How to Market Your Course with Events on Your Calendar
Today we will be talking about how to market your course with events already on your calendar. We’ll cover kinds of in-person events you can use and how to get them on your calendar.
When you’re launching your online course you need to treat it like an in-person event. Even though you’ll be communicating virtually, you need to schedule your course for a specific date, treat your attendees like you met themDon in-person, and market it like any other event.
While online course aren’t as tiring as in-person events, they still require a lot of energy, so plan some recovery time afterwards. Don’t schedule your online course during a busy week for you or your ideal attendees. For example, I wouldn’t schedule my online course the same week or week after Social Media Day Denver because I will be speaking and attending and know many of my ideal attendees will be there as well.
Don’t Limit Your Online Marketing to Online Only
In order to fill your course, you’ll want to create marketing strategies to reach as many people as possible during your launch time frame. You can do this through in-person and online events and mediums. Just because your course is online, doesn’t mean you have to limit your marketing to online only.
When people meet you in person, they’re more likely to remember you. This means when they need your services they’re more likely to hire you or sign up for your online course. 55% of human communication is through body language, so your ideal audience will come to know, like, and trust you faster after they’ve seen you in-person and received this extra information. Do not underestimate the power of networking and speaking in-person.
Also, if you’re like me, you probably already have speaking engagements and other in-person events scheduled, so use them! Why make more work for yourself? Use your in-person events to network, share valuable content, AND market your online course. On event can do more than one thing for you and your business.
Marketing your online course around your events and getting in front of the right audience will help get more eyes on your course and even more potential buys without having to run around or pay to get in front of your ideal customers!
In-Person Events to Market Your Online Course
Your online course launch needs to be strategic and this means looking at your calendar to see what you’re doing and when. You want to get in front of the most eyeballs in the easiest way. Marketing at live events can be great when you’re on a tighter budget or even if you have a budget; getting eyes on your content will make your marketing efforts go longer.
Workshops, Networking, and Speaking
Live events can be your own event or workshop, a conference, a networking opportunity, or a speaking engagement. Speaking engagements are one of my favorite places to market because when you’re on stage, you’re seen as an expert and someone worth looking into. But be careful. When you’re speaking or networking at someone else’s event, make sure you are allowed to make an offer. You don’t want to step on any toes because you might not be invited back.
Also, don’t be that person at the networking event who shoves their business card into everyone’s hand and starts the conversation with your offer or online course. Nobody likes that person and no one is going to hire them. Be social. Guide the conversation in the direction of what you do and what burning desire your course addresses. If the person you’re talking to has that burning desire, then mention your course. Networking is about building relationships, no selling your course right then.
Summits
Another type of event you should consider using to market your course is summits. Summits can happen on or offline. But for the sake of us talking about online courses, we’re going to say that your focus should be getting onto virtual summits. If a person attends a virtual summit, they are probably willing to take an online course. The same is not true for in-person summits. Some people prefer live events. Don’t worry about those people now. You can develop an in person workshop for them later. Facebook groups are a great way to find summits and people who are looking for speakers.
Online summits allow you to get in front of your target audience without leaving your house. Your online course can reach any part of the world and you can begin taking payments immediately.
Partner with Others
Actively seek opportunities that support your launch. Affiliates can be invaluable marketing resources. Look for peers whose services are complementary to those you offer.
Joint ventures allow you to share the work and get in front of another person’s audience who has complimentary services. This is what Monica Miller and I do.
You can also use paid advertising, be a guest on a podcast, and offer to present for local organizations related to your course. If you’re a writer, you can look for local writers’ groups to join and present.
I am always looking for in-person events both because I love speaking and because they are great marketing opportunities. If you look for speaking opportunities all the time like I do, you won’t have to scramble to find them when you’re ready to launch your online course. Use what you already have on your calendar or are already interested in. If you’re planning on attending a summit or conference, see if they need speakers for a subject in your genius wheel house.
If you can, try to schedule you launch a couple weeks after these in-person events where you get in front of your ideal audience. That gives people time to recover and get excited about learning more from you.
Special Guest Dianne Noda
Dianne was born on the bottom of the world in New Zealand. She moved to the United States and lived in Hawaii for 16 years before moving to Colorado 22 years ago. She feels blessed to have called such beautiful places home.
Dianne has been a professional photographer for 14 years. She enjoys working with her clients to put them at ease and create images they will love. She specializes in headshots for business purposes and social media. She also does photography for company branding, websites, families, and events.
Dianne and I both belong to a networking group at Southshore in Aurora. She recently did a very impressive photo shoot for our friend Sean Cooper from Fit Financial who was our guest a few shows back. We were all very impressed with her ability to make Sean and his wife look amazing but also to capture a great shot of their black rabbit. That’s not easy!
- QUESTION
- ANSWER
What kinds of in-person events do you have coming up?
How do you plan on marketing your online course there?
Where to Start Looking for In-Person Events
If you’re speaking somewhere, chances are some portion of the audience will be interested in your course because they’re interested in you. Here are three tips to start adding in-person events to your marketing calendar.
1. Look for ways to get in front of your ideal audience without creating a lot more word for yourself.
- Podcasts
- Online Summits
- Conferences looking for speakers
- Local Organizations
2. Look into what is happening around the same time as your launch and brainstorm ways to use it to your advantage.
- Conferences
- Networking groups
- Speaking opportunities
- Festivals
- Weird holidays related to your course topic
3. Create something
- Host a webinar
- Host a workshop (on or offline)
- Host a summit
Creating an outstanding online program and all the facets that go with it is hard enough. You’re launch doesn’t have add a bunch more work to your plate when you’re strategic and smart about your marketing calendar. Look at what events are already there. Where are you already scheduled to speak or network? How can you use that opportunity to help market your online course? I’m a big fan of repurposing content (like using a blog as show notes for a podcast); marketing your online course at in-person events is similar. You’re using the in-person event to market, build your brand name, and deliver quality content.
I have a question for you.
Answer me on your favorite social channel.
What kinds of in-person events do you have coming up? How do you plan on marketing your online course there?
