How To Create And Deliver Your First Virtual Workshop
Recently, I hosted an Instagram Live broadcast with Annie Schuessler of Rebel Therapist to teach private practice therapists how to create and deliver a virtual workshop to their communities in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. In this blog post, I’ll review the steps we covered.
In these uncertain, trying times, private practice therapists are perfectly positioned to support our communities through anxiety, depression, loneliness, and all mental and emotional effects of this traumatic global event. The world needs you, now more than ever.
As more and more people are left without a steady paycheck, however, we may start to see major changes in our economy. And while therapists’ services will be needed more than ever, private practice owners may need to adjust their offerings to accommodate clients who need support, but may need to forgo one-on-one counseling for the time being.
Before I begin, I want to clarify that making services more accessible does not mean you’re obligated to work for free. Many of us heart-centered leaders will be called to offer free tools and resources, and that’s fine, but there are ways to support our livelihood while supporting our communities as well.
The best way to increase your impact while supporting more members of your community? Create offerings that serve multiple people at once. E-courses, e-books, guided meditations, digital or physical products, and virtual workshops are some great ways to do this.
To get started, I’ll walk you through creating and delivering your first virtual workshop.
Hosting a virtual workshop can allow you to meet your community where they’re at while learning more about what they need during this time. When you know what they need, you can better support them going forward.
Step 1: Embrace imperfection and be creative.
In order to serve your community now, you have to be willing to lead imperfectly. This doesn’t need to be complicated, and you don’t need a huge audience to make a difference. Simply use what you have to connect with your community. As someone who’s struggled with perfectionism my whole life, I get that this isn’t easy. But the quicker you can embrace imperfection, even momentarily, the more effectively you’ll be able to help your people and keep your business moving.
Another vital mindset piece in serving your community during this time is creativity. Being willing to get creative and do things differently will allow you to ride this big wave of change and set your business up for success in the long run. If you feel any “shoulds” or “cants” rise up in you throughout this process, try to replace them with “hows”. Instead of saying, “This won’t work for my business / my clients,” ask yourself, “How can I make this work for my business / my clients?”
Step 2: Identify what your community needs.
To decide what the topic of your workshop should be, you need to connect with your community. Don’t guess what they need. Listen to their concerns and respond accordingly. Do this by following three simple steps:
Take a step back.
We’re all dealing with a lot right now, and we all need to create space for our own experience. However, similar to the therapy room, we have to put our own experiences aside momentarily to truly listen to and hold space for the people we’re trying to help.
Listen.
Whether the concerns are coming from your clients, or the clients who are cancelling their sessions, or your Instagram community, they’re being voiced right now. Listen, particularly, to the concerns that people have around getting support during this time.
Respond.
Based on the concerns you’re hearing from your community, what tools, resources, or expertise can you provide to help ease those concerns?
For example, if your community is made up of moms, you might be hearing concerns about the increased pressure around kids, home, and their relationship. Therefore, you might offer a virtual group discussion where moms can vent or process the stress in a way that aligns with your expertise.
As another example, if your community is made up of the LGBTQ+ community, you might be hearing concerns about increased loneliness. Therefore, you might offer a workshop on ways to connect while social distancing. Or even hosting a virtual hangout where people can connect and discuss their experiences of loneliness.
The possibilities are endless here, and virtual offerings will look different depending on you and your practice. For this reason, try not to compare yourself to what other therapists are doing. Stay focused on your community and respond to their needs.
Step 3: Create your virtual workshop.
Preparing the content of your workshop doesn’t have to be labor intensive. Write up a short description of the topic, as well as what you want your community members to walk away with. Then, speak from your expertise and experience (you have everything you need already). Annie and I put together our Instagram live workshop throughout a handful of emails over a couple days. Remember, embrace imperfection.
Step 4: Decide the method of delivery.
Think about your unique community and ask yourself, “What’s the easiest way for them to participate in this?” The fewer barriers to participating, the better.
There are several platforms to choose from to deliver your offering, but I’ll list my top recommendations based on the type of event/offering:
Open group / Live event:
If you want your workshop to be open to everyone, and you want to be in contact with your community as you deliver it, live-streaming is the way to go. Broadcasting live from your business Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube page is as simple as clicking a button, and people can just hop on without needing to pre-register.
Closed group / Live event:
If you want to limit the number of people that can attend, but you still want to be in contact with your community as you deliver it, use Zoom or Crowdcast.
Open group / pre-recorded:
If you want to pre-record your workshop or offering, and then make it available to anyone, I recommend using Zoom, Loom, or the Voice Memos app (iPhone). These are a good options if you want to deliver a guided meditation or exercise to then put on your blog, but people don’t need to be there live to get the full benefit.
When choosing the platform for your virtual offering, remember to choose the method of delivery that will be easiest for your community to engage with. Broadcasting live on social media may freak you out, but it could be the easiest way for your people to benefit from what you have to offer. Remember, embrace imperfection!
Step 5: Announce & Deliver!
After you know what will be covered, and how you’ll deliver it, it’s time to take action! If you’re hosting a live event, pick a date and time for the event. If you’re releasing a pre-recorded offering, pick a date and time that you’ll hit “publish.”
Then, tell your community! Whether you create a quick graphic in Canva and announce it on social media, or send an email to your newsletter list, tell your people about it. Make sure to let people know how to join, what you’ll cover, and what results they’ll get from participating.
When it comes time to start your virtual workshop, take a deep breath and remember that you’re a leader in this new, quickly evolving world. You don’t have to be perfect, and you don’t have to solve every problem. All you have to do is show up for your community.
At the end of your virtual workshop, encourage participants to ask questions and give feedback. This will illuminate the areas you can expand upon in the future, through a course, a book, or some other creative offering. Remember, being willing to get creative and do things differently will allow you to ride this big wave of change and set your business up for success in the long run.
Watch the original workshop
Annie Schuessler and I recorded our free Instagram live broadcast using Zoom. Watch the recording here:
Tell me about your first virtual workshop!
In the comments below, tell me about the virtual offering that you created (or will create) using this guide. In order to get comfortable with this stuff, we have to start talking about it, so let’s hear it!
