There is no doubt that you know your thing as an online course creator. You have the skills and expertise in your niche, whether it’s yoga, baking, or writing. But how do you turn that expertise into an online course that earns you money?
Creating an online course and making money out of it is not an impossible thing to do. However, it requires some planning and a lot of devotion. With tips and examples of real-life strategies, this article is your guide to making money from your online course.
Why It Is a Good Idea to Start an Online Course
Courses may not be the most lucrative way to monetize your educational content, but there’s still a huge opportunity to sell them online. Online learning has been on the rise in recent years, covering topics like cooking, fitness, wellness, and entrepreneurship.
Another reason is that it has a low barrier to entry. It does not require any fancy equipment to make, so you can create an online course with very little investment. And the best part is, you can sell them anywhere and also tailor the content to your customer’s needs.
Online Course Marketing Strategies You Should Try
Some online course creators claim that “You create the course once, then sell it as many times as you want.” That sounds very appealing, right? Sadly, that’s not quite realistic. Assuming you already have a wonderful online course ready to go, here are some smart ways to sell it!
1. Build Your Audience
People won’t just decide to buy your course the first time they see it. Most online course leads need to be warmed up before they buy because your customers will want to know how you’re the best person to teach them about the topic. Also, they will want to know if they can achieve the same result that the shining testimonials on your social media promise.
Building an audience for your course can take a lot of time and effort. Luckily, there’s an easy way to get them interested in your course: email marketing. Why is it better than other marketing channels? Well, your social media algorithms can change in the blink of an eye. But you’ll always have your email subscribers in your pocket, right?
You can also use educational poster templates to make your emails more attractive and engaging. Another reason to use email marketing is that it can help you convert leads into sales more easily. By joining your email list, subscribers show that they’re already curious about your niche, which means they have a higher chance of buying your course.
2. Run a Presale
If you already have a following on your email list or social media, consider running a presale, which is like a waitlist in that you give subscribers early access to the course. Some creators use presales to test the waters for their course before it launches. Plus, the cash flow from a presale can help cover some of the production costs.
Another way to check the pulse of the market for your course before you start promoting it is with a pre-launch survey. In your email, start with a friendly request to ask your subscribers to participate in the survey. Then ask a question about their expectations from your course. The most important thing here is to keep everything short and simple.
3. Provide Social Proof
Making use of social proof is crucial for persuading prospective students that your course is valuable. If a customer sees a crowd of people signing up for your course, they’re more likely to join the bandwagon and sign up themselves. To be honest, this is the best way to persuade people that your online course is worth their precious money.
Testimonials from happy students are your ace in the hole when it comes to social proof. These can be written testimonials or video testimonials featuring students raving about their experience with your course. Keep in mind that they ought to be realistic and demonstrate precisely how you assisted in resolving an issue.
Social media reviews are another way to show potential customers that your students are loving your course. This could be anything from showcasing positive tweets on your website to flaunting your number of students. Reviews from third-party websites will also work wonders.
The Takeaway
An online course is a powerful way to grow your business, but only if your potential customers are aware of it. Unless you have endless resources to run paid ads, you can use the strategies above to spread the word about the program you teach.
Also, don’t miss out on tools like Postermywall.com. This one is an easy-to-use graphic design tool that will help you make engaging marketing materials. Check out its website, and you might be surprised by the wide array of graphic elements it offers.