I have a problem, one of many I know, I ran a seminar on Friday most people liked it woot! I want to do another yey! So what is the problem well I don’t know who should come!
The seminar started with hellos and introductions before going into a couple of fun games the idea was to get people to start looking at each other and to understand we can pull data from multiple sources. We ended up using word association to generate rudimentary and fun profiles of the attendees before going into some of the methodology behind some of the work I do. The second half was much more focused and included overviews and specific ideas and techniques.
I think everyone left with value for money (after all it was free!) and loads of information to digest but even amongst the small group the amount of use from the seminar will be varied.
Our attendees fell roughly into the following categories:
- Bloggers – and professional writers probably got more out of the first half of the seminar
- Web developers – More out of the second half then the first
- Internet Marketers – Not sure I suspect more out of the second half which would be a shame because that implies quick fix
- SEOs – looked confused because Google was mentioned but once
The problem comes I’m not providing a solution, a quick fix or indeed a way forward but rather an ideas and concepts I strongly believe the one example I showed in the second half for guaranteed under cutting of your competitors price is worth virtually any ticket price I wish to set. I also intend to provide more detailed examples and access to video content for any attendees. This is not an unusual business model its proven to work, the issue is not with the concept, the content but the pitch and who to pitch to itself.
I want to run at least one more seminar and to be honest it would be nice if it paid for itself even if I wish to provide online access via a paywall (for at least some content). I don’t really want to offer a product or service and really prefer to simply communicate the ideas. Consequently I have now got a difficult choice of who to market to and what to charge (if anything) and so am thinking the people who read my blog are my current audience the best people to ask so tell me what do you think?
4 comments
One way to go would be to develop three to four versions of the seminar, focus first on the one where you have the biggest “market share” or audience.
Get testimonials from those who attended initial session (from all segments of attendees), this will help prove value to others, when asking for payment.
People have been successful at charging for online seminars, once they have built up enough trust in their brand/audience. You may get fewer people per session, but those people are often more motivated to follow through. You can always offer a money back guarantee?
Another way to go is to find a Podcamp or blogcamp in your area and present it there. Those sessions are free, but at the end you could ask those attending how to market it as well.
I think splitting the content defeats the point of the content sadly though certainly online this would be easier and obviously letting individuals to pick sections is a good idea.
In terms of brand and building up on it, I already have a brand which is marketable always can do with improvement but I think within the “geek” community I’m well known being a regular Barcamper, Hackday goer as well as speaker at conferences.
In many ways I have the reverse problem to most people while I’m not a “web celeb” and capable to draw people by my mere presence I actually have really unique content to deliver rather then regturigitated info and no channel to do it lol.
I don’t have any suggestions I’m afraid, but just wanted to let you know I’d love to come if you do another, as I couldn’t attend the last one.
Cheers
Dan
I think certainly it would be something you could pitch to web developers, as it was something I got a lot out of – and as you said, things like the specifics on how to undercut competitors’ prices would be worth making it a paid-for seminar.
Personally, I loved the more specific elements in the second half, whereas I can see the first half will have been more beneficial to others. But even if just as an ideas generation seminar to really get people something I think it’s easily marketable to freelance web developers and people who manage projects in small businesses.