This past weekend was a busy one, with virtual workshops all day long. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I was involved with webinars from 10 in the morning until 5 at night, with an hour off for lunch. That sounds like a heavy schedule and it is, but the one I attend live in Atlanta starts at 8:30 every morning and then ends at 6. Then everyone sits around and networks all evening. So in comparison, the virtual training was easier, plus if I had other plans, like my grandaughter’s birthday party, I could take time off. All of the audio recordings will be sent so I can review those I missed later.
There were a number of different presenters and most of them spoke for close to an hour, with a live question and answer time at the end of their session. Some topics covered were affililiate marketing, building community and becoming a market leader, re-purposing your content, using Twitter and Facebook effectively, video marketing, strategies to convert your readers to buyers, copywriting, building a successful business blog, membership sites, teleseminars, getting your local business to rank highly on Google, getting content for your website, dealing with procrastination, and building credibility. I could mention more, but as you can see, it’s been a very comprehensive training so far. And it isn’t over yet. Monday to Thursday evening there are two more presenters each night, each giving an hour session.
There were all kinds of useful resources mentioned, many of them free. For example, screenr.com, tweetgrid.com, and fiverr.com. The only thing I would caution if you have been attending these NAMS sessions is not to feel overwhelmed with all the information. You can go back over it as often as you like and before you know it, all of those pieces that seem so difficult now will click and become much easier to understand. A lot of the sessions were classified as being a beginner level, but they aren’t. If I was a total beginner, a lot of it would be over my head. Best not to pay any attention to the levels assigned for this virtual training. When you get to Atlanta, to the live event, each of the levels will be taught in a different room and there is also one for absolute beginners.
The main drawback to attending a virtual training like this is missing the social interaction and networking with the other people there. Although the webinar sessions are live and there is a question time, hearing voices just isn’t the same as actually being there. But since Atlanta was struggling with snow, it might not have been the easiest place to travel to. And not having to pay for flights or hotel rooms was certainly a lot cheaper. As with most things, there are pros and cons to a virtual training event. An added plus with the NAMS workshop is that the one price also includes attendance at the live event in Atlanta in August. Much better weather then too – especially if you like the heat.
How do you like to learn? Face-to-face, webinar, teleseminar, hands-on? As a trainer myself, I realize that everyone learns differently, so it isn’t easy to get a training session organized so that everyone can benefit.
Anyway, better get back to work,
Carol