Day 5: Add The RIGHT Kind Of Subscribers Through A Virtual Summit

I feel like a proud advisor on Day 5 of the Email Growth Challenge!

 

If you've been a part of my community for any number of years—you know I LOVE a virtual summit. Since 2019, I've hosted 15+. It's the number one way I've grown my own email list. 

 

So when I asked my client Inner Spark run by the incredible jacob adams if he'd be down to try a virtual summit—I was thrilled when he said “yes”. 

 

For background, my team has been working jacob for 11 months. Prior to the summit (which was yesterday) we've helped grow Inner Spark's email list 60%. We've also helped jacob and his team add 177% new donors compared to the year before. 

 

But to do what I know jacob wants to do to disrupt education in America—we need more raving fans, more money, and a bigger email list. 

 

I knew a virtual summit would pour gasoline on what we were already doing. 

 

Here is how we pulled it off:

🛠️ Setting up your virtual summit

Step 1: Coming up with your summit theme. What is a topic people involved in your nonprofit want to come together to learn about, debate or problem solve around? 

 

For example, jacob's organization which is all about disrupting education, wanted to bring together other disruptors.  

 

When I've hosted summits they've been themed around everything from fundraising to email marketing for nonprofits. 

 

Take a second to think about what your community would want to learn about and build your theme around that. If you have no clue—start asking some folks!

 

Step 2: Pick your summit day and time. Personally, I think short and sweet is where it's at. One day, 3-4 hours max. 

 

Step 3: Map out your sessions. I think a combo of panel discussions, workshops, and breakout sessions are what people like to see—a mix. 

 

Step 4: Once you have your session titles you'll want to brainstorm a list of people to be speakers. Invite those folks to attend. Best practice: pay your speakers—even a standard speaker fee is better than nothing. 

Step 5: Build your opt-in page in your email service provider. This is the page where people will register for your event. Like your other opt-in pages, it should be simple. 

 

Need an example? This is what jacob used for his Inside Out summit. 

 

You'll want to link your opt-in page to a summit specific segment so that you can trigger a welcome/confirmation email + send summit specific communications to the group of people who sign up for your event. 

Step 6: Promote, promote, promote. 

 

Once you have your summit: 

  • Name

  • Date

  • Opt-in page

You should share about the event far and wide: across your current newsletter list, your social media profiles, you could add a banner to your website or a link in your email signature. 

 

You could also create marketing materials like social graphics and swipe copy for your speakers to use and help spread the word. 

 

Whatever you do—you need to talk about the summit A LOT. A lot more than you think you need to. 

 

For jacob's Inside Out summit we sent 4+ emails, posted 10x on LinkedIn, encouraged board members and speakers to share AND he printed off these flyers and gave them out to people at SXSWEdu (genius). 

💡 Why it works

People are craving community. Everyone loves to learn alongside people who share their same interests and values. 

 

For-profit businesses have been gathering people like this for ages—why can't nonprofits?

📊 Results

 Some high level results for jacob and his team:

  • Nearly 300 people registered for the summit

  • Over 250 new subscribers were added to his email list

  • 76% of folks filled out a post-sign up survey

What was so cool about attending the summit yesterday is how engaged everyone was—asking questions, participating in the breakout rooms and blowing up the chat. This confirmed that jacob attracted not just any new subscribers, but the right ones—the ones who are passionate about disrupting education in America. 

 

In addition to the audience growth—a few additional (incredible!) things happened: 

  • jacob and his team raised over $16,000 in sponsorships for the event.

  • jacob got to build connections with super talented industry leaders who were speakers at the event

  • jacob's authority and credibility in the education space went up 10X. He was already a talented force, but this put him on a whole new level. I can't wait to see what comes out of this event over the next 90 days.

🧰 Tools Needed

  • Email service provider

  • Zoom or other video conferencing tool

  • Canva

🗣️ Last thought

 A virtual summit is definitely a high effort, high reward audience growth tactic. 

 

People always ask me why I don't speak at more conferences or go on more podcasts to which I answer, “Why would I speak on other people's stages when I could just build my own?”

 

If you're interested in a group project that is a lot of work (especially the first one)—but is worth the pay off—I would encourage you to try building your own virtual summit. 

 

Congrats to jacob and the Inner Spark team for their first virtual summit—you knocked their socks off!

 

Back in your inbox tomorrow for Day 6 (yes, even on a weekend!).

Jessica CampbellComment