From free workshops to next steps

I recently held a workshop with a very luxurious place here in Stockholm, luckily it was free from me because I networked my way there but this room would be about $250 for 2 hours.

Only 4 people showed up.

I made 2 videos about the workshop promoting them on linkedin. You can see my video in the link below .https://www.linkedin.com/posts/uro%C5%A1-mi%C4%87i%C4%87-72090712a_workshop-strengths-leverage-activity-7217884447809937409-q7_R?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

I got a very positive public response to my initiative and the video, people really think its great and that the topic is interesting.

I published the second video few days after. It was all 2 weeks before the actual workshop and I made an event on the Eventbrite page.

Then I figured that I really have to step up my game so I started massively messaging people both on LinkedIn and my personal contacts few days ahead.

On one side its August, and people are on vacations.

Two of the people are my close friends, one person who was on my podcast and forth person is a woman that is into me. One friend would have forgotten if I didn't remind him last minute, 1 person didn't read the location and another person completely forgot.

Everyone was late and one friend had to take important job-related phone call just at the start time where he got rejected from the last round of interviews in a company he really wanted to be a part of and he joined the workshop late to engage in a workshop about how we can leverage our strengths.

It was a fun and chill workshop but seeing the results of my efforts was definitively underwhelming.

I got feedback that its not easy for people to open up about these subjects, and that people would my rather join AW kind of setting that is more low key and more safe. Culture here in Sweden is very specific.

My next event has to have significantly better strategy and significantly better marketing, and its not just about the video.

And on the other side I wonder why I bother with these things, its not the best use of my time, why don't I just target companies to hold workshops internally.

I love holding public workshops, magic happens but for professional and financial reasons I might just have to pivot.

What do you guys think, have you had a similar experience? How hard is it to go into paid ads?

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