Were you drawn to the creator world on your quest to pursue your own interests on your own terms? Whether you’re a digital marketing expert, YouTube Guru, or business coach, you know building a monetized audience and finding the time to create content for that audience are two of the most significant pain points for a solopreneur. But both are necessary if you want to create long-term.

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This is why hosting a successful creator course is just the ticket to increasing viewership and subscriptions. And this strategy is catching on — 62% of creators engage in consulting and coaching, 39% host online courses and workshops, and 14% of creators polled use online events. It works, too. So well, in fact, that three in four creators with membership communities are monetizing them.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie creator, read our best tips for hosting a memorable, impactful, successful creator course.

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What is a creator course?

Many creators hold special virtual events for paid members of their communities. These courses allow creators to connect with their audience while providing valuable insights and knowledge.

Since the creator economy is emerging, there is no umbrella term for what to call these virtual sessions, so for the sake of consistency, we’ll call them creator courses. In fact, finding the perfect moniker is a headscratcher that even ChatGPT can’t nail down. Though, not for lack of trying:

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With that many options, no wonder it’s a challenge to find a common vocabulary. But wait! There’s more. Along with ChatGPT’s ideas, you may have seen them promoted with these titles:

  • Member-exclusive events
  • Accountability sessions
  • Thought leader seminars
  • Creator experiences
  • Coaching sessions
  • Live discussions
  • Exclusive events
  • Masterclasses
  • Conversations
  • Masterminds
  • Office hours

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Confusing enough? Each name carries nuance hinting at specific benefits unique to the creator. For example, a mastermind and office hours likely have different formats and purposes. 

But the intention is the same — during a creator course, attendees learn — whether about new creative tools, industry trends, or tips for professional growth.

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What are the benefits of hosting creator courses?

According to a 2022 Hubspot The Business of Creators Report, creators spend 60% of their time creating content, promoting, and distributing. 

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Since creating and sharing content is time-consuming, you likely want the biggest bang for each minute that ticks by. Here is why hosting a creator course is well worth your time and effort: 

Creator courses:

Increase exposure

Hosting a creator course helps increase the buzz around your brand or organization. Then you can use the attention to highlight your latest products or services for industry professionals and potential customers. 

Inspire creativity

A compelling creator course challenges attendees to think creatively. This sparks new ideas, generates fresh perspectives, and energizes and motivates participants.

Provide networking opportunities

Creator courses are also a savvy way to build relationships within the creator community. You can connect with potential customers and partners and tap into some of the best minds in the industry.

Build an engaged audience

A successful creator course leaves attendees feeling inspired and connected with the host. This increases engagement with your brand and helps build community among members.

Ready to reap the benefits? Check out these tips and tricks for hosting your best creator course yet.

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How to structure a memorable creator course

Once you have refined your purpose and selected a format, it’s time to mold the presentation to flow smoothly. Consider these steps for structuring a successful creator course:

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Step 1: Choose a topic that solves your members’ problems

If you have your finger on the pulse of your audience, you know what has them staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m. When you understand their challenges, you can choose a topic that satisfies curiosity or solves problems. Consider these tips for gathering audience insights that lead to intriguing topics: 

  • Encourage newsletter subscribers to respond to a prompt and hit reply.
  • Consider your journey — what worked for you?
  • Ask existing clients how you have helped them the most.
  • Poll your social media audience.

Now that you know what keeps your audience up at night, you can create useful content with actionable advice for solving their concerns.

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Step 2: Plan the seminar format and content

Once you settle on a topic, decide how long the creator course should last and how to structure it. Will it be a presentation? A Q&A? Live demonstration?

Before you dive into the nitty-gritty of the presentation, create an outline of topics to cover to help you stay focused and organized throughout the event.

After choosing the format, set goals and summarize how attendees will benefit from attending your creator course. When crafting your content, consider aiming for quality over quantity. One powerful creator course packed with depth — that answers the hows and the whys with detail and leaves attendees with actionable takeaways — will be more successful than a smattering of shallow tidbits. 

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Step 3: Choose a platform

Coaching and consulting are two popular revenue models for creators. Because of this, creators might host events in different formats. This is why it is essential to have tech options with flexible formatting.

They’re out there. Consider choosing a platform that offers specialized features or tools for hosting courses, like screen sharing and audio/video support. 

If you’re hosting a creator course to reach the audience at the top of your funnel — where not everyone is a paid member or client — consider a platform like Streamyard for a wider reach. Live streaming through a platform like this is ideal for online events and courses.

If you’re serving people at the bottom of your funnel — in a workshop, small group coaching session, or 1:1 consulting — a platform like Session makes personal interactions easy and fun. 

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Step 4: Prepare the necessary materials

Before hosting the course, create and gather the necessary materials, such as slides, documents, and equipment. Then, upload them to the platform so your community can access them quickly and easily whenever they want them.

Set the tone by decking out your virtual environment to reflect your brand and encourage engagement. You can integrate your brand colors and logo into the background when using Session. 

Finally, take a test run to ensure your equipment (camera, microphone, etc.) works properly. You will also feel more comfortable running your creator course by practicing it beforehand.

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Step 5: Promote, promote, promote

The two most common ways creators who earn $150,000 or more a year grow their audience is through word of mouth and SEO. So, promoting your creator course within your community and other related communities is critical.

Before promoting it, create a course landing page outlining how it will benefit attendees, the topics covered, and any incentives you offer. Then, start promoting your event using the creator’s best friend — your newsletter.

Also, generate social media buzz with fresh and exciting posts that link to your landing page. And consider incentivizing your audience to share the posts with their networks so more can register.

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Step 6: Host your creator course

After all of your prep work, it’s time to enjoy the part creators and their communities crave — connection.

Want to create an experience attendees can’t stop gushing about? The vibe attendees experience when they log in sets the tone for how they will remember your creator course. Consider playing upbeat music while they wait. When it’s time, welcome your attendees and share the agenda. Then, introduce your guests, sponsors, and moderator.

If you’re using Session, give a quick demo of how to use Session’s engagement tools — like confetti fireworks and emojis — to add a novel dash of excitement to your event.

Your audience is there for your niche expertise, so a deep dive into your Mariana Trench of knowledge will lead to even more questions from your audience. If you leave your chat open, you or your cohost can field questions during the seminar. This encourages them to participate and opens the door for interactions that solidify their loyalty.

Consider using breakout rooms to facilitate networking opportunities to help satisfy attendees’ appetite for belonging. 

Then, with a few minutes remaining, support attendees with a recap of key takeaways and answer remaining questions. This is also the ideal time to share your digital offers that provide extra value and thank your guests for attending. 

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Step 7: Follow up

The life of a creator requires consistent action for success, so take a breath and fight the urge to kick back and relax for too long. The follow-up to a creator course is the key to sustaining a long-term connection with your community. Here are ways to connect with your audience after the creator course is over:

  • Send thank you messages to your attendees.
  • Share recordings, materials, and digital offers.
  • Build community by scheduling more opportunities for your community to network.
  • Post a shout-out to your most active attendees on social media and in newsletters.
  • Send feedback surveys and use the results to refine content and improve future creator courses.

Once your metrics and qualitative data are in, you can gauge the success of your event. 

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Step 8: Measure your event’s success

Event metrics help creators better understand how to use analytics to improve their course’s performance. For example, you will be able to track the following when you use Session to host your creator course:

  • Registration to attendance rates
  • Audience breakdown
  • Total engagement across course duration
  • Individual engagement scores per attendee
  • UTM tracking per attendee
  • Conversion rates

Whether you aim to increase your brand visibility or make more sales, hosting a successful creator course helps move you closer to your goals. By creating a course with powerful, engaging content, your audience can connect and benefit from your expertise.

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Host a creator course to engage your audience

You want to give your audience what they want — and what they want is depth. 

Hosting a lucrative creator course takes time and effort, but the rewards are worth it. By engaging your community, delivering valuable and relevant information, and building relationships, you can create an impactful and memorable experience you and your attendees will value.

Are you ready for everyone to win? Sign up for Session today to experience robust engagement and insightful analytics during your next creator course.