The Right Offer During The COVID -19 Downturn
Business as usual is not business as usual. While some training, consulting, and coaching firms are slow to react, others are rapidly cycling through a multitude of options hoping that one will stick. Whether overreacting or underreacting, almost all of these firms are finding that their digital marketing calls-to-action need to be shifted to appeal to their audience who are unexpectedly dealing with new problems and concerns than they had before the pandemic.
Most trainers, consultants, and professional coaches have needed to adjust their business model during quarantines and lockdowns. That adjustment has been extreme for some that did no online learning or more of a slight shift for those that already had digital delivery capability. Regardless of your situation here are a few calls-to-action that can be leveraged during the downturn.
Webinars
Free Webinar – This seems to be the most popular option that trainers, consultants, and professional coaches are turning to. These free events tend to work well for gaining attention, especially if they focus on problems that your audience is suddenly confronting given COVID-19 restrictions. However, you should go into a free webinar expecting sales conversions will be slim to none. If the goal is to get your firm in front of a wider audience and position yourself as an expert as the recovery begins, this is a great option. If the goal is to generate immediate leads and revenue, it will likely be lacking.
Paid Webinar Series – Effective online delivery is difficult to sustain for much more than two hours. One hour is the typical suggestion. Therefore, firms are finding that more robust training or coaching options need to be broken into a series of events. These more robust programs will not draw as many registration but can create valuable immediate revenue. If you are offering multiple series, it’s important to clearly differentiate them as well as to space them appropriately so that you are not competing against your own offers or confusing your audience.
Recorded Training
Offering a small library of recorded training can be a low cost option if your audience is experiencing short-term budget constraints. If you already have online learning platforms or digitally delivered content, leverage it as an on-demand training at a lower price point.
Reports or Whitepapers
Reports or whitepapers, especially those targeted at the pandemic, lockdowns, or downturn are a frequently overlooked resource the last few months. The natural inclination for trainers, coaches and consultants is to speak to their audience because that is what they are accustomed to doing. A document often has as much or more of a draw and requires no resources for delivery after it’s been created. Reports are often better suited as a free offer but if you have robust content, it can also serve as a low cost option for people to purchase.
There are many different delivery methods for these calls to action. Rather than “optimizing” for the best platform, we suggest using what you already have available or are most comfortable with. Trainers, consultants and professional coaches that are striving for perfection through the lockdown tend to be producing little usable content as they get lost in a cycle of improvements or shifting focus. In an effort to “pivot” many firms are failing to pick a direction but instead are chasing their tails. Pick a call-to-action that makes sense for your audience, professionally produce that call to action, and then start adjusting accordingly as we move into a recovery.