Webinar Strategy by Company Size [2026 Data from 853 Marketers]

Webinars aren't a one-size-fits-all tactic. Our Pipeline Truth survey of 853 marketing professionals reveals that 78.9% of enterprises rate webinars as critical, compared to 60.2% of SMBs. This 18-point gap reflects fundamentally different operational needs.

Here's how to build a webinar strategy that works for your company size.

The trend is clear: As companies grow, webinars shift from a tactical channel to operational infrastructure. The larger the company, the more critical webinars become to its marketing strategy, suggesting that large enterprises benefit the most from systematizing their webinar programs.

What does an enterprise webinar strategy look like?

Enterprises depend on webinars to solve problems at scale:

• Scalable lead generation: Filling pipeline across multiple segments with qualified leads through consistent, repeatable programming
• Standardized product demos: Ensuring consistent messaging across global sales teams — critical when 61.9% of companies use webinars for demos
• Customer education at scale: Training thousands of customers at minimal cost through on-demand content libraries

What enterprise webinar operations require

With 95.5% of survey respondents reporting that sales teams run webinars and 90.6% indicating that growth teams handle webinars, it’s clear that enterprise programs demand cross-departmental coordination.

Enterprise programs benefit from integrated CRM systems and robust webinar platforms with enterprise-grade security, scalability, and API access. These teams should measure metrics like pipeline contribution, cost per qualified lead, and multi-touch attribution across 3–12 month sales cycles.

How should small businesses approach webinar marketing?

SMBs also see strong strategic value from webinars, with advantages that enterprises can't replicate:

• Flexible lead generation: Prioritizing quality over volume, with personal engagement and follow-ups
• Customizable demos: Adapting presentations in real time based on prospect questions, without scripts or approval workflows
• Community-driven customer marketing: Building intimate experiences and direct relationships that drive loyalty

What SMB webinar operations look like

Small teams wear multiple hats. The right approach is a cost-effective, easy-to-use webinar platform that delivers core functionality without the complexity and that scales as you grow.

SMB teams should monitor metrics like engagement quality, direct opportunities, customer satisfaction, and revenue per event.

How are companies using AI for webinars in 2026?

Our data shows that 80% of respondents have adopted AI, but only 60% have webinar-specific AI use cases. In addition, two-thirds (66.4%) are at the beginning or middle of the AI maturity curve, with few at the advanced or expert level.

Enterprise and small business teams alike can leverage this gap:.

• Enterprises should deploy AI for automated content repurposing, predictive attendance modeling, and lead scoring at scale
• SMBs should target high-impact automation like email copy, social content, transcription, and follow-up sequences

Explore AI-powered webinar platforms to help your team close this gap.

When SMBs should shift to enterprise strategy

Small businesses should watch for these transition signals:

1. Webinar demand consistently exceeds team capacity
2. Quality varies across presenters or regions
3. Manual follow-up can't keep pace with lead volume
4. Webinar activity doesn’t easily connect to revenue

Systematize your strategy before operational pressure catches up with your team. Build processes, upgrade technology, and specialize roles gradually while preserving the agility that got you there.

Methodology

Livestorm’s 2026 Webinar Benchmark Report is based on 853 survey responses. 72% were SMB (1–200 employees), and 28% were enterprise (201+ employees). The larger SMB sample provides higher statistical confidence. Enterprise findings, particularly the 5,001+ segment (4% of respondents), should be interpreted as directional. High criticality = rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale.