3 Formulas To Help Clients Position Online Events

Sure, the live event industry hit a holding pattern due to COVID-19. The thing is, there are thousands of businesses turning to online events right now. And while the whole world is trying to flatten the curve, and event professionals are struggling, there are ways to still work on your craft and livelihood.

Businesses might never have hosted a live event in their lives, but trends are trends, and they’re on the Zoom bandwagon. And here’s the critical factor – they still need help with planning.

Some Background On This Post

I already mentioned my thoughts on why marketing your event business is critical right now, despite the coronavirus. Or perhaps it’s because of it.

But there’s more to marketing than any one person can reasonably share. So I turned to some amazing experts. I’ll introduce my marketing gurus below, but I’m so excited that I just have to tell you how I first met Dre.

I met Dre when, about four years ago, I was researching marketing experts that focused on helping solopreneurs, freelancers, and micro-businesses. I managed to wrangle an introduction through an online acquaintance, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now, I’m totally going to mention Dre and Andy’s amazing program, but first, I want to make a sort of disclaimer. I don’t need a disclaimer. I get absolutely no kickback or anything for sharing this stuff. I’m writing this post because I actively asked Dre if she wouldn’t mind and because I admire her expertise. I believe in it!

Lastly, before we get to the good stuff, I want to add a teaser too. I have another post coming up soon from Dre and Andy on how to stir up income when your business takes a hit. Coming soon, I promise.

Now, if I’m going to share advice, you might as well know the source.

Who Are The Soloprenuer Society?

Well, they’re both named Andrea. Sort of; I know them as Dre and Andy. Dre is an expert in digital design and brand strategy. And Andy uses her marketing communications strategy skills to help small and mid-sized businesses and nonprofits. So, you see. Marketing, Branding, Strategy. A perfect storm. But I’ll let the two Andreas tell it their own words.

Andy says, “My passion is to help solopreneurs design communication strategies to launch their products and services, nurture their target audiences and grow their businesses — while demystifying marketing automation tech to enable it all.”

Dre says, “I’ve become quite the human decoder ring. I just have a sixth sense when it comes to deciphering a brand’s identity, which has helped me hone a battle-tested development system for building (or rebuilding) one from scratch.”

So, let’s get to the point.

Some New Tricks For Online Events

You’re an event planner – that’s a kind of superhero. You create incredible memories for clients. But while you absolutely crush the organizational facets of your job, and you’re a creative artist when it comes to event design, online events need a new bag of tricks. Luckily, you can pick these up quite quickly.

3 Formulas To Help Clients Position Online Events

So, when I asked Dre if she wouldn’t mind sharing some tips, she gave me fantastic resources from a module in a very cool program she and Andy created. It’s called the Stimulus Plan.

The Stimulus Plan is designed to give you the turn-by-turn game plan, you need to come out the other side of this economic shutdown with more buzz, buyers, and budget!

Every module discusses aspects of throwing an online event. These formulas are from the 1st lesson and cover how to position online events. And positioning is what I’ll be sharing with you. When planning regular, live events, you’ll rarely need to help with the marketing. But with virtual events, it’s a serious value add. If you can get bums on seats, you’ll have a business that thrives in any economic black swan.

Critically, this module focuses on:

A complete workflow for throwing online events at the drop of a hat that’ll become the talk of the town (and your market)… all practically on autopilot.
How to use Zoom’s common and hidden features to engage, entertain, and enhance your guest’s experience, so they walk away wanting more.

It’s funny, but way back when I first met Dre, she hosted an online event at which I shared a talk on Google Analytics for small businesses. The years go by, by online events still rock.

So without further adieu, here are some great ideas for positioning an online event.

Positioning Your Online Event:

FORMULA NO. 1

How to do [blank], [blank], and [blank] even if you suck at [blank].

(E.g. How to drown your list in kindreds, your bank account in boners, and your inbox in love notes, even if you have no credibility, connections, or influence to speak of. How to develop, design, and deliver a winning sales proposal even if you can barely convince your dog to sit or stay.)

FORMULA NO. 2

How to do [blank], [blank], and [blank] without having to do any [blank].

(E.g. How to create, market, and sell out your coaching package without offering a single discovery call. How to shop, prepare, and cook all of your meals for the week without having to slave over the stove for the entire weekend.)

FORMULA NO. 3

How to do [blank], [blank], and [blank] in [x amount of time] using [name of your system].

(E.g. How to design, build, and launch a WordPress website in 2 weeks using the POP Blueprint. How to explode your list, establish your authority, and launch your virtual summit in 90 days using Virtual Summit School.)

Marketing An Online Event

And yes, when planning an event in the digital world, slide decks replace centerpieces. Positioning, social media, marketing automation, and meeting software are skills that come to the fore.

Luckily, you’re an event planner. And that means you’re terrific at pivoting, learning on the job, and getting sh*t done, with the help of event planning software. I hope you get some use out of these templates, and if you ever need anything, let me, Dre, or Andy know.