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Part of being a smart seminar promoter is learning who your competition is. Identifying your competitors helps you in three key ways:

1. You can develop greater insight into your target audience – what they want, what they need, and what they struggle with. Study the marketing materials put out by your competitors to see what they’re saying when talking to your prospective seminar attendees. Take note of the benefits that your competitors stress when promoting their seminars, which job titles or industries they target, and what problems they identify your seminar prospects as having. All of this material can be used when you sit down to write your own seminar promotions.

2. You can identify a unique selling proposition. As you find your competitors, take note of what positions they are claiming within the seminar industry. How are competing seminars similar to yours? How are they different? More importantly, what can you do with or say when marketing your seminar to ensure that your event is perceived as unique?

Remember, “unique” does not mean that your competitors can’t be doing the same thing. It means only that you (LINK HERE) are claiming the space for yourself. For example, I write marketing copy to promote seminars, teleseminars and webinars. Am I the only copywriter in the world who writes promotions for events? Of course not. But I have more experience in the area than many others and staked my claim years ago as the “Seminar Marketing Pro.”

3. You can find potential promotional partners. A key way to fill seminars is to use affiliate marketing. This technique is especially valuable if you are new to the seminar business and do not have a large opt-in mailing list.

Here’s how it works: You find professionals and companies who already have relationships with your ideal prospects. They agree to promote your seminar to their subscribers in exchange for a commission on every seminar registration generated from their efforts. Your competitors make ideal affiliates for your seminars, because they typically are promoting to your ideal audience.

Why would a competitor want to be your affiliate? First, most subscribers do not buy anything. If 90% of your subscribers have not yet converted to being a customer, doesn’t it make sense to refer them to someone else who might have the information they are waiting for and earn a commission doing so? Second, most experts want to be seen as resources for valuable information. Introducing you and your seminar to their opt-in list can make them look like heroes to their subscribers.

Competitors can be a valuable source of information as you develop your seminar marketing strategy. Be open to all that they offer – from clues about your target market to opportunities to fill more seminar seats.