Wondering how to promote a workshop that you’ve been planning? When it comes to promoting and launching your workshop, you probably already know that content is the cornerstone. And creating your content marketing plan can be as easy as breaking things up into a 3—part formula.
First, you want to identify the best content that can get the attention of potential attendees. Next, think about the content you need during the event to keep them engaged and interested. And last, ask yourself, “what content is needed to turn my attendees into clients or customers?”
In order to help you translate this blog post into something more meaningful and executable, I’m going to give you examples along the way. And I’ve also created a free tool to help you implement, the “3 Phase Content Plan for Workshop Launches.” Download this freebie and work through it to create your entire content map to launch your workshop. Get the 3 Phase Content Plan here.
Setting a Solid Foundation
But before we dive into the three phases of creating content to promote your event, we need to clarify one very important component. In order for this 3-part system to work, you’ll need to set a solid foundation. So before you begin to roll out your 3 phases of content to introduce your workshop to the world, you will need to be publishing content on a regular basis. Without having an ongoing, consistent content creation plan in place, none of the tips I’m going to share with you below will be effective.
These 3 phases are in addition to, not in replacement of, your evergreen content creation.
Be sure that you are producing content to support your audience on a regular basis. You can do this by publishing regularly on a pre-set schedule. This might be a few times a week, once a week, or a few times per month. When you publish something new, share it on your chosen social media channels and in your newsletter so that your followers and potential followers will see it.
You see, without showing up consistently for your audience and setting a foundation of trust, the marketing that you do around your workshop launch is likely to fall flat.
So, now that you have a solid foundation for your content, it’s time to get your content ducks in a row and learn how to promote your workshop. This is the fun part!
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How to Promote a Workshop with a 3-Part Content Plan
Phase 1. Creating Content for Before Your Workshop
This is the stage that sets the tone for connecting with your audience as your workshop gets closer. This period can last anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on how much “teasing” you want to do.
In this phase, you want to validate that you understand where your potential workshop attendees (and hopefully future clients) are at. You’ll want to create content that taps into their current status quo. What are they thinking? What are they feeling? What are their most pressing problems or challenges?
Even though you may have validated them during your foundational content, in the Before Phase of your launch, you’ll want to make it explicitly clear that you understand their challenges, and you’re here to support them through their journey.
So what does this content look like? Let’s look at some examples using a fictional health and wellness educator or coach launching a community workshop series to help women manage their weight.
Content Ideas for the Before Workshop Phase
- Blog post: 5 ways that meal planning can help you maintain a healthy weight
- Video: Demo how to quickly prep healthy lunches for busy days at work
- Podcast: Interview a nutritionist about ways to overcome cravings
The goal in this phase is to simply support your potential workshop attendee with information to answer some of the questions she may be asking. And this content should be fully in line with the topic of your upcoming workshop. During this phase is where you’ll start talking about your upcoming event and offer the invitation to attend. You want to make it so easy for her to say “yes” because the content you have been sharing so far has given her “quick wins.” But she needs to attend the event to get the full picture.
Follow along and create your content plan to promote your workshop in the “3-Phase Content Plan for Workshop Launches” worksheet.
Phase 2. Creating Content for During Your Workshop
In this phase, your content must center on your ICA’s most pressing issue. By now, you’ve identified your workshop topic and created the outline and materials you will share with your attendees. Your workshop must fill in all of the “gaps” that were left in the content that you shared in the Before Phase.
Because let’s face it. If you answered every single question in the Before Phase, there would be no need for anyone to show up at your workshop. Or, they would be so overwhelmed with the volume of content being delivered that they may simply tune out.
So moderation is critical in all three phases of this content plan.
Here are a few things to keep in mind while developing content for the workshop:
- The purpose of the workshop
- Your overall company goals
- The length of the workshop
- Will it be a single workshop or a series?
- The expected turn-out
- Location
- Free vs paid
Now that you have the critical components of your event in place, let’s look at some of the content you can create for your workshop itself. You don’t have to create all of these, of course. Our workshop packages include all of the tools listed below and are fully customizable. But if you’re creating all of your own workshop content from scratch, I advise you to start simple and grow from there as you gain experience.
Content Ideas for the During Workshop Phase
- Your workshop outline
- Slide deck
- Handouts
- Visuals
- Your pitch
- Sign-in sheet
- Survey
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Download the "3 Phase Content Plan for Workshop Launches"
The materials and content you deliver to your audience will depend on what you know about their needs. And you also want to factor in their preferred learning style.
Phase 3. Creating Content for After Your Workshop
Your workshop is over and you’ve delivered an incredible experience to your audience! Now what?
This is where all the hard work you’ve put in so far can either go the distance or be in vain. In the After Phase, you want to develop a plan for follow-up. Some of the key pieces you may want to develop for this phase.
Content Ideas for the After Workshop Phase
- Thank you email to all attendees
- Recap to newsletter subscribers
- Follow-up offer for the product or program you pitched at the workshop
- Survey
- Post photos of the event on social media
If you hosted a free workshop where you also introduced your products and programs, you’ll want to think through your follow-up plan for people to enroll or make the purchase. It’s best to have this plan created ahead of time so that you can implement it right away, rather than trying to piece together your follow-up plan after the event.
The After Phase is also a great time to look back at the effectiveness of the content you created around your workshop. Does something need to be edited? Are there pieces of content you’d like to create for your next workshop launch? Now’s the time to start working on these. Use the feedback from attendees to help you make these decisions.
Creating all the content to promote a workshop might seem like a huge undertaking, and it is. But when you break the process down into 3 key phases – the before, during, and after – you’ll know how to promote a workshop with a clear roadmap.
Final Words on How to Promote a Workshop
In order to launch a successful workshop, you’ll want to have a consistent content marketing plan in place. Otherwise, you may find your results less than remarkable.
The phases leading up to your workshop might seem like the most important ones. But don’t forget about following up after your workshop; this is where you may see huge results as well.
Now that you know our process on how to promote a workshop with 3 phases of content, I’d love to hear from you. Have you delivered a workshop and if so, how did you promote it?
Get the FREE Worksheet!
Download the "3 Phase Content Plan for Workshop Launches"