Live events

Why This Works

Live events create a powerful feedback loop. You get to hear directly from your most engaged customers--what they love, what confuses them, and what they want next. This direct, unfiltered input is gold for your product roadmap and marketing messages. It's like having a free, recurring focus group that actually wants to be there.

Secondly, it builds a 'reasons to stay' moat around your product. When a customer integrates your weekly event into their routine, your product becomes more than just software--it's a source of learning and connection. This significantly increases switching costs, not in dollars, but in community and habit. It's a retention lever disguised as a webinar.

Three real examples

Send a 'day before' and a '15 minutes before' reminder email to registrants. This can triple your live attendance rate.

The step-by-step playbook

1. 1

   Step 1: Define Goal and Format

   What is the #1 goal? Retention, onboarding, community? Decide on a format that serves that goal. Is it a Q&A 'office hours', a hands-on workshop, a guest interview, or a product-update showcase?

2. 2

   Step 2: Choose Your Platform

   Pick a reliable platform for streaming. Options range from simple (YouTube Live, Zoom) to professional (StreamYard, Restream). Your choice depends on your budget and desired features like custom branding and multi-platform streaming.

3. 3

   Step 3: Pick a Consistent Time and Day

   Consistency is key. Choose a day and time and stick to it. This creates a habit for your audience. Announce it as 'Every Tuesday at 10 AM PT'. Use a tool to find a time that works for most of your target audience.

4. 4

   Step 4: Create a Simple Registration System

   Use a tool like Tally.so or your email provider's landing page feature to create a registration page. Keep it simple: ask for email and maybe one question like 'What's one thing you want to learn?'. This question provides you with content ideas for the event itself.

5. 5

   Step 5: Promote the First Event (and the Series)

   Send an email to your customer list announcing the new weekly series. Promote it on social media and inside your app. Emphasize the benefit for the user, not for you. Frame it as 'free weekly coaching' or 'live Q&A with the experts'.

6. 6

   Step 6: Prepare Content, Not a Script

   Have 3-5 key talking points or topics you want to cover. Don't write a rigid script. The goal is to be conversational and leave room for audience questions. If you're answering pre-submitted questions, have them ready.

7. 7

   Step 7: Execute and Engage

   Go live. Welcome people as they join. Ask where they're tuning in from to get the chat warmed up. Acknowledge and answer questions from the chat in real-time. Have a colleague in the chat to help manage questions and share links.

8. 8

   Step 8: Follow Up and Repurpose

   After the event, email everyone who registered with a link to the recording. Take the recording and use a tool like Autoshorts AI or Screen Studio to chop it up into clips for social media. Post the full recording on your YouTube channel to create a library of evergreen content.

Steal This Invitation Email

A simple email template to announce your new weekly event series to your existing customer list.

Subject: New: Weekly Live Q&A for {Product Name} Users

Hi {FirstName},

We're starting something new just for customers like you.

It's a weekly live 'office hours' session every {Day of Week} at {Time} {Timezone}. I'll personally be there to answer your questions, share best practices for using {Product Name}, and listen to your feedback.

No sales pitches, just 45 minutes of practical advice to help you get more value from our tool.

The first one is next {Day of Week}. You can register here:

{RegistrationLink}

Hope to see you there!

Best,
{Your Name}
Founder of {Your Company}

Questions To Ask Yourself

• What is the single most important outcome we want from these events? (e.g., lower churn, more upgrade revenue, better product feedback)
• Who internally has the skills and charisma to host this and connect with customers?
• Do we have enough content/topics to sustain a *weekly* event without becoming repetitive or boring?
• What is our budget for streaming and promotion tools?
• How will we measure success? (e.g., attendance rate, questions asked, feature requests generated, retention of attendees vs. non-attendees)

The first two questions are the most critical. If you can't define a clear goal and you don't have a willing and capable host, this playbook will fail.

Recommended tools

Prices are indicative and change - check the vendor before buying.

Do it faster with AI Prompts

Mistakes that kill this play

• ×Inconsistency: Skipping weeks or constantly changing the time erodes trust and breaks the habit for your audience.
• ×Poor Production Quality: You don't need a TV studio, but terrible audio or a blurry webcam makes you look unprofessional. Invest in a good USB microphone and basic lighting.
• ×Lecture, Don't Engage: The value is in the 'live' interaction. If you just read a script for 45 minutes, it should have been a blog post. Acknowledge the audience and answer their questions.
• ×All Pitch, No Value: If the event feels like a thinly veiled sales presentation, people won't come back. Focus 90% on education and 10% on your product's role in the solution.
• ×No Follow-Up: Always send a follow-up email with the recording. It's a key service for those who couldn't make it live and reinforces the value you provide.
• ×Not Repurposing: The live event is just the start. You lose most of the value if you don't chop up the recording into social clips, blog posts, and quote graphics.
• ×Failing to Promote: You have to remind people. Every week. Announce the upcoming topic via email, social, and in-app notifications. Don't assume they'll remember.

Your First 7 Days

• Day 1: Decide your core goal (e.g., 'reduce churn in new users') and format ('weekly Q&A'). Identify your host.
• Day 2: Brainstorm the first 4 weeks of topics. Keep them simple and focused on common customer questions.
• Day 3: Set up your tech stack. Create a Tally.so form for registration and choose your streaming platform (e.g., YouTube Live).
• Day 4: Write the invitation email using the template. Draft social media posts announcing the new series.
• Day 5: Send the announcement email to your customer list. Schedule the social media posts.
• Day 6: Prepare your talking points for the first event. Don't script it! Just have 3-5 bullet points ready.
• Day 7: Do a quick 15-minute tech dry run with a colleague. Check your mic, camera, and streaming software connection.

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