event planning

11 ways to promote your upcoming course for free

I have been very busy over the last few months helping clients who have taken the step to deliver courses online. As anyone who has delivered a course (face to face or online) knows planning, promoting and delivering a course is a whole project in itself and there is a lot of admin, planning and marketing behind the scenes. I have recently supported creative clients from varied industries such as dog training/coaching/professional organiser once they are past the stage of outlining their core content :

Written descriptions and set up as events on Facebook and Eventbrite
Given advice on course planning steps and promotion
Set up automated on-boarding email sequences so clients once they purchase the course are guided as to how to complete
Set up a booking scheduler so that prospective clients can contact the course provider easily if they have more questions before they purchase the course
Given advice on how to make your course launch visible across social media platforms.

There are lots of paid ways to promote your upcoming course but I’m sharing with you here 11 ways to promote your course for free

To launch a course with gusto you need a solid marketing strategy and as Ashleigh Watson from Copper Square Communications would recommend normally you need to plan a 6 week build up. There are lots of paid ways to promote your upcoming course but I’m sharing with you here 11 ways to promote your course for free:

*all of the below depends on you knowing and targeting your ideal client and which social media platform they are on

1. Announce all on your social media platforms you have a special news to share and that all will be revealed soon!

2. Build anticipation and share details with your email subscribers (If you don’t have an email list already Mailchimp/ActiveCampaign/Mailerlite/Convertkit are all good email marketing platforms-see my article on how to choose the right platform for you https://virtuali.uk/reasons-to-hire-a-va/10-things-to-think-about-when-choosing-an-email-marketing-platform/

3. Plan regular lives (on the platform where your ideal client is) Facebook/Instagram/ LinkedIn for the 6 weeks before course launch date outlining how the course will transform peoples lives and letting people have the chance to ask you questions about it

4. Create an event on your business Facebook page if you have a specific course start date. If it’s a course which participants can start any time, then create a link back to wherever people can book your course on shop page of your business Facebook page

5. Create a LinkedIn event

6. Have a live interview with a past course participant (On Facebook or Instagram TV/you YouTube channel) asking them how they benefited from a previous course of a service you delivered. Streamyard is a very good tool for an interview style like this (with the free version you can publish to 1 social media platforms and up to 20 hours per month of live streaming and paid up to 3 simultaneously)

7. Blast testimonials from previous courses. If you have already delivered a course copy the feedback text of what was said and publish these as images on all your social media platform. If you have a video testimonial all the better!

8. Put links in your email signature as to how people can sign up to your course

9. Make a list of every Facebook or business group that you are in and post your course details to them

10. Get an article published online or in paper in business membership group you are part of or where your ideal target market is.

For example, if you are selling an organisational course to business owners you may want to target Business Eye/Sync NI. If you are offering a decluttering course teaching you how you never have to tidy again, female-centric groups such as Women in Business NI or Mum’s at Work Network might be good. I’m not saying by the way that there also aren’t lots of males out there to who never want to tidy again!

11. Team up and cross promote your course.

If you collaborate already and have a good fit with another service provider who has similar audience to yours ask them to promote your course or even better offer to do a free taster session or mini workshop to their audience so they see the value.

As part of My Small Business Saturday inclusion I’m delivering 12 bite size videos (between 5th October and 5th December) on tips to streamline your business to transform it before end of 2020. I’ve asked for example other virtual assistants I collaborate with from our VA heroes tribe to deliver some of these. In this way business owners get value but also see the value added and expertise Virtual Assistants can bring to their business. We will promote on each other’s platforms, so it is a win-win!

If you are delivering a course already, please feel free to share any additional promo tips you use and of course to share a link to the course you are delivering! If you want to launch a course but feel overwhelmed by all the steps please reach out alison@virtuali.uk or book a discovery call with me HERE.

It’s my party and I’ll have a checklist if I want to! Do you know the one thing that doesn’t change in life whether you are an adult or a child? The complexity of who to invite to your party and where to have it! Finding a venue for your workshop/conference/anniversary can be very time consuming so I’ve compiled a checklist below to help simplify it. If you are based in Northern Ireland, Visit Belfast have a very comprehensive list of venues in Belfast with the maximum capacity theatre and banquet style.

Whether you are a freelance coach/trainer/speaker or working for a company you may often find yourself having to organise an event of some kind. I worked as a PA for 10 years so often had to book venues for Christmas parties or team away days. Now as a VA, I help small business owners research venues for Director meetings; speaking or training locations; event launches; business milestones etc. I’ve also been on the other side where I’ve been asked to speak at events about my own business. So, I’ve drawn together below a checklist of things to think about when booking an event. Keep reading if you are interested in downloading a checklist of things to tick off when you are in the middle of organising an event/conference/bootcamp

A few years ago, I had a big birthday and invited 40 of my closest friends. I had people from all aspects and periods of my life from primary school friend to friends I met while working in Luxembourg. So I wanted to find a venue and an activity that was pretty central for everyone to get to, that allowed people to mix easily and had good food. I worked in Belfast Welcome Centre for 2 years as a Tourist Advisor so I also wanted to showcase Belfast. In the end I booked Mulsanne Casinos and had a casino night at Crumlin Road Gaol with a tour beforehand. The customer service was fantastic beforehand and after. More about that at the end

Cake not big enough to fit all the candles

Organising an event can be very stressful as there are so many elements to think of so I’ve compiled a list for the pre-event stage:

Researching a venue

Things to think about in researching a venue :

1. How many people you anticipate will attend

2. How easy it is for people to get to

2. How easy it is to park

3. How accessible is it if you are carrying any kind of equipment into the room

4. Will there be staff on the day/night present to help signpost people and with registration

5. Do you have to provide your own tea/coffee/biscuits or is there in-house catering

6. How well ventilated or heated the room is

7. How good is the Wi-Fi

8. How good are the acoustics

9. Does the venue provide an overhead projector and laptop on site if you are giving a Powerpoint presentation

10. Is there technical support on site in case anything goes wrong

By human nature we are programmed to remember the bad things and I remember vividly venues I’ve been in for events which have been freezing or roasting, where there is no tea on arrival, where the sound is poor and where it has been difficult to park.

Booking a venue

The Fine Print-things to remember to ask about:

1. What the cancellation policy is

2. If prices include VAT or not

3. If you are able to check the room in person in advance

4. Discount if you are booking repeat slots/ if you are also booking people into the venue to stay overnight/sister discounts with other establishments etc

5. Reconfirm everything at least 5 days in advance

And remember to get everything in writing from quote at the start to the final confirmation! Best lesson I was ever taught in a coordination role is never to assume anything. The person you confirmed the booking with on the phone, may get distracted and forget to write your booking down in their calendar or you may get the dates mixed up! Always try at least 5 working days in advance of your event contact the venue to reconfirm details and if needs be find an alternative venue if you are double booked.

Always plan for the unforeseeable

No matter what your event is, always plan or the unforeseeable ! Some elements will always be beyond your control. You can’t predict the weather/ a total powercut/bomb alerts/your keynote speaker missing their flight/rail strikes etc. but you can eat least make a Plan B or C in advance.

The Crumlin Road Gaol still sends me a birthday card every year in the post which I’m always touched by. A notification in an Excel sheet or in Mail Chimp is a very simple thing to set up but it’s the little things that sway you to go back or to recommend others!

If you are organising a training event, a workshop or a conference with several speakers and are feeling overwhelmed about the elements to organise please get in touch to see if I can help you in the lead up to it.

If you are interested in receiving an extra checklist of things to think off whilst organising an event please download it here

11 ways to promote your upcoming course for free

Checklist for organising your next workshop/seminar/social event

Twitter @VirtualiAlison