00:00 - Sylvia (Host)
I'm thrilled to have you join me today, as I want to talk about a must-have tool that every professional should have in their marketing toolbox, and that's hosting your own online educational events. And I've been in this game of online events for over a decade now. Yep, you heard that right, I've been there, done that, and boy have I got some insights to share with you. And for those of you who might be saying, yes, I've tried online events before and don't think they really work, or it's nothing new, it's my goal to share at least one or two things with you today about online educational events that you didn't know or haven't tried before, because it's all in the details, and by changing one or two things about how you host online events can make a huge difference. So, through trial and error, I've picked up invaluable insights and so many best practices that I've learned along the way, from delivering online events to professionals, to associations, to groups and companies all across the globe, and I think the practices that I'm going to share with you can take your online events from just okay to wowing your audience. So I'm going to share the nitty gritty must haves of online event excellence. I'll be talking about the stuff that wows your audience and leaves them craving for more, and some of the information will have you saying why didn't I think of that before? Why haven't I done that before? So I'm really excited to share some of these ways in which you can really elevate your online educational events.
03:21
Okay, so let's start with examples of online educational events that can really take the form of so many different possibilities, so an example could be webinars, online workshops, virtual conferences, virtual seminars, podcasts, et cetera. I mean, there's so many different ones out there, and they've become a powerful tool for legal and financial professionals just like you to share knowledge, to connect with your audience and to really help build your brand. But I guess the question becomes how do you ensure that your event stands out in a sea of online content and how do you create an event that not only educates but also engages your audience and encourages them to take the next step with you? And so that's exactly what I'm going to explore in this episode, and I'm going to dive deep into the best practices for hosting online educational events, from the initial planning stages to the follow-up after the event. I'm going to talk about how to market your event effectively, how to create engaging content that resonates with your audience, and how to use these events as a platform to build meaningful relationships with your audience. But I want to be clear this isn't just about hosting successful events. It's really about shifting your mindset from selling to serving, and it's about understanding that when you provide real value and put your audience's needs first, the selling will naturally follow. The selling will naturally follow.
04:56
So, whether you're a seasoned professional looking to take your online events to the next level or you're just starting out, this episode is for you. All right, let's get started. So the very first place I want to dive into is identifying the purpose and who your audience is. So this is really the foundation of your online event and really, without a clear purpose and a well-defined audience, your event can easily become unfocused and ineffective and, trust me, we've seen lots of those. So where do you start? You start at the end. Yes, you heard that right, you're gonna start with your end goal.
05:39
So what do you want to achieve in this event? Are you looking to educate your audience on a specific topic? Are you trying to build brand awareness? Or perhaps you're aiming to generate leads for your practice? So, whatever your goal is, define it clearly. This is your North Star guiding every decision you make about this event. So, once you have your end goal, it's time to work backwards. Think about the steps you need to take to achieve this goal. What kind of content will you need to create? What format should your event take? Who do you need to reach out to? These are all questions that will really help shape your event, and perhaps I think the most important question you need to answer is who is your audience?
06:26
Understanding your audience is crucial to the success of your event. You need to know who they are, what their challenges are, what they're interested in and how your event can provide value to them, and so this is not only to guide your content creation, but it's also about your marketing efforts. So remember that this event is not just about you. It's about your audience. It's about providing them with valuable, relevant content that meets their needs and helps them solve a major problem that they're facing right now. So take the time to really understand your audience, speak their language, address their pain points, and for those of you who have been following along and listening to all of our episodes, you know that I talk a lot about clients' pain points, and it really centers around your ideal clients' pain points. What are their challenges? What keeps them up at night? So show them that you understand them and that you're there to help.
07:30
So, in the end, identifying your purpose and your audience is really just about creating a roadmap for your event. It's about knowing where you're going, who you're taking with you and how you're gonna get there. So take the time to plan this out. I promise you this will be time well spent. So the next thing you wanna think about is where you're gonna host this online event, and so the platform you choose can make or break the experience for your attendees. But, most importantly, you wanna be comfortable operating the software as the host of this event.
08:04
So the good news is that there are plenty of user-friendly options out there that you can deliver a seamless and engaging event, and the one that I would recommend, that I know well and that has always been a great one to rely on, is Zoom, and I think COVID has introduced Zoom to the world, and so most people know what Zoom is. So it's really a platform, as you know, that needs no introduction. Zoom is known for its simplicity and reliability, making it a go-to choice for virtual events of all sizes of all sizes. So whether you're hosting a small workshop or a large-scale webinar, zoom has a really intuitive interface that makes it pretty easy to navigate and it allows your least tech-savvy attendees to join in without a hitch. But there are so many other online event platforms, so I don't want you to feel like you are boxed in with Zoom. You can certainly try go-to webinar, google Meet, microsoft Teams so, once again, just use one that you're most familiar with and that requires little tech complication for the user or the participant.
09:19
And another important tip here is to ensure that, whatever platform you're using, just make sure that you have the ability to record, download and share your online event, and so most of these software programs have this ability to do that. So the reason why I stress that is because, with the recording feature, you're going to want to send the recording to your registered participants, whether they showed up live or not, and actually give them a time-limited ability to view the recording before it comes down. So, as you're recording the event, you want to make it available to people that maybe want to listen to it again or perhaps was not able to attend live. So what's important about this is that time-limited replays add a sense of urgency and exclusivity to your event. So when people know that they only have a limited time window to catch the replay, guess what? They're more likely to prioritize watching it. It's like having a built-in deadline that not nudges them to take action, and so, in addition, by time limiting your replays, what you're actually doing is you're increasing the perceived value of your event. So think about it when something is scarce, it becomes more desirable. So, by making your content available for a limited time, you're telling your audience hey, this is something special and you don't wanna miss out. So it's a really important tip there is to make sure that you're giving them time limit on when they can actually watch it by, and that really creates a sense of urgency. If you're not doing that now, I highly recommend you add that in All right, something else to think about here is the planning of your online talk, like the content.
11:11
What do you wanna talk about? So, firstly, let's just remember that your content should be educational, not sales, not salesy or sales oriented. You're there to provide solutions, insights and guidance, not to sell a product or service. I'll show you how to do that later, so stick with me. So you really need to ensure that the content of your online event should cover key points for your audience. So, for example, if you're a divorce financial professional, your content could cover pain points such as asset division, debt, child support, tax implications and, on the emotional side of divorce, you can offer strategies for how this can help manage stress, maintain positive communication, et cetera.
11:54
So one of the biggest mistakes that I see is when presenters focus on things that they, as a professional, know that their client would need. So let me give you an example. As a divorce financial expert, you shouldn't be focusing your talk on the importance of the divorce financial plan, even though you know it's critical to their success. Instead, you need to talk about their struggles, such as their concerns over will they be able to retire securely after divorce, can they afford to keep their children in the matrimonial home, or will they have enough cash flow for extracurricular activities that their children are currently enrolled in. So those are the pain points and that's what matters to them. If you're going into detail about the power of a divorce financial plan, you'll lose them. So you can mention that this plan, the financial plan, is key and even explain what it is and how it works, but it cannot be the focus of your presentation. The focus must be on how to help them through these challenges that they've identified. So I hope that makes sense. I hope that's resonating with you. That's one of the biggest mistakes we see, and I don't want you to make that mistake, because you will lose your audience very quickly and for some of you that have tried online events and they haven't been successful, for you this could be one of the places where you need to improve.
13:22
All right, so let's talk about scheduling. The event Sounds pretty simple, right, just schedule the event in. But here are a couple of things I want you to think about and can really help you get some better results when you schedule the event. So, first off, you want to make it as seamless as possible for your attendees to sign up, and so, when you're figuring out a date, you want to check the calendar to avoid scheduling on or near major holidays or long weekends, and that's just pretty common sense, because this ensures maximum attendance and engagement when you avoid those time frames. So, to facilitate the sign up process, what's really important here is to provide attendees with a convenient way to add the event to their calendars. So one effective method is to offer a calendar confirmation that they can easily integrate into their preferred calendar app. So this could include something like add to Google Calendar button, which streamlines the process for Google Calendar users and allows them to automatically put it into their calendar, and so there's many other types of add to calendar options available, but I wanted to just share a basic one that most people know about, and so you want to make it easy for attendees to put it directly into their calendars, and the end result is a much higher attendance rate much higher attendance rate. So, look, we know people are busy. Things slip unless they are diarized. So helping them diarize it will increase the likelihood that they will show up live. So sounds simple, but is so often overlooked, and this can really impact, as I mentioned, the show up rates. So by leveraging these tools and incorporating user-friendly features, such as the add to calendar buttons that I just referred to, what you're essentially doing is you're significantly enhancing the sign up experience for your attendees, which is ultimately gonna lead to higher engagement and attendance. And, trust me, half the battle is getting people to show up to your events, so this can be a real game changer.
15:31
All right, let's get to the marketing of your event. So, in all my years of experience, I would say that the most challenging part of hosting an online event is getting your participants to sign up or register. Right, I'm sure most of you can probably relate to that. People value their time and you really need to make it worth it for them to show up, and so this is where the magic of marketing comes into play. So let's start with social media. So you want to start your social media promotion about two weeks in advance of the event itself. This creates a sense of urgency and keeps your event top of mind for all potential attendees.
16:12
Now, in terms of the content of your promotion, this is going to be really important. This is not the actual presentation itself. It's the content that you're using to promote the online event. So it's not just about announcing the event. It's about creating buzz, excitement and value. So, in order to do this, you need to share sneak peeks, you need to include testimonials, maybe include some engaging content that speaks directly to the pain points that your event will address. And please remember, your promotional content should be as valuable as the event itself. People forget that. You can also look at email marketing, which is going to be super important for you to incorporate that. So craft compelling emails that not only inform but also entice your subscribers to want to learn more and to actually sign up for the event.
17:05
But you're not going to want to stop there. You really want to start to engage your influencers, who can really amplify your reach. So reach out to key figures in your industry and ask them to share your event with their followers, and this endorsement can lend credibility and attract a wider audience. And don't forget about the power of community Super important. Make sure you engage with your followers, respond to comments and create a conversation around your event. This not only builds relationships, but also fosters a community that's invested in what you have to offer.
17:40
All right, so I want to switch gears a little bit here and talk about engagement. So I'm referring to engagement before your actual online event and during your online event, and if you engage in these activities, it can really be a game changer for the outcome of your online event. So it's not about just presenting, it's about creating an interactive and immersive experience that leaves a lasting impact on your audience. So let's talk about before the event. So before the event, engagement starts really the moment someone registers. So it's about building anticipation and making sure they're as excited about the event as you are, and one really powerful way to do this is by providing them with something of value before the event.
18:31
So imagine sending out a workbook or a detailed checklist tailored to the event's content, and so what happens here is this isn't just busy work. This is a tool that will help your audience prepare for the event and get the most out of it. Okay so, for instance, if you're hosting a webinar on financial planning, you could send out a budget worksheet for attendees to fill out beforehand. You could ask them to list their financial goals or challenges, and so this not only primes them for the content, but it also personalizes their experience, and so they come into the event with a sense of ownership, ready to engage and apply what they learn. Okay so, providing participants with material to review or tasks to complete before the event. It not only creates engagement, but it also increases the likelihood of their attendance, because now they're invested and the show up rate goes up.
19:29
Alright, let's talk about during the event. So keeping a conversational tone to your presentation is going to be key. So this isn't a lecture, it's a dialogue. So, from the moment that the event begins, set the tone by welcoming comments and questions. Encourage your audience to use the chat function to share their thoughts and make them feel heard. Super important. And I think throughout the webinar or other type of online event, you need to actively ask if people have questions, if they have comments that they'd like to add. This really keeps the energy dynamic and inclusive, but don't just wait for them to come to you. That's a really important tip.
20:13
I've been running online events, as I said, for well over a decade now and, from my experience, I'm always checking in with the audience. I'll ask them things like did that resonate with you? Do you have any questions? Do you have any comments? And I also like to have people ask questions while I'm presenting, as opposed to leaving them to the end of the presentation, and that's entirely up to you. If that kind of throws you off script and you don't want to do that, you don't have to, but it's important to always check in so that you're getting some kind of engagement. Either somebody's raising their hand or they're giving you a thumbs up, like they understood what you said.
20:48
Create engagement, that's what it's all about, and in my experience, what you're going to find is that people will eventually pipe up and ask questions or give feedback, and so it really does work. But you can't just say it once and never ask again throughout your presentation, as it'll really turn out to be a one person show if you do that, and that's not what you want. You want to create an interactive session where people are engaged, and what I've found is the more engaging you make it, the more the content actually sticks with the participant. So super, super important to do that, and you can also use Q&A sessions that are strategically placed throughout the event to give a voice to your audience. So you can do that as well, and that's very helpful, and a simple question can lead to a breakthrough for someone who's listening or watching your presentation online.
21:46
So polls, as most of you know, are another fantastic way to keep your finger on the pulse of the audience. They're quick, they're interactive and they can actually provide instant value. So using polls to gather opinions, test knowledge or decide which topic to tackle next. It's acts like a real live feedback loop that keeps everyone on their toes, and that's what you want. So remember that engagement it really is a two way street. It's about creating a space where your audience doesn't just Listen, but they actually participate, and so it's about transforming passive viewers into active participants, and when you have active participants, you have a better chance of building a relationship with them. After your presentation, you can take the relationship or the conversation offline, and I think that's where a lot of people don't quite realize that when you can keep the presentation as engaging as possible, you are actually building the bridge to a conversation that can happen after your online talk.
22:55
All right, I want to switch gears again and really talk about a big mistake that many professionals make when doing a online event, and that is a clear call to action. So to simply define what a call to action is, it's really just a powerful prompt that tells your audience what you need them to do next. You're telling your audience what they need to do next. It's not about leaving them in the dark, but rather guiding them towards the next step. Believe it or not, I know it may sound crazy that you have to tell them what to do next, but they really need to know, they need to be directed, they need to be given ideas about why it's important for them to connect with you. So, for instance, you know it could be your call.
23:41
To action, could be something as simple as book a call with us and tell them what they can expect. In your consultation call, you can tell them the benefits that they'll get and why they should schedule one with you. So here's what I want you to really think about. You shouldn't just say schedule a call with me or book a call with me. You need to give them a reason why they want to connect with you. So why would they want to book a call with you? Explain the benefits of the call, explain why they should schedule one with you, what they're going to get out of it, and remember the reason they're going to want to connect with you is so that you can help them solve a major pain point. So I know that when we work with our own clients, we teach them step by step how to do this. So people, by the end of their talk, are interested participants who are eager to speak with them, because we have created an irresistible call to action, super, super important to do and to include, and it's one of the biggest mistakes we see all the time. So this kind of call to action leaves no room for guesswork and empowers your audience to take action.
24:53
So educational online events are really a must have in every professionals marketing toolbox. I've been at this for a long time and I've been seeing some amazing results for both my own business and for so many of our clients, and it does really work. But, as mentioned in this episode, there are some game changing strategies that you need to incorporate in order to get these kinds of results. So, as you gear up for your next online event, keep it real, keep it engaging and, most importantly, keep it fun. After all, each event is is really a chance to just connect, inspire and make a real impact in your industry. So that's it for today. Thank you so much for tuning in. If you found this episode valuable, I encourage you to subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback is so important to us and really helps us improve and reach more listeners, just like you. So stay tuned for our next episode and until next time, always remember there's no better time to start than today.