Goldcast versus Zoom: Which is better for B2B Marketers?

Choosing the Right Digital Event Platform

Finding the right platform to scale your digital event programs can be difficult. There are so many options available, all of which offer a similar but different experience. It can be tough to decide which one is right for you. We feel you!

If you’re looking for alternatives to Zoom that can help you manage and scale revenue-generating events, look no further than Goldcast. We’ve compared both platforms to help you evaluate the right one for your event strategy and overall business goals. Let’s dive in!

Goldcast versus Zoom

Here’s a quick breakdown of the features and functionality offered by each platform and how they compare.

Zoom Goldcast
Custom registration builder
Auto calendar holds
Chat, Q&A, and polls
Badging
In-person production
Backstage
Email builder and analytics
Video Q&A
Built-in overlays, lower thirds and tickers
Captioning, subtitles, & translation
1:1 Networking
Publish chat and questions to stage
Slack + Salesforce integration for sales team alerts
On-demand recording access
Advanced CRM and marketing automation integrations

Zoom

Who hasn’t heard of Zoom? The video conferencing platform became the go-to tool during the pandemic and is still a market leader for hosting virtual meetings and training sessions. Zoom also offers a webinar product that can be used for marketing, training, and enablement events through live broadcasting.

The catch? Zoom doesn’t deliver the modern and engaging experience expected for today’s B2B brands. It’s also extremely limited when it comes to connecting the data dots and scaling revenue-driven event programs. Let’s take a closer look at Zoom’s strengths and weaknesses.

The Good: Features & Benefits of Zoom

Let's explore the features and benefits of Zoom in more detail. These are the things people love.

  • Familiar and easy-to-use

    Most people are at least vaguely familiar with Zoom and the experience. So, speakers and attendees do not need much training to get up and running with the platform.

  • Live stream to media platforms

    Zoom allows organizers to live stream events to channels like YouTube, Facebook, and other social media channels. This is helpful for broadcast-style events with a large audience.

  • Filters and studio effects built into Zoom

    Need to clean up a messy background or hide a long night awake with the kids? Zoom to the rescue. The platform offers built-in studio effects and virtual backgrounds, which are especially handy for at-home events.

  • Post-webinar surveys

    Looking to get a pulse on your audience? Zoom allows organizers to collect timely feedback through flexible post-event surveys. These are available in multiple formats, including single choice, multiple choice, a rating scale, and open-ended answers.

  • Multiple engagement options (chat, reactions, and polling)

    While they’re not industry-leading, Zoom does offer table-stakes audience engagement options like live chat, Q&A, and the ability to launch polls.

The Bad: What Are The Drawbacks of Zoom?

We mined popular review sites like G2, Capterra, and Trustradius to highlight the most common challenges customers experience with Zoom.

  • Can’t embed CTAs

    Are you looking to drive leads from your digital event? If so, you probably want embedded CTAs to nudge prospects to learn more or schedule demos. Unfortunately, Zoom does not support this functionality.

  • App download required for mobile access

    Attendees have to download the Zoom mobile app to participate in events on the go. This may be a concern for event accessibility and impact show rates.

  • Not designed for interactive digital events

    Zoom webinars are designed for events that do not require much interaction—more like a broadcast-style event or conversation among panelists. If you want to pull attendees into the conversation or share Q&A on the stage, you’re going to hit roadblocks. Not to mention tracking these engagement points and sending them to other tools in your tech stack.

  • Breakout rooms aren’t part of the Zoom webinar package

    Zoom event packages are somewhat limited. For example, the webinar package does not include breakout rooms, which are essential if you’re hosting networking events.

  • Not built for B2B marketers

    Zoom is a great tool for small to mid-sized organizations and educational institutions. However, it is not the best platform for revenue-driven B2B marketers. Not only is Zoom limited from a production and engagement perspective, but it also lacks integrations and automation to help teams scale event programming.

The Details: Zoom Pros & Cons

To summarize, here’s a simplified chart that outlines the top pros and cons of Zoom.

Pros

  • A simple and easy-to-use experience for speakers and organizers
  • Exceptionally reliable solution with limited video and audio issue
  • The platform is affordably priced for small businesses
  • Standard chat, Q&A, whiteboard, and virtual background features

Cons

  • Brand customization and design is extremely limited
  • It must be downloaded to be used, which limits its usage
  • Lack of video production tools to host elevated event experiences
  • Does not support pre-recorded video
  • A few basic connectors with CRM and marketing automation tools (most are only available through Zapier)
  • On-demand webinar access is clunky
  • Self-serve with no customer success team
  • Events look and feel like Zoom meetings
  • No support for in-person or hybrid events

Goldcast: The Revenue-Driven Event Marketing Platform

Goldcast is the #1 platform for B2B marketers to run engaging digital events. Top B2B brands like 1Password, Mailchimp, Lattice, Drift, Salesloft, and others use Goldcast to power their digital events.

With Goldcast, you can easily set up and run high-quality digital events that drive pipeline while providing a memorable experience for attendees.

The Revenue Driving Event Formula

With Goldcast, your sales team can access actionable analytics and real-time insights through native CRM integrations. We make it easy for you to run pipeline-driving events.

Revenue
=
Best Attendee Experience
+
Actionable Data
+
Simple to Build and Run

Proven Results

Higher Attendance
10%
More Time Spent
25%
Per Event
More SQLs
20%
And Demo Requests
More Time Saved
3 Hrs
Per Month
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Implementation Support

“We moved to Goldcast in 25 days thanks to flexibility and guidance from the Goldcast team. They acted like an extended team till our first event”

Jess Bahr

Previously at Movable Ink

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Ease of Use

“Goldcast was super easy to use compared to other platforms for both our employees as well as our guest speakers”

Davi Schmidt

Demand Generation Director at snaplogic

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Video Production Capabilities

“Our customers were amazed by our thought leadership series, thanks to Goldcast!”

Amanda Elam

bloomreach

The Details: Top Goldcast Features for B2B Marketers

  • Goldcast is built for B2B marketers who want to create Netflix-like events and drive engagement with their prospects and customers

  • Flexibility: Goldcast is flexible for a plethora of B2B use cases, which include community events, webinars, product launches, demos, field events, hybrid events, user conferences, and more

  • With Goldcast, you can embed CTAs and resources in your event to drive conversions and engagemen

  • Built-in audience engagement features like chat, polls, and text and video Q&A in a completely customizable interface, which helps keep attendees engaged throughout the event

  • Video production tools that include overlays, lower thirds, and tickers for an enhanced attendee experience

  • Templates that can be duplicated, making it easy to create and scale events of any size and complexity

  • Accessibility: Goldcast makes accessibility simple with captioning, subtitles, and translation in 14+ languages

  • Actionable insights in the form of post-event analytics. Organizers have access to 16+ engagement points that are synced into CRMs and MAPs. This allows you to track and measure your event's success and get cracking on relevant and timely post-event follow-ups

  • Easily integrates with your existing MarTech stack: Deep, native integrations with popular tools like HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot, and more

  • Slack + Salesforce integration sends notifications to sales teams when prospects engage in the event, which ensures accurate follow-ups

  • On-demand access to all recordings within 24 hours

  • Dedicated customer success team with live customer support for ALL your events

  • Generous pricing model that allows multiple teams to scale digital events

Hundreds of great brands trust Goldcast

FAQ

Last Updated February 2, 2023

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