Marketing and promoting your own seminars and workshops can be easy with a clear strategic plan. You can avoid expensive advertising by planning your target audience and financial goals in advance. Tailor your seminar and workshop message to fit a demographic that is easy to identify and find in your local community or online. Your marketing and promotions campaign will have a greater chance of attracting attendees who are interested in the subject matter, can afford your fees and who will later refer friends to your future events.
Step 1
Create a lesson plan for your seminar or workshop. Start with a comprehensive overview detailing all you hope to cover in your event and why. Create a separate document with bullet points on the purpose of the workshop and the target group. The subject matter of your workshop should not be too broad or you will have trouble identifying a specific group to target. Instead, get specific in your lesson plan about why the information will benefit the attendees.
Step 2
Set up a free event page on a website such as eventbrite or 123signup. Include options to pay online or by check via mail on your website. Add the event description and your biography. Include why you chose to teach the workshop. Decide on a deadline for registration and add it to the event description information.
Step 3
Use your lesson plan to create an event flyer."Also, use "top-down" selling. whereby you give your strongest benefits first to capture prospects' attention, create interest and create desire, according to Ralph Elliott, Ph.D., in his Clemson University article, "Twenty-Five (25) Recession-Fighting Strategies." Include in the flyer a title and subheads, if necessary. Add the bullet points from your lesson plan beneath the title along with contact information for registration and the event's website URL.
Step 4
Visit the local areas where your target audience is likely to frequent to distribute your event flyers. For example, if you are targeting small business owners, you might visit a local copy and print center. Some centers allow you to post information on a bulletin or on the counter. Talk to a store manager for rules on community bulletins. You might also find a promotional partner who can help you promote your workshop in exchange for the partner's exposure to your attendees.
Step 5
Send email blasts to friends and family alerting them about your workshop. Request that they forward the information to others they feel would be interested. If you have a list of previous workshop attendees, send them the information, even if they are not your target audience. You want to generate as much word-of-mouth marketing for your event as possible.
Step 6
Volunteer to speak at local events relating to your area of expertise. Host or be the keynote speaker at an organization's event. Start with nonprofit organizations, since they are more likely to have budgetary restrictions that can be met by your offer to speak for free. After your speech, mention your area of expertise and upcoming workshop to the audience.