If you’ve ever tried to get B2B folks to register for a webinar, you know the struggle. Cold emails get ignored, LinkedIn DMs are a gamble, and paid ads? Don’t get me started on the cost per lead. If you want to try something different (that doesn’t involve begging your sales team to spam their networks), chatbots like Manychat can actually help—if you set them up right.
This guide is for B2B marketers, sales ops, or founders who want more webinar signups without gimmicks. I’ll walk through what works, what flops, and how to set up a Manychat flow that gets actual humans to register.
Why Use Manychat for B2B Webinar Signups?
Let’s be honest: most B2B buyers have their shields up. But here’s what works in your favor:
- Chatbots get seen: Messenger open rates are way higher than email (think 70-80% vs. 15-20%).
- It’s interactive: Instead of a form, you have a back-and-forth—less friction, more signups.
- Auto-reminders: You can nudge people before the event, and after, if they ghost you.
But there are caveats: - B2B buyers hate spammy bots. If your chatbot feels scammy or wastes their time, they’ll bounce. - Not everyone uses Facebook Messenger for work, so your mileage may vary by industry. - You still need a solid webinar topic and clear value, or none of this matters.
Step 1: Define Your Audience and Webinar Value
Before you even open Manychat, be brutally clear about:
- Who you want to sign up (job titles, industries, company size)
- Why they’d care about your webinar. What problem are you solving? Why now? If you can’t say it in a sentence, work on that before you touch any tech.
Pro tip: If your “webinar” is just a sales demo in disguise, people will sniff that out. Give them a real reason to show up.
Step 2: Set Up Manychat (the Basics)
If you’re new to Manychat, it’s a chatbot builder that works with Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and SMS. For B2B, Facebook Messenger is easiest to start with, but you can experiment.
Quick setup checklist:
- Sign up for Manychat. Connect it to your company’s Facebook page. (Yes, you need a real FB page.)
- Pick your channel. For most B2B, Messenger is fine. If your audience lives on IG or WhatsApp, try those.
- Map your flow. Don’t just wing it. Outline a chat sequence that:
- Hooks interest (“Want expert tips on [pain point]? Our live webinar is next week.”)
- Qualifies (“Is this relevant to your role in [industry]?”)
- Captures info (“What’s your best email for the reminder?”)
- Confirms registration (“You’re in! We’ll send you the link and a reminder.”)
Step 3: Build a Simple, Honest Registration Flow
Nobody wants to chat with a robot for 5 minutes just to enter an email. Keep it frictionless.
Here’s a basic flow that works:
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Greet & qualify
- “Hey! We’re running a live session on [topic] for [audience]. Interested?”
- Give quick-reply buttons: “Yes, tell me more” or “Not now.”
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Explain the value
- If they say yes, give a one-liner: “It’s 40 minutes, no sales pitch—just practical strategies for [specific result].”
- Option to see agenda or register.
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Collect the details
- “Great—where should we send your join link and reminders?” (Ask for email, not phone.)
- Let them type or tap.
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Confirm and set expectations
- “You’re registered! Look for an email from us, and I’ll ping you here a day before the event.”
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Optional: calendar add
- Give them a button to add to Google Calendar or Outlook. This boosts show-up rates.
Don’t: - Ask for their company name or job title unless you really need it. Every extra field drops completion rates. - Send a wall of text. Break it up with short messages and quick replies.
Step 4: Promote Your Chatbot Registration Link
Here’s where people get it wrong: just adding a chatbot to your FB page won’t move the needle. You’ve got to put your registration flow in front of the right people.
What actually works:
- Paid ads: Run FB/IG ads with a “Send Message” CTA that triggers your chatbot flow. Target by job title, interests, company size.
- Email CTA: Add a “Register via Messenger” button in your email invites.
- LinkedIn posts: Direct people to the chatbot link (be upfront that it’s Messenger).
- Retargeting: If someone visits your webinar landing page but bounces, retarget them with Messenger ads.
What to skip:
- Don’t expect organic chatbot traffic to magically appear.
- Don’t spam your existing FB page followers—unless they’re actually your target audience.
Pro tip: Test your flow on mobile and desktop. Weird formatting or broken buttons kill trust fast.
Step 5: Set Up Automated Reminders (Without Being Annoying)
Most B2B webinar no-shows aren’t malicious—they just forget. Use Manychat’s automation to gently remind registrants:
- Day-before reminder: “Quick reminder: [Webinar title] is tomorrow at [time]. Here’s your link.”
- Hour-before ping: Keep it short: “Starts in 1 hour—see you soon.”
- Post-event follow-up: “Missed it? Here’s the replay link.”
Important: Don’t overdo it. Messenger is personal—2-3 reminders max. Give an easy “unsubscribe” option. If you push too hard, people will block your page.
Step 6: Sync Registrations With Your CRM or Email Platform
If you’re running B2B webinars, you probably want those leads in your CRM. Manychat can:
- Integrate with Zapier: Pipe new registrants into HubSpot, Salesforce, Mailchimp, whatever you use.
- Tag users: Add tags or custom fields so you know who registered, attended, or skipped.
Don’t bother: Trying to get full lead scoring or firmographic data through a chatbot. Keep it to name + email, and enrich the rest later.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works: - Keeping the flow dead simple—fewer steps, more completions. - Personal, human-sounding copy. Ditch the hype. - Reminders that respect the user’s time.
What doesn’t: - Forcing people to jump through hoops or fill out long forms in Messenger. - Treating the chatbot like a blast tool for promos. (You’ll get marked as spam.) - Over-promising (“Reserve your seat for this exclusive, game-changing masterclass!”—yeah, nobody believes it.)
Ignore: - “Growth hacking” tricks like fake scarcity or fake chat personas. - Gimmicky GIFs or emojis—just be real.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Test, and Iterate
Don’t overthink it. A basic, honest chatbot flow beats a fancy one that tries too hard. Start with a simple registration sequence, test it with real leads (not just your coworkers), and tweak based on what actually gets people to sign up.
If it flops? Try a new angle, a shorter flow, or a different channel. The goal is more real registrations, not a chatbot trophy. Keep it simple, keep it honest, and treat your prospects like the busy humans they are.