What is an Online Workshop
An online workshop is typically a training session, specifically structured to present virtually over video meeting software. An online workshop is a collaborative session where you and your attendees will delve deeply into a given topic. Unlike standard online meetings, these workshops are usually significantly more engaging. They educate and engage people through group conversations (that are occasionally divided into small groups or breakout sessions), exercises, and other activities.
Unlike training, an online workshop dives into a topic objectively and interactively. It is an excellent opportunity for participants to engage in practical activities that will assist them in learning in a timely and approachable manner. One advantage of this concept is that it allows for a more technical approach. Furthermore, its virtual format may reach a wider audience without the space or time constraints of a live, in-person event.
Benefits of Online Workshops
Virtual workshops have gained significant popularity in recent years, primarily due to covid the closure of global borders. Despite the great re-opening, remote workshops are likely to stay. In a survey conducted by Emeritus, 78% of respondents said they believe the adoption of online education will increase in the near future. With online learning expecting to grow, now is the time for consultants and businesses to adopt virtual learning. There are several benefits of online training and workshops for the host and the participants. The top five benefits of online workshops include:
- Flexibility
- Mobility
- Cost-Effective
- Interactive
- Brand growth
Flexibility
Because of its flexibility and convenience, many businesses choose online learning. Online training is available at any time and location, allowing your clients to decide when and where they receive training. They only need access to the internet to get started.
Learning digitally allows your clients to take training without travelling to a physical location. Online training enables them to tailor their education to their lifestyles and job schedules. As a consultant, you also save time and effort by not travelling to a physical location.
Mobility
Online workshops eliminate geographical constraints, allowing you to offer training for businesses from anywhere around the globe. Remote workshops also provide you with access to a much larger potential client base, ultimately improving the bottom line! For your clients, they can access global expertise rather than from those only in the same country or city.
Cost-Effective
Another advantage of online courses is that they are generally less expensive. This isn’t because the education is less expensive; instead, it has a lower institutional overhead than hiring physical premises. As a consultant, you are often short of time. Online workshops are a great way to save time and money on travel to and from your client’s offices.
Interactive
The online community is one of the best aspects of online courses. Attendees typically seek courses that offer an online network where they can continue to ask questions and offer ideas post-workshop. As a consultant, offering something such as a Facebook Group provides added value for your clients and leads to a more collaborative and deeper learning experience.
Brand growth
A great way to separate yourself from the competition and set yourself up as a thought leader in your field is to educate others about relevant topics and advancements in the industry. Hosting online workshops is an effective way to build brand awareness and credibility and promote trust.
How to Create Online Workshops
There are tremendous benefits to offering online workshops as a consultant. But how do you create an online workshop? Here are five steps to follow:
- Step one: Decide on your workshop topic
- Step two: Create your workshop presentation
- Step three: Prepare your workshop
- Step four: Practice your workshop
- Step five: Promote your workshop
Step One: Decide on Your Workshop Topic
The first step is to decide on a workshop topic. When there are so many options, this phase might be intimidating. Starting with a goal is an excellent method to cut this down. Do you wish to educate your current customers? Boost product signups? Increase your credibility as a thought leader in your field? Focusing on a single objective will guide you in the direction of a topic that will help you achieve your goal.
Next, narrow it down to a single topic. While casting a broad net is appealing, a more focused workshop allows for more strategic, targeted advice. For example, rather than hosting an online workshop about team building, maybe you’ll host one about leveraging DISC assessments to build positive team culture. That gives your audience a clearer picture of what they’ll learn and what they’ll take away.
Step Two: Create Your Workshop Presentation
Once you’ve decided on your workshop topic, you’re ready to compile information. Make sure you’re taking a structured and organised approach. Decide on a content mix that will create an optimal learning experience. Mix your facilitation with exercises, discussion points, polls and breakout rooms. Rest assured, you don’t need to start from scratch. HR Profiling Solutions offers several different pre-built DISC facilitation guides and presentations to save you time in this step.
Step Three: Prepare your Workshop
Now that you’ve created your presentation, it’s time to customise the content to your niche. Are you presenting to a particular company or people in a specific industry? Ensure you customise your presentation for your audiences, including relevant graphics or statistics. If you are presenting using DISC profiles, consider adding graphics such as the flexibility zones or Extended DISC® profiles.
You may also like your participants to have a workbook or some reference resources to help them remember and implement tips from your workshop. Ensure you prepare these materials and any other online workshop tools well ahead of time.
Step Four: Practice your Workshop
It’s true what they say. Practice makes perfect! Practice your workshop to find spots where you get stuck or things don’t flow. By running a test run of your workshop, you can calm your stomach butterflies and avoid glitches. You should test your equipment and technologies throughout this run-through (like your webcam, Zoom, internet connection, and more). Time each portion of your workshop, so you know how long the complete session will take. Make a list of any changes you need to make or information you should mention during the actual event. Ask for feedback from anyone willing to participate in a test run of your workshop. Doing the above will help build your confidence when it comes time to host your virtual workshop.
Step Five: Promote your Workshop
Now you’ve designed and prepared for your workshop, it’s time to start promoting it. Put together marketing material, schedule social media and invest in paid advertising. You can also upsell any new workshops to current or previous clients who you think may benefit from your new workshop. This is a great way to reengage old clients and retain current ones.
How to Run an Online Workshop
Now that you have created your workshop, you need to understand how to run an online workshop. This stage includes:
- Choose the right platform
- Schedule the workshop
- Promote your workshop
- Collect registrations
- Host the workshop
- Send out post-communications
Choose the Right Platform
Choosing the right platform online workshop tools is pivotal to its success. Mostly important is choosing the right platform. There is a vast array of video conferencing software from Zoom to GoToMeeting and Teams. You’ll want to select a platform that most of your clients already use, so they don’t need to download additional software. When selecting your platform, ensure its features meet your needs, such as the ability to create polls, ask questions or use breakout rooms. You may also want to consider security, quality, and limits.
Schedule the Workshop
Next, you need to schedule the workshop. You’ll want to maximise the time you’ll get the highest attendance. If presenting to an organisation, you may want to ask them for some prospective times. If you are inviting attendees to your workshop from all over the world, you will need to consider time zones and choose a time when most participants can attend.
Promote your Workshop
There are several methods for marketing your online workshop. You can begin by contacting your current email subscribers. It’s also a good idea to develop a separate landing page with compelling copy that highlights the benefits of your workshop while also sharing essential details like the date and time.
You may also direct traffic to that page using social media platforms, paid advertisements, content marketing, and word of mouth. Once individuals sign up, develop a marketing automation sequence to build anticipation and keep the workshop at the top of registrants’ minds to ensure they attend.
Collect Your Registrations
You’ll need to decide how to collect registrations. The online workshop platform you choose may have an inbuilt function where it can manage registrations. This may involve creating a button or link on your landing page to direct interested people to your booking page. Alternatively, you may use a dedicated application that gathers attendees’ details, information about why they’re attending or how they heard about the workshop and automatically sends them an invite. Whichever solution you pick, you want to ensure it effectively collects and manages registrations.
Host the Workshop
You finished the hard work, and you’re now ready to offer your online workshop. In most circumstances, you will use video conferencing software. When you begin, explain the lay of the land by:
- Explaining any rules or etiquette (for example, keep your mike on mute while not speaking)
- Provide a high-level summary of the topic you’ll be covering
- Highlighting any tools you’ll use throughout, such as workbooks, polls and breakout rooms
- Sharing a brief agenda so that participants can expect breaks
Then you can begin sharing your knowledge and expertise through your virtual workshop!
Send out Post-Communications
Now that you’ve finished your virtual workshop, you may send out post-communications. This might include a feedback form, how to further engage your consulting services, or any resources you discussed in the workshop.
How to Create and Run Online DISC Workshops
Creating and running online DISC workshops is similar to the process we outlined above. A DISC profile workshop involves deciding which DISC-related topic you wish to focus on. These topics could be sales, team culture, leadership and more. HR Profiling Solutions offer a range of materials from presentation slides to facilitation guides. These support materials mean you do not have to create something from scratch and allow you to quickly and easily host transformative, engaging, and interactive workshops. Our pre-built DISC facilitation guides and presentations save you time, so all you need to do is practice, gather registrations and host the workshop.
Tips for Online Workshops
As a consultant, your objectives are to keep people engaged, keep the energy high, and cover key material. These objectives can sometimes be challenging in a virtual setting. We’ve compiled some tips to help you host a successful remote workshop. Here are some top tips for online workshops:
- Keep online workshops shorter than in-house
- Take regular breaks
- Get everyone on webcam
- Be kind and patient for those adjusting to technology
- Manage the audio, including muting participants when necessary
- Include participants in the discussion where possible
- Utilise polls and breakout rooms
- Monitor the comments box
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Should an Online Workshop Be?
Most experts agree that the ideal length for a virtual course is between 30 and 60 minutes. The length of an online course is determined by the end goal you want your attendees to achieve. Depending on the type of course and the complexity of the information you’re teaching, typical online workshop lengths can range from 30 minutes to 4 hours.
How Much Should I Charge for an Online Workshop?
When deciding how much to charge for an online workshop, there are numerous costs to consider. A simple calculation is to divide your hourly rate by the number of people you would like to attend your workshop.
250/10 = $25 + plus expenses
For example, If you want 10 to attend a one-hour workshop and your hourly rate is $250, you could charge $25 per person plus travel expenses and materials (this increases the price to $30-$40 per person).
What are the Best Online Workshop Tools?
Creating and running an online DISC Workshop requires several tools to help you design and host your workshop. Here is a list of the best online workshop tools:
- Video conferencing software like Zoom or MS Teams
- Survey tools such as Google Forms or SurveyMonkey
- Document sharing apps such as Dropbox or GoogleDrive
- Online whiteboards like Miro or Mural
- Online communication tools such as Slack or MS Teams
- Design tools like Canva or PowerPoint
- Online booking forms like MS Bookings or Calendly
