Step 1: Set a date & time

Consider the availability of your audience when setting a day and time. Mid-weeks, such as Wednesday and Thursday, are the best days for a live event, with the best times being between 10am–12pm PST.

Set a duration (typically no longer than 45 minutes) for the event and stick to it.

Step 2: Choose a platform

There are various platforms to host your live Q&A, including free platforms like Google Meet and Zoom for smaller groups, and Zoho, Zoom, or Sequel for larger, more formal events. 

Choose the platform that best suits your needs based on the number of participants, features, and compatibility with your budget. We highly recommend lu.ma to collect signups.

Sequel ($650/month or $550/month paid annually for 500 attendees) is best for hosting presentations on the company's website. It allows companies to drive all the traffic to a landing page they control on the site, which helps with retargeting and relationship building.

Step 3: Create an agenda

Outline what you want to cover during the founder Q&A, including an introduction to your company, product overview, financials, and a live Q&A session. Share the agenda with your attendees beforehand so they can come prepared with questions.

There are two successful styles we’ve seen on Wefunder: Pitch + Q&A and Lead Investor Perspective.

• In a Pitch + Q&A, pitch your business and leave 10-15 minutes at the end to answer investor questions.
• In a Lead Investor Perspective, pitch your business, answer investor questions, but allow 10-15 minutes for your lead investor to give a personal account of why they invested in your company.

Step 4: Promote your live founder Q&A

Promote your live founder Q&A on your social media platforms and email lists.

If you use lu.ma to collect signups, they’ll auto send out reminder emails and follow ups too.

Use eye-catching graphics and clear language to communicate the value of attending your live founder Q&A. Most importantly, post an update on your Wefunder page with a brief summary of the info in your presentation with a registration link. Send reminder emails leading up to the event.

Here are two excellent examples of eye-catching promotion graphics:

Step 5: Conduct the live founder Q&A

On the day of the event, test your equipment and start on time. Stick to your agenda and engage with your attendees. Be personable, enthusiastic, and confident in your presentation. We recommend having a facilitator whose sole job is to keep tabs on the chat and the waiting room—make sure to have at least 2-3 resources to put in the chat to keep the audience engaged like links, images, and polls.

Step 6: Follow up with attendees

After the event, follow up with your attendees, thank them for attending, and provide any additional resources or materials discussed during the event.

We recommend posting an update on your Wefunder page with a recorded copy of your event, a big thank you, and a recap.

Use this opportunity to strengthen your relationships with your investors and answer any additional questions they may have.

For examples, see how Sensate, Upshift, and Qnetic followed up with attendees to thank them for attending.

A good follow up template could look like this: