51% of B2B marketers say webinars produce the best results for their content marketing funnel. However, most are still missing a key component from their strategy, which leads them to lose a huge chunk of their potential audience.
This article explores the role of guest speakers in B2B webinars and helps you identify and source the ideal partner for your next event. Based on our experience as B2B webinar marketing agency helping countless companies refine their webinar strategy to maximize leads and ROI, we reveal the best practices (and worst mistakes to avoid!) that will drive results for your webinars this year.
Why Your B2B Webinars Needs Guest Speakers
Too many B2B webinars are glorified product demos or sales pitches – and buyers are smart to that game in 2025. We’ve seen first-hand across multiple industries and niches how focusing on delivering value and providing real thought leadership can transform event performance.
Guest speakers are a key piece of that puzzle. They help signal that the event is not just about your company and boost your webinar with:
- Increased Authority: Add extra industry knowledge or academic credibility to your event
- Extended Reach: Connect with the guest speakers’ followers or professional networks for a wider appeal
- Extra Value: Offer attendees an exciting opportunity to hear from a known industry expert or established researcher
But how do you identify the right guest for your event that aligns with your overall webinar marketing strategy?
4 Things to Look for in Your Webinar Speaker
Our experience points to four key factors that all effective guest speakers share:
1. Strong Audience
Your speaker should have a large network of relevant buyers, to which they can promote the event and expand your organic reach. This is not just about follower count but engagement; look for people who post regularly and generate a lot of interest when they do. Plenty of people amass large social followings by adding or connecting with people – rather than actually engaging or building an “audience.”
You can quickly assess this by looking at their personal LinkedIn profile or their business profile, which may be used to promote your webinar. Look at their follower count and most recent posts to gauge the strength and relevance of their existing audience.
2. Relevant Expertise
Your event should only feature individuals who can speak authoritatively on your subject. Look for speakers who are either recognized in the field or at least have strong credentials that are relevant and valuable to your audience. But they don’t need to be an established influencer or have a five-figure follow count. For example, a healthcare audience will care about a speaker with 20+ years of experience in a prestigious hospital, even if they’re not familiar with the name.
Make sure your guest speaker’s expertise is differentiated from your event’s other speakers. Selecting two speakers with expert knowledge on the exact same topic will add little value, whereas including a guest who can add a slightly different perspective may offer a considerable boost to the quality of your event and create more of a panel discussion.
3. Non-Competitive Position
Guest speakers should not be affiliated with a company that is your direct competitor. Collaboration with adjacent niches is good, but you must ensure everyone’s interests are aligned. For example, we’ve seen strong collaboration between two companies that serve the same audience – but one provides professional services, and the other provides software solutions. This ensures both parties are offering something unique – and limits the risk of losing business to your webinar partner.
4. Openness to Your Company
While not an active ambassador or partner, it is useful for your guest speaker to have a positive view of your product or service. For example, they might have an interest in the kind of technology you provide; you could even give them demos beforehand to ensure they are “on board” with what you do. This avoids the possibility of a “phoned-in” event where the speaker is not very interested in the discussion – and just wants to promote their own services or product.
How to Find the Best Guest Speakers
There are three ways to identify and reach out to prospective guest speakers:
1. Network Connections
Use your executives’ personal networks to find suitable speakers, such as former colleagues or people they have met during networking events. This is often the most effective route because you can leverage existing relationships, but it is often down to the luck of whether your team has a relevant connection. We’ve seen large teams struggle to find a suitable connection, and very small ones quickly identify the perfect speaker in their network.
2. Public Calls
Many companies leverage their network to find new connections – especially if they have well-connected peers. Post a public call for speakers on LinkedIn or direct message specific individuals to ask if they can recommend a quality speaker; both can lead to surprising and very positive connections.
3. Cold Outreach
Another route is cold email, which can be effective but often requires extra incentives for the speaker. Research prospective speakers via public networks like LinkedIn and send them an email or InMail offering them the opportunity to join your event.
But this brings us to an important question: how exactly should you frame your offer to land the best speakers?
4 Ways to Entice Your Webinar Guest Speaker
The success rate of your guest speaker outreach is likely to be low at first; many companies struggle to properly capture the benefits their webinar offers for a prospective speaker. But we have found four best practices that dramatically improve your odds and reliably lead to a high hit rate:
- Emphasize the Benefits: Your outreach messages should be framed through a lens that matters to the speaker. For example, a family financial planning expert might care about helping to educate young families; your outreach should therefore focus on the opportunity to provide 100s of families with better information about their financial future.
- Personal Touch: Make sure every message you send a prospective speaker feels authentic and personal; nobody wants to feel they’ve been sent an automated request. Try to include a few personalized elements to signal that you have genuinely researched the speaker and want them. Most professionals will feel flattered by the effort and, therefore, be more likely to accept it.
- Showcase Past Events: Speakers want to know they’re in good hands and will gain something from participating. Share examples of previous webinars and attendance numbers to demonstrate that you know what you’re doing! We’ve built a dedicated webinar website page for clients to make this easier and showcase the full breadth of their webinar offering. The page showcases past and upcoming events, and the logos of companies that have partnered with them to co-host webinars.
- Offer Compensation: Some guests will expect financial compensation for their time and participation, which should be built into your event budget. This should be delicately negotiated; we recommend doing it via direct video call and explaining your budget to give context to the offer.
Once you have landed a guest speaker, it’s time to start making use of the extra value they bring to the table.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Guest Speaker
Timing is everything when it comes to webinar guest speakers. Many speakers are only finalized days before the event, which still adds value to the event – but limits how much extra benefit you can generate from the speaker’s participation.
Aim to secure a speaker at least four weeks before your event so that you can implement the following best practices:
- Content Planning: Generate a list of topics, questions, or even, ideally, insights that the speaker would like to cover. Accessing these beforehand gives you time to more accurately align your event promotion with the actual event – which is crucial to improving attendees’ experience. You can also then tease specific information, such as research the speaker will share or exclusive insights your audience might care about most.
- Event Promotion: Leverage your speaker’s credentials in your promotional materials to increase the event’s perceived value and exclusivity. This could be using their alma mater in promotion designs, mentioning their research track record in your copy, or simply listing their awards on your landing page.
- Copy Templates: Create email copy and design that the speaker can use to promote the event through their own personal social channels. Most speakers will not have the time or inclination to write extensive posts to advertise your webinar, but many will happily copy and paste your messaging – which gives the event a significant signal boost.
- Dry Runs: Plan a run-through so your speakers have an opportunity to explore their materials and practice before the official event. This gives them greater confidence and ensures the real event runs smoothly.
Of course, we understand this is a lot to add to your already tough workload – which is why so many companies rely on a webinar marketing agency.
Boost B2B Webinar Attendance 400% with ProperExpression
ProperExpression has helped countless B2B companies plan, promote and execute online events that drive high-quality leads. From identifying the perfect topic to sourcing industry-leading speakers, we take care of the entire process – so you can sit back and enjoy the benefits of a well-oiled webinar strategy.
Our recent clients have seen a 400% increase in attendees and 25x ROI; want to get similar results from your events?
