Last month I attended the Self-Publishers Online Conference (SPOC) by Susan Daffron, author of Publishize. I have to say, it was one of the best online conferences I’ve ever attended.
(Let me also say that their tag line, Live Long and Publish, is pure genius!)
I was impressed enough that yesterday, when I heard Susan was giving a teleconference call about the behind-the-scenes of putting on an online conference, I made sure to attend.
Susan’s talk focused on her philosophy of putting on an online conference, with the intent of guiding others who may want to do something similar.
Granted, a conference is content marketing on steroids, but I found many of her comments interesting even for less ambitious marketers. Here’s what she had to say…
As closely as possible, make virtual feel live
Other online conferences have been little more than a series of teleconferences. Some go so far as to provide “hand-outs” for download.
Susan wanted to make sure her conference resembled, as closely as possible, the real deal. After logging in, you found an exhibit hall, seminar rooms, exhibit index and benefits. You could browse through the exhibits between seminars, chat with other attendees and leave questions for speakers.
This is an important point. Content has become so digitized that we often forget about the end user. We need to create the same high quality for digital that we would for print (or live). It’s the user experience that wins fans. Make it good.
Organize, organize, organize
Susan organized the three-day seminar into three different topics. Day 1 was all about writing and publishing. Day 2 was about promotion. Day 3 was about building a business around your book.
When planning the conference, she made a matrix with the day’s topic at top and the seminar times on the side. Then, as speakers were secured, they were plugged into the matrix.
In other words, it was well organized. The information we received from each speaker built on what we’d learned from previous speakers. And at the end of each day, we felt as if we understood a significant piece of the puzzle.
Susan gave each day a Big Idea. Each day’s theme gave the information context, so it was easier to remember. Whenever we create content, we need to follow Susan’s example and organize it so it makes sense and is easy to absorb.
Be consistent
Susan mentioned that this year’s conference was the third. “Sure, we could have done it just one time, but it’s gotten easier each year.”
Good point.
Because she committed to doing the conference annually, she’s built some expectations from her followers. She now has people calling and asking when they can sign up. Promoting the event has, in some ways, become easier because people are looking for it.
It’s the same with content marketing. If you’re going to do it, you must commit to it. Do it well and do it consistently.
Think back-end up front
Attendees who bought an optional upgrade were given two months of membership to her mastermind program for writers.
Trial members often like it enough to join. And once they’ve been a part of the group for a while, they build up so much trust, they become customers.
Remember, no piece of content stands alone. It should be part of a bigger plan and should have a purpose in that plan.
A few thoughts…
It’s key to remember that content is a product. It shouldn’t be an after-thought, but a key element in your business plan.
Content is the business for many marketers. It’s that valuable.
You may feel the need to jump on the bandwagon and start churning out content. But it’s important to make sure you take time to plan.
Write valuable content that will feed your business. If possible, give it some element that builds relationship, such as newsletters or monthly teleconference calls.
And make sure you make the process linear. You need to know the path you want your prospects to move along, then create content for every turn in the path.
Any additional thoughts? Have you considered putting on an online conference? Where did it fit in your business plan?
photo credit: pat00139
