the best approach is to offer multiple sessions or an on-demand webinar.

Best strategies:

• Run multiple live sessions – Schedule one in the morning (for Asia & Europe) and another in the evening (for the Americas).
• Offer an on-demand replay – Allows attendees from all regions to watch at their convenience.
• Use a hybrid model – Offer a live Q&A at different times but provide pre-recorded content.

Why this works:

• Ensures participation across different continents.
• Gives flexibility to those who can’t attend the live event.
• Increases accessibility and engagement rates.

Example: A multinational software company launching a new AI-powered analytics tool might hold one webinar at 10 a.m. GMT (to cater to Europe & Asia) and another at 7 p.m. GMT (for the Americas), along with a recorded session for those who miss both.

Beyond scheduling: leveraging a robust video conferencing solution

Even with perfect scheduling, a webinar can still fail if the technology doesn’t support seamless interaction and engagement. A robust, high-quality video conferencing solution ensures that your carefully planned event runs smoothly without technical disruptions that could frustrate your audience and reduce engagement.

Digital Samba stands apart in the crowded market with its end-to-end encryption and hosting within the EU, providing an extra layer of security and data privacy compliance that is of paramount importance in today's digital landscape. These features not only ensure your webinars are protected against unauthorised access but also make sure you’re in line with stringent data privacy regulations.

The video conferencing API and SDK offered by Digital Samba enable businesses to seamlessly embed video conferencing into their existing software solutions or websites. This seamless integration means that businesses can host webinars directly from their platforms without the need for attendees to download or install any additional software. The result is a user-friendly, secure, and fully compliant video conferencing solution that enhances the experience for both hosts and attendees.

Remember, while finding the right time for your webinar is a critical aspect, equipping yourself with a reliable, GDPR-compliant video conferencing solution like Digital Samba can make a significant difference in the success of your webinars. The balance between convenient scheduling and robust technology is what truly makes for an engaging, successful online event.