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How to get sign ups for your sustainability workshops

One of the biggest challenges in facilitating action on sustainability is getting people into the room in the first place.

One of the biggest challenges in facilitating action on sustainability is getting people into the room in the first place. In this email, we walk you through some of the top tips we’ve learned in running high impact, room-filled workshops over the years. 

Here are the four key factors we keep top of mind when attracting people to our workshops.

Focus on the benefits

Ensure that your marketing copy includes clear, simple, bullet point lists of what they will get out of attending. Most people will scan read – you have less than 5 seconds to give an impression on why they should attend, so make it count! 

Try not to focus on the “features” of what they will learn when attending, but instead about what they get out of it at the end (and what they are missing out on if they don’t attend!).

We’ve heard from hundreds of businesses that are being asked by suppliers to provide their sustainability plan. So make it clear that after attending Action Box they will have built a 2030 Sustainability Plan in less than 2 hours, which they can then use to engage suppliers and meet contract requirements. 

Partnerships with existing networks

Partner with a local business or Chamber of Commerce to widen your net of potential attendees while also adding credibility to your workshop. Joining forces with your local Chamber of Commerce means tapping into a pre-existing network of businesses looking for support makes it much easier to reach people than starting from scratch.

We’ve found that the workshops we’ve hosted in interesting, community locations – such as a brewery or in a community hall- have received the most sign ups and also started relevant conversations during the workshop. This is why we chose to make Action Box deliverable from anywhere by anyone without the need for a screen.

Local and emotional connection 

Know who you’re trying to reach and tailor your marketing approach for each community. Comment on local issues, empathise with their challenges and  champion local businesses that are doing good. 

Encourage people to sign up by connecting with them on a personal level and highlight that they will learn about local actions through relevant and engaging marketing material.

One of the most common questions we get asked during our workshops is, “How am I doing compared to other businesses?” Businesses don’t want to be left behind, so by showcasing what others are doing  locally you will motivate them to attend. 

Remember, stories are 22 times more memorable than facts! Focus on moving the hearts of people with inspiring stories of local businesses who are aspirational rather than speaking too much about climate facts. 

Persistent messaging is key

It is frustrating how much work it takes to get someone to attend a workshop, but that is the reality. From a marketing perspective, before someone will take action they need to hear the message 7 times. 

This might mean you need to email them, personally invite them on LinkedIn, post on eventbrite, it then be recommended on instagram, they see it on the local Chamber events calendar and then get another email, before they finally commit.

Don’t give up – persistency with messages is key. 
At the end of the day, we are all trying to make a positive impact in this world. If we collectively engage the 99% of businesses that are small to medium, then we can make a huge difference in this world. Good luck and don’t forget to have fun and make meaningful connections along the way!

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