It’s already been a busy year for the entire thINK Board! We’re focused on bringing thINK members as many valuable resources and learning opportunities as possible, and we’re planning an entire event full of relevant, action-oriented workshops at thINK 2018. Plus, in the lead up to thINK, we’ve got even more up our sleeves, including the first of our brand new thINK Virtual Workshops. 

This series of free, personalized marketing workshops is designed to help thINK members market their services more strategically. Each workshop will be led by marketing industry experts who will share tested best practices and who will consult with workshop participants on how to solve the challenges they actually face. 

Unlike a webinar, the size of each workshop will be limited in order to provide a hands-on, practical experience for the whole group. Expect to share examples from your own experience, discuss solutions with your instructors and peers, and come away with marketing strategies you can put to the test. 

The first thINK Virtual Workshop will take place April 26, 2018, and you can reserve a spot and join from anywhere in the world. Here’s a sneak peek at what will be covered. 

thINK Virtual Workshop 1: Understanding Your Audience
When we promote our services, who are we talking to? What do those readers, viewers, and listeners want? What prompts them to take action… and what keeps them from engaging?

In this workshop, we’ll distinguish between a target audience and buyer personas and discuss why understanding each is crucial to marketing success. Attendees will learn about resources that marketers use to gain insight into consumer desires and behaviors and will begin to solidify their own buyer personas and message map.

thINK Virtual Workshop 2: Defining Your Marketing Objectives
Successful marketing is measurable. In this workshop, we’ll outline standard marketing metrics by channel, define terms like lead, conversion, and engagement as they pertain to each participant’s company, and clarify the difference between marketing goals and marketing objectives. 

We’ll discuss methods for obtaining and analyzing data and how to ensure marketing programs stay data-driven through completion. Attendees will define at least one new measurable marketing objective.

thINK Virtual Workshop 3: Content Marketing
Content marketing, inbound marketing, marketing automation: more than buzzwords, these approaches to marketing define how most small and medium-sized businesses operate today. In this workshop, we’ll define content marketing and its place alongside traditional advertising like print ads and direct mail. 

Attendees will learn about content offers, email segmentation, and lead nurturing. We’ll discuss how to set up an automation workflow, as well as the role that SEO and SEM play in an inbound marketing world. Each attendee will begin to construct an editorial calendar. 

The first thINK Virtual Workshop will take place on April 26, 2018. As I mentioned, space is very limited, so don't wait to sign up when the next one is announced. I look forward to hearing about your marketing success, and please don’t hesitate to send me your feedback and suggestions for future thINK resources. Email me anytime!