When choosing a marketing workshop for yourself or for your employees, you should take into consideration the target audience for the workshop, the reputation and credentials of the workshop leader, as well as logistical issues such as cost and location. It is also a good idea to get the opinions of other people in your industry prior to enrolling in the event. When possible, find out whether any professional marketing associations or industry groups endorse the marketing workshop that you are interested in, as this can be a good indicator of quality. Finally, if you need to enroll in a marketing workshop because you are expected to earn continuing education hours, find out whether the program you enroll in is actually approved by your employer or professional association to issue continuing education credit.
As marketing is a very diverse field, marketing training can be highly specialized. This means it is a good idea to select a marketing workshop that was developed to meet the specific needs of the industry or business that you are in. For example, if your company markets goods or services to consumers, your marketing strategies may be very different than those firms that market to other businesses. The size of your business may also make a difference. If you are a small company with only a handful of employees, selecting a workshop developed to meet the needs of small businesses that have few resources may make a lot more sense than a generic marketing workshop that was developed for companies with large staffs. Another thing to consider is the type of marketing that you want to do, as online and offline marketing can differ significantly.
It is not unusual for industry conventions to offer numerous opportunities to receive marketing training. Going to a marketing workshop at a convention that you are already attending is a good way of managing your time. Another option for attending a marketing workshop might be to participate in an online class or webinar. While you won't have the ability to engage in face-to-face interaction with your instructor or fellow participants, you can save the cost and time required to travel to an on-site workshop.
If you are unfamiliar with the organization that is sponsoring the workshop or the workshops instructor, it's a good idea to do some research. Find out whether the instructor or organization has a good reputation in your industry. It’s also wise to research the workshop leader’s credentials. Ask other people in your industry for their suggestions, as word-of-mouth testimonials are often the best way of determining a training program’s worth before enrolling.
