The End of Following Culture — And What Webinars Must Do

Gary Vaynerchuk has been warning that the age of “just building a following” is fading. Before, audience size was everything, followers, likes, impressions mattered. But now, value, authenticity, and direct connection are becoming more important than sheer numbers.

For webinar creators, this is a wake-up call: webinars aren’t just about registering many attendees; they’re about delivering experiences people trust, remember, and act on.

What ‘Following Culture’ Used to Be

• Big webinars with big promotion, hoping to hit large registration numbers
• Passive audience engagement (watching only)
• Relying on virality or brand reputation to drive attention
• Less concern for loyalty, retention, or post-event value

Why It’s Shifting

Several forces are pushing change:

• Oversaturation: Too many people are using the same templates, the same type of content. Audiences are tired of “just another webinar.”
• Attention fragmentation: With short video, social reels, and micro-content everywhere, people expect quick value. Long form must deliver fast, too.
• Authenticity & trust: Audiences want speakers who are “real” , showing insight, admitting flaws, offering real up-front value.
• Value over vanity metrics: Metrics like registrants, followers, or views are useful, but what matters more is what people do after. Do they replay? Do they convert? Do they trust you?

What Webinars Must Do Now

To win in this new era, webinar creators should embed these shifts into every stage of planning and execution:

1. Focus on Value, Not Chasing Numbers
   • Design webinars where every minute gives something useful.
   • Don’t aim for huge turnout first; aim for high trust and action.
2. Authentic Interaction
   • Use live Q&A, polls, real stories. Let people feel heard.
   • Show behind-the-scenes or human moments, imperfection builds trust.
3. Short Wins + Long Play
   • Deliver quick, valuable content early (first 5-10 minutes hook)
   • Use on-demand content so people can revisit, extending the life of your event
4. Retention & Follow-Through
   • Track who watches replays, who engages, what parts they replay
   • Use follow-up content, not just “thanks for coming,” but “here are your next steps”
5. Metrics That Matter
   • Move beyond raw registrations; count engagements, follow-ups, conversions
   • Assess audience sentiment, retention rates, repeat attendance

Real-World Example

Imagine two companies both hosting webinars:

• Company A focuses only on driving registrations via flashy ads. They get 5,000 live viewers, but most drop off early, barely interact, and only 10% watch replay.
• Company B uses a smaller promotion strategy, builds a very specific hook, engages actively during the event (polls, stories, participation), ensures there’s a compelling reason to follow-up. They may get 1,000 live viewers, but 50% stay throughout, 60% replay, and 30% convert.

Which one do you think builds real relationships and ROI? Probably Company B.

Why This Matters for Corporate Webinar Teams

For corporates in the Netherlands (or elsewhere), the shift from “following” to “value + trust + action” means:

• You don’t need the biggest audience. You need the right audience.
• Every webinar should be part of a broader content ecosystem (on-demand, internal shares, follow-up).
• You can stand out by being honest, focused, useful, not just polished.
• You’ll see better returns, not just in numbers, but in engagement, loyalty, and real business impact.