August 18, 2025 • 11 mins
Ever feel like you’re doing all the “right” marketing moves like posting, emailing, showing up everywhere, yet sales still fall flat? This episode uncovers a simple but often-missed piece of the puzzle: conversion events. These focused experiences bridge the gap between casual interest and a buying decision, creating the urgency and connection your regular content can’t always deliver.
You’ll hear how to choose and design a conversion event, whether it’s a webinar, challenge, live training, or even a quick Instagram Q&A, so it fits seamlessly into your marketing strategy without overwhelming you. We’ll talk about where these events belong in your customer journey, why they work, and how to pick the right one based on your goals, audience, and capacity.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Janice Hostager (00:05):
I'm Janice Hostager.
After three decades in themarketing business and many
years of being an entrepreneur,I've learned a thing or two
about marketing.
Join me as we talk aboutmarketing, small business and
life in between.
Welcome to My Weekly Marketing.
(00:28):
Hey there and welcome back to MyWeekly Marketing.
I'm Janice Hostager, so let meask you a question: have you
ever felt like you're doing allthe right things.
You're posting,you're emailing.
You're showing up and stillpeople are not pulling the
trigger.
It's one of the biggestfrustrations I hear from small
business owners.
(00:48):
People say I'm doing what I'msupposed to do.
Why aren't people buying?
Well, today I want to talkabout a very specific reason
that might be happening, onethat not a lot of people are
talking about.
It's called a conversion event,and it might just be the
missing link between all yourmarketing efforts and your
actual sales.
So in this episode, we'rediving in to what a conversion
(01:08):
event is, why it's so powerful,where it fits in your marketing
strategy and how to pick onethat fits your business.
So let's do it.
First of all, a conversion eventis a focused experience that
invites or leads your audienceto take a specific next step,
like buying or booking a call oropting in.
(01:29):
It's not a social media post.
It's not an email blast.
It's an intentional event thatmoves someone from passively
aware of you to activelyconsidering what you offer.
So, for example, it could be alive webinar or a Zoom training.
It could be a free challenge ora mini course.
Maybe it would be an in-personevent, or maybe a one-day
(01:54):
promotion with bonuses or a freeconsultation call, or even
something super simple like anInstagram live Q&A that ends
with a sign-up link.
It doesn't have to be big, itjust has to be intentional.
The whole point is to focusyour audience's attention and
give them something to say yesto now.
(02:14):
So why do conversion events work?
Here's the thing Contentcreates awareness, but
conversion events createmomentum.
They work for a few reasons.
First of all, they createurgency.
There's a clear start and endtime.
It's not whenever you get timeto read this.
It's this Thursday at noon, andthat little bit of pressure
(02:35):
helps people make decisions.
Number two they create focusedenergy.
You are showing up in adedicated way and your audience
can feel that.
It's like shining a spotlighton what you want them to do next
.
Number three they build trustfaster.
People get to hear your voice,see your face, ask questions or
(02:57):
engage with you directly.
That is really powerful inbuilding that know like and
trust factor.
Number four they drive nextsteps.
You're not just educating them,you're guiding them.
It's the bridge betweeninterested and "yep, I'm in
Because, truthfully, we all needa trigger to move, right?
There has to be a reason to getus going, and these events
(03:20):
become that reason.
I think about when I am havingcompany over.
That's when I clean the house,right.
It's the time in which youreally know that you have to do
something or that youropportunity is right in front of
you.
You have to act now.
That's how a trigger event is.
You introduce your offer andall the benefits and give them a
reason to say yes now.
(03:40):
It could be that the price willgo up.
It could be that a bonus willdisappear.
It also might be that thecourse is only available for a
limited time.
That part's up to you.
I once ran a 30-minute webinarthat resulted in way more sales
than months of social mediaposts combined.
Why?
Because it wasn't just showingup.
I was inviting my audience intoan experience, and that's what
(04:04):
conversion events do best.
So you need to decide wherethis fits into your marketing
strategy.
If you've heard me talk aboutthe Trail to the Sale framework,
you know I break marketing downinto eight steps.
Awareness, where they discoveryou.
Consider where they make adecision, whether or not you're
right for them.
Compare, where they compare youto others in the market.
(04:24):
Evaluate where they may or maynot try you out.
Sell where they actually buy.
Supersize, where you can upsellthem.
Serve, where you deliver andimpress them.
And Send, where they refer.
Conversion events fall betweenthe consider and the compare
stages.
Typically in the consider stage, I like to get interested
(04:45):
people on my email list.
At that point you want to showyour customer what makes your
offer unique before they startcomparing you to others in the
market.
Your uniqueness is yourstrength.
Also, a challenge or livetraining builds trust and
invites that person to startconsidering you specifically,
which really is at the heart ofthe compare stage.
(05:05):
Think of the event as astructured invitation to enter a
compare mode, with you at thefront of the line.
If you wait until they'realready comparing multiple
options, you've already given upa lot of control and connection
.
But if your conversion eventstarts to compare process, you
frame the conversation in yourfavor, ideally based on your
unique process approach orphilosophy.
(05:26):
That means your audiencealready knows you exist and what
you're all about.
They've been warmed up by yourcontent and now they're asking,
is this right for me?
That's where conversion eventsshine.
It gives them a clear next steptoward evaluating what you
offer and it gives you thechance to guide them toward a
decision.
(05:47):
So here's how to pick the rightconversion event.
Number one decide the step youwant them to take after the
event.
If you want to book discoveryor sales calls.
You could run a mini workshop,a free training or a free
strategy session that ends withthe call to action to book a
call.
If you want them to buy youroffer, you might want to run a
(06:08):
limited time offer, a bonuspromo or a live demo event.
The more high touch that youroffer is, the more personal and
trust-building your event shouldbe.
If your product or servicerequires a bigger investment of
time, money or trust from thebuyer, then your conversion
event needs to do more to builda personal connection and
establish credibility.
(06:28):
On the flip side, if your offeris low-touch like, say, maybe,
a $27 template or a $97self-paced course you can get
away with a lower effortconversion event, like, maybe, a
recorded training.
Number two, you want to meetthem where they already are
paying attention and engaging.
If your audience is most activeon Instagram, host an Instagram
(06:50):
live Q&A or a behind-the-sceneswalkthrough or a DM-based
challenge.
If your audience regularlyopens up your email, consider a
mini-course or a live trainingvia Zoom.
If you often connect withpeople at in-person events,
offer a post-event bonusworkshop.
You don't need to reinvent thewheel.
Build your event around thechannels where people already
(07:12):
know, like, and trust you Thenfinally match the event to your
capacity.
Ask yourself what type of eventcan you realistically deliver?
Well, in this season, we allhave busy times of year.
We all have lives outside ofwork.
Conversion events do take time,so don't bite off more than you
can chew.
If you have low capacity rightnow, you might wanna choose a
(07:34):
simple format like an Instagramor Facebook Live, with a single
topic that leads to a freeresource and then a link to book
a call.
That's something you could doin just a few hours.
If you have medium capacity,you might wanna choose something
like a live training with aworkbook or a webinar I'm a big
fan of webinars and if you havehigh capacity right now, you
(07:56):
could go big with a five-daychallenge with video content or
a multi-part launch event or afull conversion funnel leading
to a live sales event.
But just a warning it's betterto run small, consistent
conversion events than to burnout trying to do something
flashy, especially if youhaven't done this before, if
(08:16):
you're new to this.
If you're new to conversionevents, I would go with the easy
, like Instagram or a webinar orsomething that's easier to set
up than a live event.
You can always scale up.
Okay, so let's talk about a fewcommon pitfalls to avoid things
that can go wrong withconversion events and how to
avoid them.
First of all, no clear call toaction.
(08:39):
If people don't know what thenext step is, they won't take it
.
The entire point of aconversion event is to move them
into taking action.
A conversion, moving them to acall to action can feel awkward,
I totally get it, but when youbuild it into your process maybe
into your webinar script oryour slides it can feel a whole
(09:00):
lot more simple.
Pitfall number two is trying todo too much.
You don't need video.
Pitfall number two is trying todo too much.
You don't need video music,guest speakers and a fancy
follow-up funnel.
Simplicity sells too.
A simple webinar or a salescall works just great.
Do what's best for you, youraudience and your offer.
Number three no follow-up.
(09:20):
The event is not the end, it'sthe beginning of the
conversation.
So send the emails.
Have DMs.
Make the ask.
I send multiple emails afterevery webinar.
Typically, when I do a webinar,that's the beginning of my card
open time and I continue toemail until the card closes.
You don't have to emaileveryone every day, but if they
(09:42):
have shown interest by clickingon an email link, then those are
the people to follow up withand make sure that you answer
all their questions.
And mistake number four isthinking that your audience is
too small.
Even with a tiny list or a fewhundred followers, you can
absolutely create momentum withthe right message and a
well-structured event.
(10:02):
In fact, your event will becomea good way to grow your list
and also a really good way toconnect with people.
If you've only got a few peopleon your list, or a few people
that are interested, you cancertainly connect with them
easier and make it a verypersonalized experience for them
.
So, to wrap up, if your offerisn't moving, you might just be
(10:25):
missing the bridge betweenawareness and action, which is
your conversion event.
And that's what conversionevents give you a clear,
intentional, result-driven wayto move your people closer to
buying.
So here's what I want you to dothis week Pick one conversion
event you could run in the next30 days.
Small is totally fine.
Done is better than perfect.
(10:46):
Just put it on the calendar.
But if you're ready to build afull marketing strategy that
includes conversion events andall the other pieces of the
puzzle, get on the wait list formy new course.
I just finished with my betalaunch, Modern Marketing Mastery
.
Just head on over tojanicehostagercom.
Forward slash MMM and you'll bethe first to hear about it when
(11:07):
it launches.
You can also find the link inthe show notes at
MyWeeklyMarketingcom forwardslash 121.
So thank you so much forjoining me today.
I'd love to connect with you.
Find me on Instagram at JaniceHostager Marketing.
Send me a DM if you have anyquestions.
I'll see you next time.
Bye for now.
I'm Janice Hostager.
After three decades in themarketing business and many
years of being an entrepreneur,I've learned a thing or two
about marketing.
Join me as we talk aboutmarketing, small business and
life in between.
Welcome to My Weekly Marketing.
(00:28):
Hey there and welcome back to MyWeekly Marketing.
I'm Janice Hostager, so let meask you a question: have you
ever felt like you're doing allthe right things.
You're posting,you're emailing.
You're showing up and stillpeople are not pulling the
trigger.
It's one of the biggestfrustrations I hear from small
business owners.
(00:48):
People say I'm doing what I'msupposed to do.
Why aren't people buying?
Well, today I want to talkabout a very specific reason
that might be happening, onethat not a lot of people are
talking about.
It's called a conversion event,and it might just be the
missing link between all yourmarketing efforts and your
actual sales.
So in this episode, we'rediving in to what a conversion
(01:08):
event is, why it's so powerful,where it fits in your marketing
strategy and how to pick onethat fits your business.
So let's do it.
First of all, a conversion eventis a focused experience that
invites or leads your audienceto take a specific next step,
like buying or booking a call oropting in.
(01:29):
It's not a social media post.
It's not an email blast.
It's an intentional event thatmoves someone from passively
aware of you to activelyconsidering what you offer.
So, for example, it could be alive webinar or a Zoom training.
It could be a free challenge ora mini course.
Maybe it would be an in-personevent, or maybe a one-day
(01:54):
promotion with bonuses or a freeconsultation call, or even
something super simple like anInstagram live Q&A that ends
with a sign-up link.
It doesn't have to be big, itjust has to be intentional.
The whole point is to focusyour audience's attention and
give them something to say yesto now.
(02:14):
So why do conversion events work?
Here's the thing Contentcreates awareness, but
conversion events createmomentum.
They work for a few reasons.
First of all, they createurgency.
There's a clear start and endtime.
It's not whenever you get timeto read this.
It's this Thursday at noon, andthat little bit of pressure
(02:35):
helps people make decisions.
Number two they create focusedenergy.
You are showing up in adedicated way and your audience
can feel that.
It's like shining a spotlighton what you want them to do next
.
Number three they build trustfaster.
People get to hear your voice,see your face, ask questions or
(02:57):
engage with you directly.
That is really powerful inbuilding that know like and
trust factor.
Number four they drive nextsteps.
You're not just educating them,you're guiding them.
It's the bridge betweeninterested and "yep, I'm in
Because, truthfully, we all needa trigger to move, right?
There has to be a reason to getus going, and these events
(03:20):
become that reason.
I think about when I am havingcompany over.
That's when I clean the house,right.
It's the time in which youreally know that you have to do
something or that youropportunity is right in front of
you.
You have to act now.
That's how a trigger event is.
You introduce your offer andall the benefits and give them a
reason to say yes now.
(03:40):
It could be that the price willgo up.
It could be that a bonus willdisappear.
It also might be that thecourse is only available for a
limited time.
That part's up to you.
I once ran a 30-minute webinarthat resulted in way more sales
than months of social mediaposts combined.
Why?
Because it wasn't just showingup.
I was inviting my audience intoan experience, and that's what
(04:04):
conversion events do best.
So you need to decide wherethis fits into your marketing
strategy.
If you've heard me talk aboutthe Trail to the Sale framework,
you know I break marketing downinto eight steps.
Awareness, where they discoveryou.
Consider where they make adecision, whether or not you're
right for them.
Compare, where they compare youto others in the market.
(04:24):
Evaluate where they may or maynot try you out.
Sell where they actually buy.
Supersize, where you can upsellthem.
Serve, where you deliver andimpress them.
And Send, where they refer.
Conversion events fall betweenthe consider and the compare
stages.
Typically in the consider stage, I like to get interested
(04:45):
people on my email list.
At that point you want to showyour customer what makes your
offer unique before they startcomparing you to others in the
market.
Your uniqueness is yourstrength.
Also, a challenge or livetraining builds trust and
invites that person to startconsidering you specifically,
which really is at the heart ofthe compare stage.
(05:05):
Think of the event as astructured invitation to enter a
compare mode, with you at thefront of the line.
If you wait until they'realready comparing multiple
options, you've already given upa lot of control and connection
.
But if your conversion eventstarts to compare process, you
frame the conversation in yourfavor, ideally based on your
unique process approach orphilosophy.
(05:26):
That means your audiencealready knows you exist and what
you're all about.
They've been warmed up by yourcontent and now they're asking,
is this right for me?
That's where conversion eventsshine.
It gives them a clear next steptoward evaluating what you
offer and it gives you thechance to guide them toward a
decision.
(05:47):
So here's how to pick the rightconversion event.
Number one decide the step youwant them to take after the
event.
If you want to book discoveryor sales calls.
You could run a mini workshop,a free training or a free
strategy session that ends withthe call to action to book a
call.
If you want them to buy youroffer, you might want to run a
(06:08):
limited time offer, a bonuspromo or a live demo event.
The more high touch that youroffer is, the more personal and
trust-building your event shouldbe.
If your product or servicerequires a bigger investment of
time, money or trust from thebuyer, then your conversion
event needs to do more to builda personal connection and
establish credibility.
(06:28):
On the flip side, if your offeris low-touch like, say, maybe,
a $27 template or a $97self-paced course you can get
away with a lower effortconversion event, like, maybe, a
recorded training.
Number two, you want to meetthem where they already are
paying attention and engaging.
If your audience is most activeon Instagram, host an Instagram
(06:50):
live Q&A or a behind-the-sceneswalkthrough or a DM-based
challenge.
If your audience regularlyopens up your email, consider a
mini-course or a live trainingvia Zoom.
If you often connect withpeople at in-person events,
offer a post-event bonusworkshop.
You don't need to reinvent thewheel.
Build your event around thechannels where people already
(07:12):
know, like, and trust you Thenfinally match the event to your
capacity.
Ask yourself what type of eventcan you realistically deliver?
Well, in this season, we allhave busy times of year.
We all have lives outside ofwork.
Conversion events do take time,so don't bite off more than you
can chew.
If you have low capacity rightnow, you might wanna choose a
(07:34):
simple format like an Instagramor Facebook Live, with a single
topic that leads to a freeresource and then a link to book
a call.
That's something you could doin just a few hours.
If you have medium capacity,you might wanna choose something
like a live training with aworkbook or a webinar I'm a big
fan of webinars and if you havehigh capacity right now, you
(07:56):
could go big with a five-daychallenge with video content or
a multi-part launch event or afull conversion funnel leading
to a live sales event.
But just a warning it's betterto run small, consistent
conversion events than to burnout trying to do something
flashy, especially if youhaven't done this before, if
(08:16):
you're new to this.
If you're new to conversionevents, I would go with the easy
, like Instagram or a webinar orsomething that's easier to set
up than a live event.
You can always scale up.
Okay, so let's talk about a fewcommon pitfalls to avoid things
that can go wrong withconversion events and how to
avoid them.
First of all, no clear call toaction.
(08:39):
If people don't know what thenext step is, they won't take it
.
The entire point of aconversion event is to move them
into taking action.
A conversion, moving them to acall to action can feel awkward,
I totally get it, but when youbuild it into your process maybe
into your webinar script oryour slides it can feel a whole
(09:00):
lot more simple.
Pitfall number two is trying todo too much.
You don't need video.
Pitfall number two is trying todo too much.
You don't need video music,guest speakers and a fancy
follow-up funnel.
Simplicity sells too.
A simple webinar or a salescall works just great.
Do what's best for you, youraudience and your offer.
Number three no follow-up.
(09:20):
The event is not the end, it'sthe beginning of the
conversation.
So send the emails.
Have DMs.
Make the ask.
I send multiple emails afterevery webinar.
Typically, when I do a webinar,that's the beginning of my card
open time and I continue toemail until the card closes.
You don't have to emaileveryone every day, but if they
(09:42):
have shown interest by clickingon an email link, then those are
the people to follow up withand make sure that you answer
all their questions.
And mistake number four isthinking that your audience is
too small.
Even with a tiny list or a fewhundred followers, you can
absolutely create momentum withthe right message and a
well-structured event.
(10:02):
In fact, your event will becomea good way to grow your list
and also a really good way toconnect with people.
If you've only got a few peopleon your list, or a few people
that are interested, you cancertainly connect with them
easier and make it a verypersonalized experience for them
.
So, to wrap up, if your offerisn't moving, you might just be
(10:25):
missing the bridge betweenawareness and action, which is
your conversion event.
And that's what conversionevents give you a clear,
intentional, result-driven wayto move your people closer to
buying.
So here's what I want you to dothis week Pick one conversion
event you could run in the next30 days.
Small is totally fine.
Done is better than perfect.
(10:46):
Just put it on the calendar.
But if you're ready to build afull marketing strategy that
includes conversion events andall the other pieces of the
puzzle, get on the wait list formy new course.
I just finished with my betalaunch, Modern Marketing Mastery
.
Just head on over tojanicehostagercom.
Forward slash MMM and you'll bethe first to hear about it when
(11:07):
it launches.
You can also find the link inthe show notes at
MyWeeklyMarketingcom forwardslash 121.
So thank you so much forjoining me today.
I'd love to connect with you.
Find me on Instagram at JaniceHostager Marketing.
Send me a DM if you have anyquestions.
I'll see you next time.
Bye for now.
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