This year has not gone as expected. That’s true for my business as much as anything else. The mechanisms that used to bring clients and projects my way don’t work like they used to. However, virtual summits and meetups have exploded. Today, I’m sharing how I’ve been harnessing the potential of these virtual events to grow my business.

Key Takeaways

In times of COVID, we need to shift how we build networks. Online summits, virtual meetups, and webinars are a great way to fill the gaps left by in-person events. Hosting one of these summits will even show you to be an authority in your field.

Lessons of Running a Virtual Summit

Over the last few months, I’ve been putting together a virtual summit for digital marketers. I’ve learned a lot in the process. Not only do I think this event will provide great value for those who attend, but it will also help grow and maintain a network of people who may become clients someday.

Growing Your Network

I’ve found that hosting these events I’ve positioned myself as an authority in my niche. As a result, more people in my expanding network are going to think of me when they need video or something else that I offer. It will naturally build connections that wouldn’t otherwise exist.

Finding and Serving Your Niche

You can’t just create an event for everyone though. You need to get very focussed on a specific niche. The narrower, the better. If you’re not sure, reach out to your network and ask what topics they most resonate with at the moment. With that information, you’ll have a great start to building a successful virtual event.

Would you ever consider creating a webinar or an online summit? What would it be about? Leave a comment on the episode page!

In This Episode:

• How virtual summits are filling the gap left by in-person events [3:25]
• Growing your network with online events [9:27]
• How shifting to a bigger online presence changes how we think about business [16:37]
• Why focusing on a specific niche is the best way to succeed with a webinar or summit [19:14]
• Why few things are more important than your email list [25:00]

Quotes

“We’re getting exposure to a ton of people who we wouldn’t normally be…. And as the hosts, we are the ones who look like we’re friends with all of the presenters.” [13:16]

“When you take leadership, when you take action, when you decide to do this, people will take notice because not everybody is getting in the ring.” [15:25]

“As you do webinars and summits, your email list will grow. It is so important to grow your email list.” [25:01]

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