Hosting virtual events is an additional revenue strategy that shouldn't be overlooked for your membership website. Besides generating extra income, hosting virtual events offers a direct way to connect with your audience, demonstrate your expertise, provide added value and offer upsell opportunities. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to strengthen your connection with existing members, here are five types of virtual events you can host to boost both engagement and revenue.
What is a virtual event?
A virtual event is a gathering that takes place online. These events can include webinars, workshops, live Q&A sessions, tutorials, and more. They are typically hosted via video conferencing platforms. Virtual events enable you to connect with your audience in real-time, provide valuable content, foster engagement, and create opportunities for income generation.
3 Benefits of hosting events virtually:
- Reduces costs.
- Provides participants flexibility.
- Increases accessibility to a wider audience.
1. Webinars: Demonstrate your expertise to a wider audience
Webinars are one of the most popular virtual events for a reason. They allow you to share in-depth knowledge on a specific topic with your audience in a structured way, using visuals, live chats, and Q&A sessions. Webinars can be free or paid, and they’re ideal for both engaging current members and attracting new prospects to your community.
How to Leverage Webinars:
- Lead Generation: Offer a free webinar as a preview of your paid content. This lets you collect email addresses and build a list of prospective members who may sign up to a recurring membership plan.
- Premium Upsell: After providing value in a free or low-cost webinar, upsell attendees to your higher-tier membership.
- Replay Sales: Record the webinar and sell access to the replay as an evergreen product.
Example: If you run a fitness membership website, you could host a free webinar on "Nutrition" and then upsell a premium program that includes meal plans and workout tutorials.
2. Live office hours: Build trust and engagement
Hosting virtual office hours lets members to get real-time answers to their burning questions. Members often love the interactive nature of this type of online event which makes members feel valued while positioning yourself as an approachable expert in your field.
How to Leverage an Office Hours Session:
- Exclusive Perks: Offer office hours sessions as part of your premium membership.
- One-off Sales: If you want to create additional income, you can charge non-members or lower-tier members for one-time access to these sessions.
- Recurring Content: Host a monthly or biweekly office hours session to give members a consistent reason to log in and engage.
Example: A coach could host monthly office hours where members ask for advice, with the session only available to premium-tier members.
3. Workshops: Provide hands-on learning
Workshops allow you to dive deep into a topic and provide hands-on, actionable learning. Unlike a webinar, a workshop is typically more interactive and may include practical exercises, group discussions or live feedback. Hosting workshops can demonstrate the tangible value of your membership, as members will walk away with new skills or knowledge they can apply immediately.
How to Leverage Workshops:
- One-Time Paid Events: Charge for access to specialized workshops on topics your members care about.
- Upsell to Premium Membership: Offer a free or low-cost workshop to entice attendees, then present your premium membership as the logical next step for more in-depth learning.
- Bundles & Packages: Combine workshops into a package and offer them as part of a premium tier or as a course that members can purchase.
Example: A photography membership site could run a paid workshop on "Mastering Lighting Techniques" with a live demo, and then encourage participants to join the membership for ongoing photography tutorials and feedback sessions.
4. Live tutorials: Deliver step-by-step guides
Live tutorials are perfect for showing your audience how to do something in a step-by-step manner. Whether you're teaching a technical skill, a craft, or a process, live tutorials provide high-value content that members can follow along. They’re especially effective when members need to learn something hands-on, such as coding, designing, or creating.
How to Leverage Live Tutorials:
- Exclusive to Members: Host tutorials exclusively for members as a perk of membership, encouraging retention and satisfaction.
- Paid Sessions: Offer certain tutorials as one-time paid events.
- Replay and Download Sales: Record tutorials and sell them as downloadable content or include them as part of a premium resource library for members.
Example: If you run a crafting community, you could host a live tutorial on specific crafting techniques and give members access to the replay as part of your premium membership.
5. Coaching sessions: Offer personalised guidance
By hosting coaching sessions, you offer your members direct, personalized advice while fostering peer-to-peer support. Group coaching is highly engaging and positions you as a go-to expert who can help members overcome specific challenges.
How to Leverage Group Coaching:
- Premium Offering: Make coaching available only to your higher-tier membership, offering it as a premium, personalised experience.
- One-Time Income: Run a one-time paid coaching session for a specific problem or goal, and offer it to both members and non-members to generate extra revenue.
- Upsell to Private Coaching: After demonstrating the value of your coaching in a group setting, upsell members to private, one-on-one coaching at a higher rate.
Example: A life coach could host coaching sessions on "Achieving Your Goals in 30 Days," providing actionable strategies and personalised feedback, then offer private coaching for those who want deeper, individualised support.
Final thoughts
By incorporating virtual events like webinars, office hours, workshops, tutorials and coaching into your membership site, you create opportunities to engage members on a deeper level. These events can be used as premium perks, upsell opportunities, or stand-alone paid products. They allow you to diversify your revenue while demonstrating the value of your expertise.
Remember, the key to success is offering consistent, high-quality experiences that meet the needs of your audience. When done right, these events not only keep your current members satisfied and engaged but also attract new members eager to be part of your community.
