I was talking to someone recently about GovDelivery’s webinar Citizen Engagement That Supports Change In Modern Government, and soon realised they didn’t know what a webinar was.

I then thought, what if other people don’t know what we mean by “webinar” too? They are probably missing out on learning opportunities they’d find really, really useful, all because the word is unknown and they think, “oh, that’s not for me”?

We need to sort it out!

10 things you need to know about GovDelivery webinars:

1) Our webinars are free online seminars / discussions with people we think you can learn from.

2) They usually last one hour inclusive of a Q&A session with the presenters.

3) They are fairly relaxed and you should feel very, very welcome to attend.

4) All you need to do is register for the webinar in advance online, and we’ll send you joining instructions. You will need to use a computer to log in to the webinar via the link we’ll provide, then sit back, relax, watch and listen.

5) Someone in our team usually moderates the webinar, while one or two interesting people in digital government share their wisdom with everyone who’s logged in to listen.

6) You’ll listen to the presenters talk live and you can look at their presentation slides on your computer screen (you’ll also be able to browse some online guides and case studies).

7) Only the moderator and presenters can speak on the webinar. We can’t hear you. To hear us, you’ll need to activate the speakers on your computer.

8) Although you (the attendee) cannot contribute verbally, you can use the text chat box to ask the speakers private questions. We’ll then type back an answer, or if it’s a question other people are asking too, our moderator may ask it as part of the Q&A session with speakers at the end.

9) If you register for one of our webinars but can’t attend the live event, we’ll send you a follow-up email the next day with the recording, so you don’t miss out.

10) Spend an hour 100% focused on the webinar, or have it on in the background and dip in and out when you can.

Don’t be mystified or intimidated by the word “webinar”. A webinar is simply another great opportunity for you to listen and learn online. No one attending will be able to see who else is on the webinar, and you won’t ever be put on the spot to answer questions (you’re not miked up!). If you do want to ask questions please use the text chat box or follow our hashtag on Twitter #GovD16.

You can register for other GovDelivery events and webinars here.