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Marketing is the lifeblood of any business. Let's face it, how can you sell your course if nobody knows about it? We've heard it time and again someone complains that their courses are not selling well but it usually has to do with poor marketing. They simply don't inform many people about their course. Another reason could be that their course isn't solving a problem that their audience has. This leads to another key element to effectively selling your course; market research. Remember, the more knowledgeable you are about your audience and their struggles, the more specific your course can be. And because you know your audience so well it will be like you are reading their minds. You know their struggles and goals and why your course addresses those things. Before we jump into the topic of How to Automate Your Course Marketing, I want to talk about the upcoming Masterclass I’ll be hosting on January 15th at 2:00 pm EST. Learn 40+ ways to sell your course throughout all the stages of course creation. I’ll share creative ways to grow your influence and awareness of your course. While the training will be geared towards marketing courses, you can also use these strategies to promote your products and services. Join live to ask questions and join other motivated course creators. This will be an in-depth training with tips, resources, and my proven systems. It will last up to 90 minutes and won’t have an upsell at the end to a course that actually teaches you the good stuff about marketing. You get all the best from me live during the training. you can learn more about it at https://onlinecoursecoach.com/masterclass. That said, let's delve into the strategies of automating your course marketing:
If you regularly send out emails, think of how you can market your course with every email. So instead of writing a 'plain' email or including too much of your social media links, conclude with a thank you note plus your image, graphic, or text that promotes your course. You'll want to avoid being salesy like ''hey, here is the link to my great course'', but rather say something like, "hey, are you struggling with XYZ?" "You may want to check out this course for a solution." It has to be something that address a problem. Think about rotating the text and image every few months to keep it fresh. And there are so many services that you can use for creating email signatures including the integrated email signature in gmail.
A lead magnet is an incentive that you can offer to your prospective buyers in exchange for their email address or other contact information. It can help you build an audience if you don't have one and even generate sales for your course. Then you can create an autoresponder for your lead magnet that offers value and gives your audience compelling reasons to buy your course. On this note, you can use services such as convert and you can learn more of its benefits here; https://onlinecoursecoach.com/convertkit. You can also create various lead magnets to determine the interest of different topics, so you know what topics to talk about in your course. See these good examples; https://onlinecoursecoach.com/resources/. And when it comes to setting up lead magnets, this service will be very useful; https://onlinecoursecoach.com/leadpages.
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Copywriting is critical for online business success in this in this digital age. A well-written copy goes a long way towards converting readers to customers, otherwise, people visiting your website or blog will scroll down and move over to the next one. So in this episode, Jeff Long speaks to Paige Poutiainen about copywriting practices that sell. Paige Poutiainen is a certified funnel strategist, conversion copywriter, and founder of The Impact Copywriter. She helps growing businesses turn more web visitors into subscribers, turn more subscribers into paying customers and turn more customers into profitable long-term relationships — ultimately, reaching new levels of business growth. Paige has helped CEOs and entrepreneurs all over the world boost their sales with strategic sales funnels and conversion copywriting. Get help selling your course at https://theimpactcopywriter.com/sales-page-checklist.
I'm pleased to announce my upcoming live Masterclass training sessions. I will go in-depth to show you the exact process, tips, resources, and my proven systems. This isn't a fluff training that tries to pitch you something at the end. There's no upsell, just lots of practical content to help you become a more successful course creator. Learn about the details of each Masterclass here, or read below. Each training is live where you can ask your questions. If you sign up you'll get access to the recording, even if you can't attend live.
Without further ado, here's the brief from the interview, however, you may listen to the podcast for more insightful comments.
Paige is a funnel strategist and conversion copywriter, and she's the founder of the Impact Copywriter. She got into copywriting right after grad school, taking a job at a startup where she got her feet wet in doing landing pages, websites, and content marketing, among other skills. According to her, this job was taking so much of her time and was really stressful. So she decided that if something was going stress her, then it's got to be something she's building for herself. She quit the job after six months and jumped into freelancing, and one day she landed at Copy Hackers and started diving into their stuff. With time, she narrowed down her niche to find the clientele she wants to serve. Paige has always been interested in personal development and so so she started creating courses along these lines, and she does sales pages left, right and center.
We call it the voice of the customer (VOC) research in marketing. When it comes to course creation, it's about going out and finding out what students are experiencing, their challenges, and their expectations. Of course, there are several ways to do this, but the most popular ones are interviews, surveys, and online conversation mining, where you get into Facebook groups, for example, and grabbing the language that they are using. The goal is to get what people are struggling with and that can help you create a course that solves their problem. If people can relate to your content, then they are more likely to purchase your course.
The first thing is to ensure you have done enough research about your audience. That is going to transform into the copy you are writing. The next step is to create a framework that you are going to use in breaking down your copy. As a general rule, you want to stick to PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solve) formula. Understanding the problem your audience is facing is critical to writing a copy that evokes a response. The more openly you can elaborate the problem, the more your audience feels that you understand. Then, agitate the problem - pour salt onto the wound that you just identified. This digs into the emotional part of your audience. Lastly, provide a solution to the problem - this is what your audience is yearning for.
There's no specified length for a sales copy. Copywriting involves different stages of awareness and this determines how long your piece is going to be. It starts from the initial stage of problem unawareness to problem aware, then solution aware and product awareness. The last stage is where your audience makes up their mind whether or not to purchase the product (your course) that will help solve their problem. So the length of your piece will depend on how deep the problem is and how much you put into addressing it and providing solutions.
It's a 60-minute or 30-minute conversion-boosting sales page review whereby Paige goes one on one with a client in guiding them to improve their sales page copy. She zeros in on exactly what a client's sales page needs and provides suggestions on what to change, add or remove. She can as well help in creating a sales page from scratch. Learn more about Paige Poutiainen here: https://theimpactcopywriter.com.
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Needless to say, running a successful business is a challenge. Times keep changing rapidly and the uncertainty about the future grow overwhelmingly. Think about this, in just one generation, businesses have had to adapt to totally new marketing channels (web and social), decide how to put resources into and use new technologies, and compete on a universal platform - things were unthinkable to former generations. The major side effect of these fast changes and development is that not one CEO, employee, or course creator for his matter can be an expert in everything. This is the reason, as I would like to think, the biggest challenges that businesses have today are best addressed by qualified consultants. So today I thought of sharing some of the lessons have learned from being in business for 15 years now. I speak about why you should hire a coach or business consultants, why you should outsource some of your work, how to find your audience, having a success mindset, and generally how you can become successful in your course.
I'm pleased to announce my upcoming live Masterclass training sessions. I will go in-depth to show you the exact process, tips, resources, and my proven systems. This isn't a fluff training that tries to pitch you something at the end. There's no upsell, just lots of practical content to help you become a more successful course creator. Learn about the details of each Masterclass here, or read below. Each training is live where you can ask your questions. If you sign up you'll get access to the recording, even if you can't attend live.
A coach can help you identify and focus on what's important in order to accelerate your success. Some of the benefits of hiring a coach include:
The truth is, there is someone out there who has a better understanding of whatever you want to do, and so it's better they give you proper direction.
Find out where seminars, conferences, and local meetups that relate to your field are. These are the exact places where you can find clients and customers to your course. Basically, the more people know you, the more you are likely to get referrals, recommendations, and hires.
Yes! Speak whenever and wherever you go. You never know who's listening. One time I volunteered to speak to a group of people and it happened that one of them was a marketing manager for a certain organization. The guy hired me and we worked for a few years, which brought in several thousand dollars. So the more you can speak, the more you can network. But don't just get into work related stuff and giving business cards because it doesn't give a great impression. Get to know people first, where they are coming from, their motivations, their struggles; try to connect with people on a personal level so they can open up with you.
These people not only become your followers but also your friends over time. Most of the people that have done one on one coaching with me, group coaching and masterminds have actually become my friends. These are people I keep in touch with as I want to see them learn, improve and grow, and consequently they become more than consumers of my content and resources.
Being an entrepreneur can be tougher in your head than outside of it. It’s a mental game. Everything you think of might not be practically true. Perhaps you are wondering whether or not your course will sell, or if the marketing strategy in place is viable. That which seems impossible in your head might not be the same to the outside world. As the saying goes, "it always seems impossible until it's done". So if you are most often in your head thinking about whether or not your course is going to sell, or what marketing strategy will work, for instance, never fret! Just sit down with your team, write down your different skills and see how they can serve and provide solutions.
In business, it's about success or learn. If your business is doing good, fantastic! If not, then learn why it's not working. This another reason why I'm doing masterclasses is to inform you succeed with your course even if you are just starting out.
You can't solve all the puzzles in your field. Hire out the complex things and you will find yourself saving time and money as well as being more productive. Plus, feel good paying for quality content as you are not really going to get to the next level from free content. Free content is usually shallow and less valuable. So be sure to bring other experts to your business to help you solve the difficult stuff that you can't manage. It's very important for growth. Learn to outsource even some tasks that you can still do. Doesn't it get overwhelming being the sales strategist and marketer, article writer, video editor - doing all these alone in your business? So it's important to get others to do things for you while you put more focus on a few other things. That reminds me of another masterclass I'll be covering about how to outsource your course. Click here to leearn more and sign up for each Masterclass..
Hire people out, whether for short-term or full-time, or even virtual assistants. Perhaps you want them to be your marketers, customer service, or whichever tasks you want to assign them - don't be afraid to hire people. Feel free to hire experts too for bigger things, such as consulting, business development and project management.
This is something have learned over the course of my 15 years in business. My success has always relied on my ability to solve problems. So as far as your skills matter, you must have the mindset for success too. In any case, you can always hire up for things are complex for you to do. Otherwise, make sure to learn skills in business, sales, and managing people.
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One of the things that beginner course creators struggle with is the uncertainty surrounding how good they are at what they want to do. Sometimes they are just overwhelmed or afraid to start. Truth is, every course creator at some point doubt whether or not they are qualified to undertake a particular project, whether it's creating a course or starting a business. It's a limiting mindset that can hold you back from embarking on a course or even being successful in it. So this episode talks about how to know if you are expert enough to create an online course. It also covers a bit of how to overcome fear and why you should not be overwhelmed. You may also be interested in how to create effective online courses that don’t overwhelm students.
First of all, think of all the things you are good at and write them down. How can you add value, improve lives, save your client/customer, help them add a revenue stream, help them be more calm/balanced, help them communicate more effectively with their friends or colleagues...pretty sure there's a lot you can do to impact the lives of others. Having a list that you can always refer to can help reduce the overwhelm since it'll keep reminding you how valuable you are. Most of the time we look at the things we haven't accomplished and totally turn our backs on the great things we have done in the past. Sometimes you just need to remind yourself of your past successes and maybe repeat on them again.
This is when you doubt your accomplishments and you have a persistent internalized fear or being exposed as a 'fraud'. Maybe you are comparing yourself with another successful person in your field and think you aren't good enough like them to create a course. Maybe they are making so much money or they have a huge following, then you think you are not 'them' to make a huge impact as well. How do you deal with imposter syndrome then? Well, recognize it and push through it. Success usually happens when you overcome your fear. Make a list of reasons why you need to create a course. Find what you can offer differently from other course creators and embrace the fact that there are other course creators in your field. What will happen if you don't create the course anyway? Well, unless you are completely happy with your life or very successful in your business and making a lot of money, then there's a need to create one. Weigh the options between the reasons to create and not to create the course and see if you should take that path or not.
Start by writing down what you are good at that is unique or solves a pinpoint. Maybe it's your experience, training, certifications, or you are good at numbers, relating to people, or whatever it is. You don't have to the best in the world but simply what you are good at. Then, what are you energized or passionate about in regards to your topic? You can be great at many things but it's difficult to create a course on them if you aren't excited with them. In addition, think of the sub-skills you are good at in your field. For instance, you may be a web design expert but very good at marketing, course creation, or e-commerce. This can help you niche down and find your specialty.
Let's admit, many times we are held back by fear from delving into the 'unknown'. Maybe you are scared if the business is going to work out. Maybe you think you are spending so much money on a project and you fear it may be in vain. Truth is, it's okay to be afraid especially the first time you're doing something. There is confusion and a learning curve as well. So here are crucial steps of overcoming fear as written by J. Abraham in his book, "Your Secret Wealth: Hidden Assets & Opportunities That Can Change Your Life".
Most courses become successful on the back of an engaged audience. It begs another question, how do you grow and engage with your audience? Just go to http://onlinecoursecoach.com/resources and learn from these two useful resources; The 3 simple ways to grow your expertise (even if you have a lot of competition), and 5 ways to build an audience for your online course. Keep in mind that you don't necessarily need a huge audience. Identify a need and fill it. Make sure to create an email list before you start creating a course. This is how you can start growing your influence for future success. Planning is another important factor in course creation and the 12 Week Year is one book that can guide you on this. Are you still wondering if you are qualified enough to create to a course? How about you stop listening to podcasts, reading books, reading blogs, and watching videos. Maybe you just need to get out there and get things done. Has this episode been helpful? Hit the subscribe button so you don't miss future updates.
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Resources
In this episode, Jeff speaks with Sara Anna Powers about finding an audience for maximum online course success. Sara Anna Powers is a Success Coach, Copywriter and the founder of The Congruent Life movement. Her desire is to equip women to pursue their powerful purpose by building impactful businesses. Anna coaches private clients, leads a Mastermind, and runs an online course called Magnetic Messaging™. She also hosts the Faith Forward Online Business podcast which is available on iTunes, Google Play and Stitcher. Anna has been a believer for the majority of her life but has experienced a deepening faith relationship with Jesus as she transitioned from practicing law full-time to running her online business. Anna wants other women to experience the freedom and fulfillment that comes from doing the work they were created to do. She can be found online at http://www.saraannapowers.com and across social media @saraannapowers. Now that you know what she’s about, let’s get her thoughts and some of her success stories as well.
Basically, I have two wings in my business; online business coaching and copywriting. I do coaching for people who have made about four or five figures in their business and they are looking to go an extra mile. On the other hand, I do copywriting for high-end clients in the bracket of 6, 7 or 8 figures.
I am a big fan of one on one coaching, unlike most coaches who usually prefer operating remotely. I love connecting with people and serving them. I’ve got about eight one on one clients and I’m leading a mastermind of about 15 women. I also host a copywriting course and my total following is about 36 people.
I’ve covered this extensively in a course called "Magnetic Messaging".
I started the business in 2015. It was never easy but I’d say the effort I put is totally worth it. Initially, I used to practice health coaching until I met with my first coach who helped me changed my approach to doing things. I was still inexperienced by then and not fully in the alignment of building a successful coaching career, and so I made very little money – precisely just $50 in my first year. I made slightly below $2500 in my second year and then switched my focus to copywriting, which ultimately helped me surpass the six-figure mark in year three. This happened while I was working full time and the success enabled me to transition into part-time. As a matter of fact, I re-invested most of the money, which helped in growing the business much quicker.
In my case, it has always been about ‘’being who I am’’ rather than acting the part to get an influencer’s attention. Of course, there are those who don’t like authentic and genuine people, but there’s another group who feel connected with “real” people. Even so, if you have to get into someone’s radar, you have to invest in them, whether by purchasing their products or services. For instance, I’ve worked with Ray Edwards and it all started by me buying his book, “How to Write Copy that Sells”. I also invested in his copywriting course – Copywriting academy – and then I had the opportunity to attend his conference, where I connected with him in person. So it starts small and there’s no specific route for that. But most importantly, be yourself in order to get the right influencer who feels you.
It must have been my personality. Also the fact that I was willing to jump in and help in building value, and not just there to take what I paid for.
First of all, you have to connect with people. You must get out there and do some market research. It involves talking to people and understanding their needs even before you make a course. Next up is being clear about who you are, what you do, who your audience is and why your course matters to them. Another tip is contrast. This involves making your customers/clients to realize the exact situation they are in and why they need your help. Lastly, call to action. Let people know what to do to take the next step and make it clear to them. Don’t be afraid of asking for a sale as well.
You can learn more about Sara here; http://www.saraannapowers.com/.
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Do you want to travel the world consulting with companies? What if you could license your courses to these companies who pay per user? In this episode, I interview Kimanzi Constable who has built a career and a business selling online courses for large corporations. They delve into what it takes to build a successful business relationship with large corporations.
Kimanzi Constable is the author of four books that have sold over 150,000 copies. He is a writer for 14 large publications and magazines. He a digital marketing consultant that travels to 25+ countries a year for corporate consulting gigs. His goal is to help entrepreneurs a profitable lifestyle business that gives them true freedom. Join him at KConstable.com.
Kimanzi discusses how to do consulting for large corporations, how to sell online courses to large corporations as well as how one can write for large publications.
Kimanzi runs a profitable business that has three major branches - the online branch, the agency branch, and the corporate branch. Each of these branches performs a different yet vital role. The online branch is responsible for setting up online courses and developing membership websites. The agency branch has seven employees and is responsible for creating training programs, podcasts, carrying out training on digital marketing as well as personal development programs. The corporate branch deals with corporate consultation.
Kimanzi works with various corporate clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies and large multi-national corporations.
The thought of creating online courses for corporate clients did not hit Kimanzi until after his third gig. He says that he was motivated to set up an online course after a company approached him asking to learn more. From there he set up his first course and he has not looked back ever since.
Kimanzi says that the best time to pitch online courses is definitely during the proposal period. He usually offers his clients several options ranging from one-off trainings, several trainings or even one on one sessions. He also uses follow-up surveys to propose his online course to his corporate clients.
Kimanzi has it that the biggest mental barrier he had to overcome was undergoing a mindset shift. He had to overcome his personal fear of working with large corporations. At the same time, he had to overcome his fear of not being perceived as an expert in his field. He did this by diversifying his research in order to become more knowledgeable and confident as he spoke to people.
Surprisingly, business has never been good always for Kimanzi. He has had to endure through difficult times at some point. In fact, just a few years ago, he was USD180, 000 in debt with a failing business and a troubled personal life. While he has always had the passion for entrepreneurship, his businesses have not always been a smashing success. Even when he branched into his current line of work, it took him a whole year to get to a point where it was profitable.
The Get booked program was created with the sole purpose of training entrepreneurs who were looking to start selling their online courses to larger corporations. While it started as a 4 session program, it has now grown into a 10 session program that encompasses various aspects of dealing with large corporations.
According to Kimanzi, the most important thing is showing up and always delivering high-quality content. Likewise, in his line of business, he has learned not to underestimate corporate budgets. He continues that these big corporations always have money allocated in their budget for consultations.
In the past, Kimanzi has tried several marketing strategies each with different results. He started off with ACL marketing but moved on to using podcasts to promote and sell his content. In the end, he says that the most profitable strategy has been creating content for large publications. Although this is not directly in the line of what he does, it has been magnanimous in building his email and audience in general. I hope that interview was helpful to learn how to think and what to do so you can also do corporate consulting and courses. It might not be as hard as you think. And don’t forget, if you want to get his courses, go to http://onlinecoursecoach.com/getbooked to get access or get on his waiting list. Looking to grow your audience (and email list), plan your course, market a course, build a website or create effective coures videos? Check out the Resources page with free guides, worksheets, training and more!
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This podcast is for beginners and experts alike. So whether you don’t have a course or have many you’ll learn something about how to 10x your online course business.
If you are listening to this podcast, I know that you are excited about planning building and marketing your online course. Whether it’s your first course or you’ve created many you want to leverage the power of online courses, build your impact and increase your income. So while you can keep listening to these podcasts and consuming content I want you to get the maximum result. Do yourself a favor, watch the video below and go to onlinecoursecoach.com/groupcoaching to learn more because the upcoming group coaching program that starts on September 18th. (if you see the doors close then you can sign up to get on the waiting list for the next session).
Are you struggling to grow your audience create your online course and sell it to your audience? Perhaps you've been too busy to, overwhelmed with all the technical aspects, or just not sure how to create an effective course. Or maybe you already have an online course but sales have been lower than expected. I can help.
Starting September 18th, I'm leading a 6-week coaching group for only 10 people. We'll be going through my proven system to plan & create your online course. We'll also develop a custom marketing strategy to fit your needs. Not only will you have access to me for 6 weeks, you'll also be with other motivated course creators. This powerful dynamic will help create and market your course in 6 weeks...if you're willing to put in the work.
Watch the video below or click to learn more about the coaching program, look at the pricing packages and fill out the application to join.
https://youtu.be/eR3ARVWlxv4
You’re not a course maker, you’re a solution provider
This includes building an audience that knows, likes and trusts you - vital before, during and after you create your first course.
If they think you can do it you probably can. If you think you can/can’t you’re right.
Do things like podcast interviews, conferences, networking, videos, Facebook live videos. Check out the following guides to improve grow your network. https://onlinecoursecoach.com/marketingtips and https://onlinecoursecoach.com/buildyouraudience
Are you doing everything yourself? Then you can't grow and 10x your business.
Once you figure out how to do something scaling can be easy. If I know that I can do a 1-day video shoot then I know I can scale up and do a 12-day video shoot. It’s like if you can read one book then it’s easy to read five. So once you learn how to do something well you can learn how to scale
Resources mentioned: https://onlinecoursecoach.com/marketingtips https://onlinecoursecoach.com/buildyouraudience
Please help us bring more content to the masses by subscribing to the podcast at https://onlinecoursecoach.com/itunesapp
I’ve interviewed successful course creators. I’ve also coached course creators and created courses of my own as well as for large companies and have found that there are differences in ones that succeed and ones that don’t. And it’s not their fame, money or other factors. I’ll talk about those differences in this episode.
Are you struggling to grow your audience create your online course and sell it to your audience? Perhaps you've been too busy to, overwhelmed with all the technical aspects, or just not sure how to create an effective course. Or maybe you already have an online course but sales have been lower than expected. I can help.
Starting September 18th, I'm leading a 6-week coaching group for only 10 people. We'll be going through my proven system to plan & create your online course. We'll also develop a custom marketing strategy to fit your needs. Not only will you have access to me for 6 weeks, you'll also be with other motivated course creators. This powerful dynamic will help create and market your course in 6 weeks...if you're willing to put in the work.
Watch the video below or click to learn more about the coaching program, look at the pricing packages and fill out the application to join.
I’ve had both of those. Do you struggle with one more than the other? But I've found that when I push through the fear and find success, I look back with such satisfaction that the process is worth it all. In fact, at times I welcome things into my life that scare me because I know how much success it's helped build in my life.
This might includes building their email list, speaking at conferences, being on podcasts and becoming known outside their immediate circles. If this scares you, you might look at improving your public speaking skills, hiring a coach or just taking the time to improve on these areas.
I struggled with this when I first started my business. And while I’m smart with my money I know when to invest my money to help get me further/faster. What if you could spend a few hundred dollars and have your course created so you can sell it 24/7 and make that money back in the first month? Is that an expense or an investment?
Don't let technology, software or any hurdle get in your way. You can either learn to do it yourself or find someone competent that can do it for you. You'll never scale your business if YOU do all the work in your business.
This is one of the top things that separates the top course creators from the others. Do you have a marketing plan in place to build your audience and sell your courses? If not, click the links before this sentance to download my free guides on both topics. It will help you get a plan in place.
Please help us bring more content to the masses by subscribing to the podcast at https://onlinecoursecoach.com/itunesapp
This episode discusses producing courses for industry leaders such as Grant Cardone and Daymond John with LightSpeed VT. Our interview guests today are Andru Hull and Jennifer Herring from LightSpeed VT Midwest. Andru Hull is the Lead System Architect and Production Manager at LightSpeed VT Midwest. He has a degree in Sociology and a background in management and technologies. The aspects of his position that he enjoys most are the problem-solving elements and being able to find creative solutions for clients to help them grow their business. Andru also enjoys playing music, critiquing movies, and travel. Jennifer Herring handles marketing at LightSpeed VT Midwest. Her background in graphic design, printing, mailing, marketing, and teaching made her a great fit for the business and what it offers. She enjoys networking at local events and working with entrepreneurs to help build their business. When she isn’t doing that she working on her own projects, spending time with her husband and two kids, or doing something to stretch her creative muscles. You can connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermherring/
Are you struggling to grow your audience create your online course and sell it to your audience? Perhaps you've been too busy to, overwhelmed with all the technical aspects, or just not sure how to create an effective course. Or maybe you already have an online course but sales have been lower than expected. I can help.
Starting September 18th, I'm leading a 6-week coaching group for only 10 people. We'll be going through my proven system to plan & create your online course. We'll also develop a custom marketing strategy to fit your needs. Not only will you have access to me for 6 weeks, you'll also be with other motivated course creators. This powerful dynamic will help create and market your course in 6 weeks...if you're willing to put in the work.
Watch the video below or click to learn more about the coaching program, look at the pricing packages and fill out the application to join.
Without further ado, let's get right into the interview with Andru and Jennifer:
The first thing is delivering the course in bits, for instance, breaking a course into 5-minute videos. It's important to ensure that a course offers concrete value so readers can feel the need to stay engaged.
Most top industry leaders have dedicated individuals who put effort into their systems on a day to day basis. Liking a system is great but it's not enough if there's no effort being put into it. Industry leaders put work into whatever they do and that's the key to their success.
First of all, it has to be about establishing their goals. Course creators should learn who they are talking to and even down to their personality types. This will allow them to design content that suits their audience.
(read the rest of the show notes at https://onlinecoursecoach.com/how-lightspeed-vt-produces-online-courses-for-experts-like-grant-cardone-and-daymond-john-from-shark-tank
Are you looking to help more students, grow your impact and leverage the power of your online course? Then Joint Ventures might be something to consider. There is a dark side and a beneficial side to doing joint ventures. I'll share how to do it the right way with practical advice.
Are you struggling to grow your audience create your online course and sell it to your audience? Perhaps you've been too busy to , overwhelmed with all the technical aspects, or just not sure how to create an effective course. Or maybe you already have an online course but sales have been lower than expected. I can help.
Starting September 18th, I'm leading a 6-week coaching group for only 10 people. We'll be going through my proven system to plan & create your online course. We'll also develop a custom marketing strategy to fit your needs. Not only will you have access to me for 6 weeks, you'll also be with other motivated course creators. This powerful dynamic will help create and market your course in 6 weeks...if you're willing to put in the work.
Watch the video below or click to learn more about the coaching program, look at the pricing packages and fill out the application to join. https://onlinecoursecoach.com/course-accelerator-coaching-group/
Joint Ventures can have an ugly connotation. You might picture spammy 3 part video series where they give out limited information but a long sales pitch. I’ve been hesitant to partner with a lot of people for this reason. I see it done poorly, even though one of my first courses found success because of a joint venture. First, if you don’t have a course or product then you can’t do joint ventures. Get off the sidelines and create the course. Don’t be shy about the value you provide and the expertise you have…even if you’re just starting out. If you’re shy about the value you provide, take a few minutes to write out all the things you’re good at. Are you good with people, technology, business, animals, numbers, art, language? Do you have schooling, certifications, proven results, or other things that set you apart? Write down as many skills as you can think of. Revisit this for a few days and you’ll see that you’re more valuable than you might think.
Please help us bring more content to the masses by subscribing to the podcast at https://onlinecoursecoach.com/itunesapp
Please help us bring more content to the masses by subscribing to the podcast at https://onlinecoursecoach.com/itunesapp
One of the top course questions people ask me is if they should build their own website and learning management system or if they should use an existing service. One of the many benefits of using something like Academy of Mine is that they take care of the technical aspects of your course. Academy Of Mine is an all-in-one LMS platform to create, market and sell your online courses. The heart of their software is their proprietary learning management system, which allows you to create online courses that consist of lessons, quizzes, assignments, and discussions, and include certificates of completion, among other features. They allow you to create your own branded website and offer automated e-commerce functionality, as well as marketing and analytics software. They're also rolling out an improved version of their "Course Manager" feature, which enables clients to onboard various instructors, who can then separately manage their assigned students; reporting and analytics can be broken out separately, as well. Their clients range from individuals to small- and medium-sized businesses, and they work closely with their customers to ensure that support is top-notch. Above all else, they place a premium on the human side of the business experience. They also do customization work for their clients on an ad hoc basis.
Are you looking to grow your audience and create, market & sell more courses? What training and content will help you the most? I'd love to help! Pick what you need most at onlinecoursecoach.com/vote to share your thoughts of how I can best help you. As a thank you, I created a free training called “3 Simple but Powerful Ways to Grow Your Email List” when you fill out the survey.
Let's jump into the interview with Yash and Brenden;
Yash, in particular, had always had the passion for teaching. His background is in technology and investment banking. Yash could always create software but he realized that he thrived really well in teaching customers how to use various banking systems. He later thought of how he could create a system that integrates both teaching and learning. His love for teaching led to creating Academy of Mine, which has grown to become a business.
Initially, it used to be face to face teaching. With the power of the internet, we thought we can set up something online where we can teach various courses and anyone can access the platform from anywhere around the world. Online teaching is also something we have a lot of interest in.
Course creators can have various problems depending on the stage that they are in. For instance, most course creators in the idea stage struggle to get a set of things to start with. Most of the time they want to create several things at a go instead of starting out step by step. Other creators in the marketing stage struggle with finding the best channels to promote their courses. Basically, every stage of course-creating poses its own challenges.
The most important strategy for every course creator is the ability to engage their potential audience even before a course is created. This is especially great for people who are in the idea phase because it gives the audience the opportunity to validate their courses. Other creators use traditional methods such as sending fliers, while some bank entirely on social media marketing tools, such as Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook ads.
Academy of Mine is an all-in-one learning management system. The idea behind it is that anyone can start an online academy. It includes a website builder, LMS bit and marketing section. The LMS part especially allows clients to create content in their most desirable formats. Academy of Mine basically offers clients all they need to start their online course platforms and sustain their business.
Academy of Mine is not for everyone. It best suits clients who want to invest their time in learning and getting the most out of the systems. What really sets them apart is that they offer a personalized service such as getting on the phone anytime, which is something that other platforms don't provide.
Academy of Mine have no particular approach for pitching to corporate clients but what they do is listen to client's needs and respond to them accordingly. Most importantly, they offer solutions according to the client's issues unlike pitching to clients what they offer. The solution has to be tailor-made for every client.
Clients can expect to see more interactive features within their courses. There's also the ability to run live classes. Lastly, and something that has gained a lot of interest, clients can look forward to setting up a platform and enjoy the ability to onboard other companies.
Anyone interested in setting up an online academy, not necessarily LMS. However, Academy of Mine would love to hear from anyone who's into course creating and they are ready to offer ideal solutions to related problems.
Are you looking to grow your audience and create, market & sell more courses? What training and content will help you the most? I'd love to help! Pick what you need most at onlinecoursecoach.com/vote to share your thoughts of how I can best help you. As a thank you, I created a free training called “3 Simple but Powerful Ways to Grow Your Email List” when you fill out the survey.
Please help us bring more content to the masses by subscribing to the podcast at https://onlinecoursecoach.com/itunesapp
This article dives into how course creators can improve their online course sales. First of all, online courses are more about your students and the best way to serve them than simply looking to sell to your audience. Nonetheless, below are seven simple things a course creator can do to improve their sales.
Are you looking to grow your audience and create, market & sell more courses? What training and content will help you the most? I'd love to help! Pick what you need most at onlinecoursecoach.com/vote to share your thoughts of how I can best help you. As a thank you, I created a free training called “3 Simple but Powerful Ways to Grow Your Email List” when you fill out the survey.
Start by defining your audience, especially if you're starting out with your courses. Conduct surveys and try to get feedback from your audience just to understand their problem. Not sure where to start? Go to resources page and check the "5 Ways to Build an Audience for Your Online Course". Aim your courses in solving those particular problems and make sure the content is connected to your mission. If you have been in business for some time, then you should already have a good understanding of your audience needs.
Many people want to pack too much into a single course. The truth is, students usually get overwhelmed or intimidated by a ton of information. Course creators must learn how to calculate the minimum amount of content that gets the maximum amount of value. Give students bite-size chunks rather than a full bundle that would be hard to consume. If you want a detailed guide on this, follow this link to learn how to create courses that don't overwhelm students.
No one will buy from you if they don't know you, like or trust you. Try to connect with your audience regardless of its size and find out what they need in a course, which goes back to point number one. A course should always come after getting feedback from your audience and not before. Make sure that you're involved in a community (s) that are in alignment with your course.
There are several platforms that course creators can utilize in building their communities. These include Facebook/LinkedIn groups, Facebook Live videos, YouTube Live videos, podcasts, meetups, among other social media platforms. As long you are providing valuable content, people are most likely to pay attention to it. When it comes to Facebook, for example, here are a few ways on how you can maximize the use Facebook Live videos to your advantage.
Course creators ought to build their courses with a plan rather than throwing everything together and hoping for success. Pre-marketing strategies are all about building your audience and growing your audience. This is where things such as building email lists, starting a podcast, creating a Facebook group, and meetups come in. It's about getting people to know you without necessarily doing much of selling. On the other hand, post-marketing involves circling back to your already established audience and launching your new content. Running Facebook ads, YouTube ads, and doing joint ventures should be high on your post-marketing strategies.
Be available to your students without giving too much of your time. This idea stems from one of the successful students who has benefited from the onlinecoursecoach.com. Her name is Janet. Janet has a great course, she has established a social media community for her courses and everything seems to go in the right direction except for one problem - she spends a lot of time on her Facebook group. Indeed, you want to be available for your students but the amount of time you spend with them should match the price of the course. Additionally, keep in mind the effort you put into preparing a course. If you want to learn more about pricing strategies for your course, go here; how to price your online course for maximum success.
Think of ways of impressing your students. Do unexpected things to wow them. Whatever you do should be simple, for instance, giving them a call - something that doesn't take too much of your time. And there you have it! 7 simple things to improve your online course sales. As a matter of fact, you don't have to apply all these strategies; pick one and perfect on it. Which strategy would you like to implement? Leave a comment below or shoot me a line.
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In this episode, I talk with Cliff Ravenscraft about the 11 proven steps to build and grow an online business. I've known Cliff for quite a long time now, I've hired him and have listened to his podcasts for many years. Cliff started podcasting as a hobby back in 2005. A year later, he launched PodcastAnswerMan.com where he has since helped tens of thousands of individuals and organizations successfully launch a podcast through one on one coaching and online courses. Today, Cliff mentors coaches, consultants and thought leaders through the transition from their unfulfilling day job to their own profitable online businesses so that they can live the life of their dreams and do the work they feel most called to do in this world. Without further ado, here is Cliff's step by step perspective on how to build a profitable online business.
Online business enthusiasts should determine the outcome they expect out their business. They should start by asking themselves why they want to invest in a particular business and if they have the time for it. Moreover, they should determine the amount of money the business must generate to sustain itself and whether they are willing to input the effort needed to generate the money. Apart from the business part, one must think about the kind of life they want to live thereafter and if their business can help them live their dream lifestyle. It's important to note every bit of it down so that they become goals that you work towards achieving.
Business aspirants ought to find their area of expertise, their talents, passion, and even their experience in the kind of business they want to start. This will make it easy for them to connect well with their target market. It also ensures that one can provide their target audience with exactly what solves their problem.
Most people make the mistake of attracting the wrong customers to their business. Ideal customers must have purchasing power and a problem to be solved. Most importantly, they must be willing to pay something in order to get their problem solved.
The best way to do this is through conversations with people who somehow fit your ideal customer. Find out what their struggles are and the pains that lie within. The goal is to find the best way to solve their problems and even learn how to communicate with them effectively.
This is where business enthusiasts have to delve into one on one coaching. It's more about finding out what people need and how you can offer them exactly that.
A value proposition statement is the elevator pitch of a business. Before creating a value proposition statement, one must answer these questions: who they are? what is their professional identity? what problem can they solve to people, how and why do they solve it? For instance, here is Cliff's value proposition statement: "I mentor coaches, consultants and thought leaders through the transition from an unfulfilling day job to a profitable online business so that you can live the life of your dreams and do the work you feel most called to do in the world." In short, it should be intriguing and still give people enough reason to follow you.
A business is not valid until an actual transaction happens between a course creator and their ideal customer. There's no point of spending time and money preparing a course for 3 months without the surety that someone will buy. Most course creators make this mistake and forget to market and sell the product first. Rather, they should prepare something like an outline for their course and see if someone will buy the idea. Once that happens, then business starters can be sure that they have a valid business.
This is where people can create websites to help them sell their products and services effectively. At this point, business owners can create detailed content for their audience because they would already have known that people are interested in buying it - from step 7.
There are many approaches that online course creators can use to grow their audiences. Check out these 5 ways to grow your audience for your online course.
Building an audience and solving their problem is just not enough. For a business to sustain itself and enjoy more success, the owners must continually market their products and services to their audiences. It's more about building relationships with customers and caring about their needs. Go here to learn crucial marketing tips for your online business.
After completing the above 10 steps, business creators should go back to their original plans and now identify more problems their audience are having and how they can solve them. For more insights on starting an online business, growing your audience, and marketing your online course, check out nextlevelworkshop.info.
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One of the most important parts of online training has to do with finding your target audience, knowing how to serve them and building a community. Jason Van Orden has been doing that online and in person many years and is considered one of the pioneers in this space. I first got introduce to Jason through his podcast. I later became a paying member of his membership site and have always greatly respected him. He helps people create new income streams from their expertise. He gives personal experience from his over 60 online courses that's he's created over the years.
Jason talks about consulting and how he has managed to charge premium prices. I personally hire coaches and consultants to give me their extensive experience and expertise. Coaches are found in all aspects of your life from health, income and personal growth. And that’s one of the reasons I provide coaching. I know I can help you find clarity on your idea, create your course so your audience will want it and market it using proven methods. Not only do I share my processes and strategies for creating the best courses, I have a lot of industry experience so I can answer questions and help you avoid making common mistakes. If you want to learn more about my coaching, go to the coaching page to learn more.
Jason helps thought leaders to reach a larger audience with their ideas, create new income streams from their expertise, and build business models that align with their goals. As a consultant, trainer, and strategist, he draws from thirteen years of researching top Internet influencers as well as personal experience gained by launching over 60 online courses, teaching more than 7000 entrepreneurs, and generating 6 million dollars in online course sales, and 8 million downloads of his podcast. His mission is to help more visionaries with impactful ideas to reach the people they serve best and the problems they are uniquely positioned to solve.
JVO: When I discovered information marketing, I dove into it when I was marketing for my band. I started doing consulting and it brought me to the whole world of packaging your expertise and selling it for profit. I began with a seminar about everything I knew about digital marketing back in 2003. I made a net profit of about 8000 dollars to teach what I love. Before social media, I used to post in forums to expand my audience. I then launched a podcast and haven’t looked back from there, just creating brands from my knowledge and teaching people to do the same.
What would you say have been some of your keys to your business success over the years? What do you think are the keys to your success? JVO: I used to be blocked up by having prior success. How could I keep up with what I have already achieved? When I moved on after creating my podcast, it became more of intuition, quick start and experimentation from there. When I advise people on strategy, my approach is that it is a series of hypothesis and experiments. I ask them what feels like a good experiment to try after I have given them the factors and criteria. Course creators should look for frameworks over formulas in the online marketing world. Keep in mind that not everything that has worked for someone else will perfectly work for another one. Breaking down the important bits of it all, it is important to add on to the skeleton such as who people are, their business and their audience. Course creators have to create something that will keep them ahead of the game. They should be careful, however, not lose sight of their uniqueness; what they want to bring to their world. If that happens, they will not have unique perspectives to bring to the world and they can get drowned out.
Before someone spends a lot of time on creating an online course, what strategies do you have on testing their ideas? JVO: My predominant idea was a small eBook or a short course. It is easier for one to sell as a smaller thing and build up their portfolio from there. Also, the building of their educational business without limitations of inventory and time. I flipped this. Whether it is their first course or not, doing some higher level and closer-to-the-student experience has higher advantages. This is where things such as consulting comes in. The major advantage is that creators will be able to charge more money from consultations. Another point is that they won’t have to create a lot of material. Course creators ought to learn a lot about what is valued by their audience, their needs and the language that works for them. This can help them refine their own process. There is a fulfilment in the direct approach since their unique strengths can come through. In any case, consumers can be sophisticated at times and they will need authentic content.
Once the course is made, how does one create that community and build upon it? JVO: There are some obvious advantages of having the right tool such as Facebook groups. Having the platform is no longer enough though. Course creators these days must think outside the box. They need to input the extra thought in fostering their communities. For instance, they should think about ways of improving interactions within their community and getting people stick to their communities. It is also important for course creators to give their communities identities. A course creator should give their audience a vocabulary on how to identify themselves and how to communicate among themselves effectively. In addition, there should be a community leader that stands in for the course creator whenever he/she is unavailable. Most importantly, course creators should encourage people, answer their questions and even pick up recognition of the success stories of their communities. This can help strengthen the bond that exists among community members.
As your audience grows, there is a need to ascertain your authority in the community. How have you gone about that? JVO: When you have a network of people, you can build up by finding their first four students. Course creators should be very clear about who they are talking to. Authority starts with conversations with their targets so as to know their unmet needs. Talking to your audience can help one create more resonate content and find their voice. To go a bit further, one should have a great point of view that draws from their own perspective. There are three whys’ here.
If course creators can consistently answer these three whys’, then it’s easy to command authority in messaging, marketing and conversion.
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Today I talk with Sharyn Sheldon about how you can create white label courses for companies. Sharyn has quite a unique model compared to most other course creators. Typical course creators create a course for themselves and sell it to the audience. Others are contracted to create a course for a company and that company sells the content to the audience. What Sharyn does is quite different but very intriguing. She owns contentsparks.com, where she offers business coaches and consultants with professional quality, brandable training programs and marketing materials. Sharyn’s content is the time-saving secret her customers use to expand their reputation, attract new leads, and raise their income. Let’s hear from Sharyn and her thoughts on creating white label online courses for companies: What is your background? Sharyn: My journey to online courses began when I was working for a consulting company. They were doing learning and consulting for big companies. As a consultant, I worked with places like Mary Lynch, MetLife, UBS, JP Morgan and many other financial and insurance institutions. I used to love the job because it was all about designing learning solutions at a strategic level, and that was really where my course creation started. Gradually online became the norm with things like online marketing and content marketing booming. Then I came across Private Label Rights (PLR), where I saw the opportunity to start my business.
Sharyn: Well, my thinking was that coaches, consultants, and small business owner shouldn’t have to waste time creating course content when they can be directly helping their clients in sharing their expertise. They don’t need to create the courses themselves but rather benefit from our team of experienced professionals, who have been creating programs for big companies and small businesses for the last 25 years. So, we provide all the needed materials to teach various courses and all a course creator has to do is tailor it for their market. They can add their names, branding, and inject their own voice and insights. Basically, we help course creators help others.
Sharyn: Picking topics is always a challenge. At the moment because I have a large customer base, I always start by requesting what they or their customers want to know. Another thing I look at is what sold well in the past and I regularly check online for those hot topics. Most importantly, I focus on evergreen topics that will last long.
Sharyn: Most of my lessons are about 2 to 7 minutes long. I would say that a video lesson shouldn’t be more than 10 minutes. The reason is that people start losing focus with very long videos, yet to want them to remember the content. That is for online but if I’m doing something like a webinar, I wouldn’t want to spend more than a minute on one slide. For offline lessons, I advise not to go more than 15 minutes before you start asking questions and getting interactions.
Sharyn: I must say that the way I got my first big break was from referrals. Luckily, I had an affiliate program set up and so it was easy for my colleagues to refer people to my site. Since then, email marketing has always worked for me. My email list then led to content marketing. And when I re-branded to Contentsparks, I created a Facebook group for my existing customers. The group has helped me a lot in making repeat sales. I also create a waiting list which I use to notify customers about a new course and that way I get to close sales from the moment I launch a new course.
Sharyn: Actually ours is not that quick process. But, whenever we want to do it quickly, the key is to start at that high-level outline without writing up a lot of the stuff. When we know the topic, we don't have to write in all the details - bullet points just suffice.
Sharyn: When it comes to results, there are two types; monetary and student success. The first one is if you are making sales while the latter is based on whether your students are getting value from your courses. So I will advise that you get feedback from your students so you know what they need to hear. Once you understand your student's needs, then it's easy for you to customize a course for them. When your students know they are getting value from your course, then they're likely to buy it and, in turn, you make money too.
Sharyn: You can find me at onlinecoursecouch.com/contentsparks, where I also offer my courses. We focus primarily on business coaches and consultants although we do have other people too. At the moment, we are hoping to create a curriculum that pulls together various topics. So, we're looking to create a membership site where people will learn a wide range of things from the courses.
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We all know that getting found on Google is critical to the success of our online course. But did you know that Google owns YouTube and it's just as important to get found on YouTube which is the #2 most popular search engine (right after Google)? It's important to not just have quality content on your course but also create helpful content, build an audience and provide value. And you should be doing this on YouTube. In this episode, I talk with Tim Schmoyer about YouTube, Video and how to feel confident in front of the camera. First of all, we talk about YouTube. Do you have a YouTube channel set up yet? If not, we talk about some reasons why you might want to consider that. We also talk about how to get comfortable in front of the camera. Tim has some very interesting things to say, some of which I haven’t thought about. I’ve been producing videos for clients since 2003 and I’ve produced a LOT of videos, but even with my experience, Tim brought a different perspective on several different topics which I really appreciate. And since we’re talking about video today, are you like most of us that struggle with being on camera? Maybe you are uncomfortable or you don’t like doing it, and that has prohibited you from making effective course videos. Perhaps you are like many other people who struggle with the technology side or you don’t want to waste money buying the wrong equipment or software.
Now let’s dive right into the interview.
In 2006 Tim uploaded his first video to YouTube to introduce his girlfriend to his family across the country. Others started watching, so he started digging into YouTube to figure out how it worked and in 2011 he became the first creator to start training YouTube creators. Today his company, Video Creators, has been featured by FOX, Forbes, BBC even YouTube themselves as he trains other creators to master the YouTube platform and use it as a place to spread messages that change lives. And he married his girlfriend. So Tim, thanks so much for being on the Online Course Coach podcast today.
I started doing video in 2006 when I was in graduate school in Dallas, Texas. I had just started dating this girl and wanted a way of introducing her to my family back home in Philadelphia. This place called YouTube had just started a few months prior. People were posting videos and watching them, and I thought I could try it too. We started going out with my girlfriend and making little videos together of the places we went to. I started posting those videos on YouTube for my family to see. We went on to creating videos on our engagement, wedding, honeymoon, first real job, first house, first kids, and more. Back in the early days when we were dating to our engagement, other people were watching and commenting on our videos. I started trying to figure out how the platform worked, how people found my videos, why they were watching my videos and why they were commenting on them. I ended up on the inquisitive side of trying to figure out how the platform works, how audiences grow, what causes people to watch and get them interested, and I ended up working with Disney, Time Warner, eBay, HBO, and other companies. In the meantime, I got known as the guy who’s trying to figure out how the platform works. So, here I am today, on a full-time business to help people create online businesses and audiences around their YouTube audience and channels.
In the past, there used to be no money involved. People were just creating videos out of the passion to tell stories, to reach audiences, and to express themselves creatively. A lot has happened since then, including YouTube’s change of ownership from a group of guys to Google, and most people coming in these days with the aim of making money out of the platform. Even so, the people I like on YouTube are those with a mission behind what they are doing. The people who get excited about reaching people and changing their lives, notwithstanding the need to make money and make their practice sustainable.
There are different reasons as to why. The truth is, if you have videos embedded into your website and people click on those videos and watch them, that’s more time spent on your page. This is a factor that Google looks for ranking web pages. Pages with videos in them that people watch tend to rank higher than simple text pages. There’s also the fact that a YouTube video itself can rank outside any website. I’m not sure about the current stat but back when the stat came out, it was that making a video with the same content of an equivalent blog post, the video was 52 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google or YouTube than a blog post. I think the principle is still true that it’s easier to get videos to perform than it might be to enter into a big sea of other bloggers who are trying to get attention.
The first I made was actually an e-Book, which was like a lead magnet for me. The second was an EBook called, “30 Days to a Better YouTube Channel”, which is still my number one selling product. It’s kind of an e-course but in a book a format. Later on, I started creating videos of the same content.
I actually have a whole course on that. Truth is, there’s always a starting point. For instance, my first video was so awkward and I improved over the course of doing about 4,000 videos. Many people tend to think that you have to be outgoing to perform well on camera but surprisingly most YouTubers I know are actually introverts. For me, the focus should be on presentation rather than trying to be comfortable on camera. And just like any other activity out there, you get better at it over time.
It depends on what you want to accomplish. Of course, there are other ways you can build your audience including podcasts, blogs, and others. The biggest advantage that YouTube has over any other medium is its ability to not only tell but also show. I would say that if your aim is to create a deep connection with your audience on a personal level, then YouTube is the best platform to use.
My expertise on YouTube is organic growth. I’ve not done any promotions on YouTube or Facebook but growing my channel the best way I can. When it comes to promoting my courses, I’ve always relied on email campaigns. By sending out emails, I try to integrate my audience into my courses just to make them feel part of it and find value in whatever I’m offering them. In so doing, they also help promote my courses to other people, which leads to a larger audience.
It’s the website that packs all my YouTube course videos including videos, podcasts and even consultation services. Check out the Find Your Voice courses that teaches you how to feel confident in front of the camera.
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In this episode, I talk about the top questions that get online creators stuck and how to fix them. I get asked a lot of questions by course creators and I narrow them down to the top 7. There are quite many issues that get online course creators stuck but I’m going to address the most asked questions by course creators. Without further ado, let’s get to the main course:
This is probably the most popular question. The truth is, it might not matter that much as you think because many of the available platforms primarily do the same thing. The two things you might want to consider are whether you want a hands-off approach or flexibility in control. If you want more control or you’re a techie person, you might consider a WordPress website or using something such as LearnDash to deliver your courses. On the other hand, a software service is a great solution to those who want hands-off perspective. Generally, your content and course requirements, of course, will determine the ideal learning management system for you. I recommend you go to the Resources section download the 7-step checklist to know which LMS is best for your online course.
Building your audience is the most critical part of the success of your online course. Some of the ways I recommend in doing this include creating guides, tips, quizzes, checklists, assessments – literally anything that can provide value to your audience so that they can give you their emails for you to build your email list. Podcasts and Facebook live videos are also a great way of introducing yourself and influencing others to follow you. If you are doing Facebook videos, make sure they are short and up to the point. Don’t forget to give a tip at the end of your video – quiz, guide, assessment – which guys can follow to your website and download. Again, check out my resources page to learn the “5 Ways to Build an Audience for your Online Course”.
The first thing you want to do here is gathering all the ideas for your course. Then, determine the 20% of those ideas that will give the 80% most value. Next, you will need to find your ideal students and pitch them the idea of your course. Sell your idea to them as beta testers and custom create a course just for them. Obviously, your students are going to give feedback about what they want to learn in the course. This way, they help you refine the content, which you can later sell to a wider audience.
This is where a Learning Management System comes in. Basically, you can a WordPress plugin or a software service to protect your course. These methods allow students who pay for your course to access your content while it restricts those who haven’t paid for your course. Depending on the platform, you can put your audience in groups based on various factors. Perhaps you have different stages of your course and you want to ensure that students are only accessing the content they have paid for – some platforms can allow you to do this.
I’ve covered this section in details on my course, Easy Video for Courses. The big question is, what type of videos would make your content the most engaging and help your students learn the best way possible? Some people prefer to do screen capture videos, whereby you show your audience your screen. Others go to the field and capture the events of what they are teaching to their audience. So choose a method that engages your audience best. When it comes to devices, use what you are comfortable, whether your iPhone, Tablet, Webcam or DSLR. Just don’t be afraid to start no matter what you have. Make sure you are getting good audio, about good lighting too and ensure that your camera is stable.
An online course generally has a beginning and end for the learner. You might add lessons or modules to it over time and even replace the content if it changes. A course usually has a one-time fee. On the contrary, a membership site has a collection of content. The site might contain multiple courses on a single subject or various subjects. It usually has a monthly or annual fee to continue being a member. Watch this short video for more details on this topic.
It all starts with building your audience and knowing what they really want. You then need to promote your course and the best way to do that is through your email list and even your email signature. Another strategy to get more sales is by using Facebook Ads. Speaking of FB ads, sign up for my upcoming Facebook Ads for Online Courses program and I will alert you when that will be about to happen. Doing content marketing on your blog can also create an avenue for people to buy your courses from your site. Let’s not forget the power of videos such as tutorials, FAQ’s and about me. Add as much value as you can and teach more people and you will see them asking for your course. Last but not least, do some partnerships and joint ventures such as affiliate relations and other profit-sharing programs.
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We will be talking about various aspects of WordPress with Carrie Dils, a Lynda.com trainer. We will talk about things like why you should consider it and even the pros and cons of building your course on the WordPress platform. If you’re confused with what I just said, we’ll go in with some more details in a minute. I’m a big fan of using WordPress and I have a few resources that I want you to know about. The first one is a resource that will help you learn the best plug-ins, themes, and hosting for your WordPress website. I also have a 7-step checklist to know the best software to use to build your course. You can find both of these resources on the resource page of my website.
This episode is brought to you by Easy Video for Courses. Did you know that online courses that include videos are 83% more effective in helping students remember the information better? But as you know, one of the hardest parts of creating a course is knowing how to create effective course videos. I found that most people struggle with all the confusing equipment and software that’s available, the cost of buying the equipment, or they don’t feel confident in front of the camera. My background is in video production and I’ve done it all as far as creating high-end videos and even simple videos using an iPhone. I’ve taken all the confusion out of the process so you can make effective course videos in half the time. Go to Easy Video for Courses to get the course.
She is a developer with 20 years of experience in web development and deep experience in full-scope WordPress projects. She has worked with various clients, from small locally owned business to Fortune 500 companies including Disney and Nvidia, to deliver creative and successful digital solutions. She is passionate about education and empowering others to do the work they love. She hosts the OfficeHours.FM podcast for digital freelancers and small business owners. She also teaches WordPress and front-end development courses for Lynda.com and LinkedIn Learning. She also offers business courses for freelancers at The Fearless Freelancer. When Carrie’s not working, she’s probably reading a book, playing with her dogs, drinking a craft beer, or eating a tasty meal with her husband.
Carrie: Sure. I kind of came in through the back door. I started out just working in software and desk jobs. But at some point, I became tired of living the cubicle life so I took an almost decade-long respite and went to work for Starbucks. I had this crazy idea that if I could learn the coffee business, then I could open my own coffee shop. After nine years, I determined that I never ever wanted to own a coffee shop. Right before I left Starbucks, the manager was telling me about WordPress. He was describing a lot of things that WordPress could do and these were the thing that I’d done manually in the past like creating a Content Management System, database relationships, and all those not-so-fun development work. When I found out that WordPress coulddo that out-of-the-box, I was all over it. So from there, I started finding clients that needed simple marketing websites. I did that for the past five or six years and eventually migrated over to teaching.
Carrie: I would say that Disney, MSN, and some of the top Fortune 500 and even top 50 companies are using WordPress. It started out as a blogging platform but it has really matured over the years into a fully featured Content Management System. That is not to say that it is right for every web project but it is certainly a great choice for a lot of them.
Carrie: I think it’s just because of my background as a developer. As a kid, I would unscrew everything I could find to see how they work. When you want to learn something, you just consume all the materials that you can find about it. That’s one of the things about WordPress. There is no shortage of information online, from learning how to use and work with WordPress. It took me a while to figure it out because WordPress is broad. There are the underlying code base and themes that control the appearance. And there's this other thing called plug-ins that add some sort of specific functionalities. I tried to educate myself and inserting myself into conversations about WordPress in social media by following hashtags. To supplement that, I went over to Lynda.com and started watching their Wordpress training videos.
Carrie: It all comes down to money and sharing money for your creations. There are a lot of platforms where you can upload your courses in a guided way. But the price that you pay for that is a certain percentage of your income from these courses. With WordPress, it is an open-source software. It is an "inexpensive" way to get started in publishing your own content. While it's all free and ready to use, there is a definite learning curve.
Carrie: The one thing to know is that not all themes are created equal. Even because a theme is more expensive doesn't mean that it's higher quality. There are two things to look for when finding the theme. First, does it try to include every feature under the sun? Those sorts of themes are code-heavy and it takes a long time to load. Second is search engine optimizations. Google loves clean, well-formed codes. Some themes come with schemas automatically.
Carrie: Lynda.com had one WordPress instructor whom I'd spend hours learning from him. When I get to meet him in person, he and I just struck up this dialogue. A year or so later, he asked me if I would be interested in teaching WordPress courses. So I did, and I've been doing it for three to four years now.
Carrie: Lynda.com has a physical location with a recording studio, equipment, and people who are working on their videos. They handle all the technical aspects. My job as an instructor is to come up with a course outline. Then I work with a content producer to make sure it jives with what they want. After that, I would script the entire course. It usually takes me about a week to record what eventually boils down to a three-hour course.
Carrie: Before you ever start creating a course material, start by writing an objective. Start by having a clear expectation of what your students are going to accomplish when they finish. From there, you can work backward by creating a table of contents.
Carrie: WordPress draws a lot of small business owners or people who want to leverage it as a service to sell to other people. There are a lot of service-providers on WordPress, but there aren't a lot of people making a living doing it. I may not have all the answers but I have been doing WordPress for a very long time and I make a good living out of it. And I would like to teach other WordPress developers and designers how to do that.
Carrie: Right now, there are five courses that cover Freelancing Foundations. The first is Business 101. It's about money management, budgeting, and all that. The next is Finding Your Focus. When it comes to focus, who is it that you want to serve? And how are you going to solve your problems? I also have a course about basic marketing and legal matters.
Carrie: What comes naturally for me is building relationships. I do have little pockets of communities. My Facebook community is fairly new and needs to be nurtured. But my email list is the number one place where I get sales from. So if you don't have an email list yet, get one. From the beginning, start segmenting people by their interests and why they signed up to your list.Segment your email list according to their interests.
Carrie: You can buy my courses at The Fearless Freelancers website and get a free e-course. You can also go over to The Fearless Freelancer Facebook group and let’s have conversations about issues that matter to people. If you’re not sure where to host your courses or you want to learn more about WordPress, you can go to my website. I have a few resources that can apply best to this topic, such the best plug-ins and themes for WordPress as well as the 7-Step checklist to know the best software to use for your course. I also have other interviews related to this topic on my website. You can search WordPress and you will find my interviews with people like Joshua Millage and Corey Miller. I also have several other podcasts like The Best WordPress Tips for Online Course Creators and Seven Ways to Pick the Perfect LMS for Your Online Course. If you are in the process of creating a course, check out Easy Videos for Courses and you’ll be up to speed in no time. I purposefully made the content easy to learn and efficient to go through.
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SEO and getting your online course to the top of Google rankings can make or break the success of your e-course. Rebecca Gil has some common sense approaches to boosting your SEO and getting more traffic to your website. She gives helpful tips that are search engine friendly. I have been a big fan and user of WordPress for many years and Rebecca and I talk about SEO, WordPress, WordCamps and so much more. She shares why you should consider using WordPress and how adding content to your website will help improve your SEO rankings and get you higher in the search engine results. I have taken many webinars over the years with Rebecca and she knows her stuff! I met her at Social Media Marketing World and knew that I had to get her on the show to share how SEO relates to marketing and selling more online course, membership sites and e-courses.
Do you want to take your idea and create a course from it? Or perhaps you want to improve the sales of your e-course. I've been creating courses and coaching people on the process and can help you too. Simply fill out the coaching form to see if we're a good fit. If we are, I'll reach out to you with the next step and together we'll build, improve and market your online course.
Rebecca Gill has a well-rounded business background and over twenty years of experience in sales and online marketing. In addition to running the day to day activities of Web Savvy Marketing, Rebecca also provides full-service SEO consulting, one-on-one SEO coaching, publishes online SEO courses, hosts a weekly SEO podcast, and teaches onsite SEO Bootcamps. She loves to teach the latest SEO strategies and help businesses grow their online footprint. As an early adopter of blogging, her online marketing efforts have been highlighted by media outlets such as Wired Magazine, Ziff Davis, and IT Toolbox. Her writing has been featured in a variety of publications that range from technology outlets such as Backbone Magazine, Social Media Today, and Search Engine Roundtable. Her SEO work and training have been mentioned in Ahrefs, Dynomapper, Marketo, mangools, Hongkiat, iThemes, and Liquid Web. Rebecca has appeared on Detroit2020, spoken at WordCamp Miami, DFWSEM Meetup, WordCamp Toronto, Higher Ed Web, WordCamp San Diego, WordCamp Las Vegas, WordCamp Ann Arbor, WordCamp Chicago, and Girls Are IT Conference. She is also has served as a WordCamp organizer. Rebecca has been a guest speaker on a variety of WordPress podcast series and has also guest lectured and presented at the Grand Valley State University, and Michigan State University and the University of Toledo.
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There are so many conferences out there that it’s hard to pick which ones to attend. But Social Media Marketing World is one of my favorite conferences to attend each yet. While I LOVE industry conferences that specialize in courses and eLearning, I love more general conferences that focus on different aspects of marketing, video, and social media. I’ve gained so much value after going that I thought it would be helpful to hear about it, what I learned and some takeaways that you can learn. I was even able to pull aside a course creator with an awesome accent and get some tips from him and I’ll play that clip in a few minutes. Lastly, I want to share some creative marketing strategies you can use to build your audience and sell more courses.
First, in prep for the conference, I listened to my friend Nick Pavlidis’ podcast about conferences. He posted a podcast on Feb 13, 3018 about how to crush conferences. I won’t give away all the secrets of the podcast but Nick talks about why you shouldn’t go to sessions and what 3 groups you should serve at a conference. I put his strategies into place and I had one of the best conference experiences I’ve ever had. You can listen to it by going to onlinecoursecoach.com/crushconferences I met more people in the hallways, at lunch, and outside the sessions that it was very valuable. I even got to meet Jesse Cole whom I’ve mentioned in previous podcasts. He runs the Savanah Bananas baseball team. You can also learn more about Jesse at Find Your Yellow Tux. The opening keynote was all about the FB Apocalypse. I haven’t talked much about this because there’s some really good info out there that goes in depth.
Dr. Dave gave some tips that he's found helpful in his own course. You can find him at drdavenicol.com
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Do you get scared knowing that there are other courses on your same topic? Or do you feel intimidated that there are people who have a larger audience than you? Here are some ways to outsell your competition.
What can you offer that's unique to other courses? Is it your background, your experience, your personality or something else. It's 'ok' if your course is different, just figure out what's unique about your course and then use that to promote your 'uniquability'. Check out http://findyouryellowtux.com/ for inspiration on what Jesse does with his baseball team. No one ever said wow, that person is professional…they only are impressed if you’re different. If you don’t stand out you won’t be remarkable
Most courses are mainly digital content delivered with a hands-off approach. Don't get me wrong, those are nice but they probably won't be truly 100% hands off. You'll need to interact with students, answer questions and help your students succeed. Here are some ways that you can outserve your students
If you think that there are too many courses with your same topic, think of ways you can go deep into a niche or topic.I did this with some of my first online courses. I found industries that could use my training and created customized training for their industry. This became very successful and separated me from any competition that made a course for a general audience. A strategy to consider if you're creating courses for multiple industries it creates anchor content that's industry-specific but uses the general content for all courses. So you might have some intro lessons for each industry but then everyone takes the main content. Then your final lessons will have specific applications to the given industry.
There are a lot of courses that serve course creators but I found one that is usually ignored. We all know how vital effective course videos are but there isn't any training on how to create effective course videos. I created a step by step system that takes people through my process, shows what equipment to use between free and professional, gives them the tools to feel confident in front of the camera and even supplies ideas on how to create videos if you don't want to be on camera! Imagine if I had created a general course? It probably wouldn't be as successful as EasyVideoForCourses.com. Find supporting topics or problems your students have and create courses about that. You'll find much more success than just creating a general course where there is a lot of competition.
This might sound crazy but what if you approached your competitors and found ways to serve each other's audiences? There might be things that they don't want to do that you do and vice versa. You'll have more success if you serve more people than try to protect yourself from expanding. Plus, I can almost guarantee your audience knows who your competitor is! Find how to make the simplest course that only gives the most valued content. Most people don't want extensive courses that teach them EVERY aspect of the topic. Think of the 80/20 rule. What is the 20% that you can create that will give the 80% most value? Don’t make your course over complicated - most courses are too complicated.
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We all want to create effective online courses but most courses are too complex and complicated for students. And that's why most students don't complete online courses.
Think of your course as having 101, 201, levels, just like at a university. Your students will be able to learn at their own pace and not be overwhelmed. Don't overcomplicate your content. Remember that your students are coming in at a basic understanding. Your job is to give them what they need to know now, not 10 steps down the road.Additionally, you will be able to make more money because you offer different courses for different skill levels. Your students will like it and you will like the additional opportunities for more income. Is your course topic complex? I also recommend that you find a niche and make a course just on one part of the overall topic.
While some courses are open for students to jump around to any part of the course they want, you might want to limit the course progression so everyone goes through the course content together. This alone may help your online course become more effective. Just think, everyone will go through it together and have similar questions. They can ask you or if you have a private Facebook group or forum then your students can also ask each other.
Course abandonment is high and one of the reasons is that students want to go quickly through the course content without thinking about the material and how to apply it. Ask them to reflect on the content, share what they learned with a friend or post in the Facebook group their key takeaways.
Students want step by step instructions. They want to learn from someone with more experience and success. Students don't want all the variables but the exact process you took to get success and they want to follow you. Sometimes little things like cheatsheets and templates are easy to create but provide the biggest value and allow the students to move ahead faster.
Online courses that include videos are 83% more effective in helping students remember the information better. We all know that video content is the best content for your course but what if you don’t want to buy a camera or use complex software? Use your Smartphone or tablet to record your course videos. I teach a full module just on how to effectively use your smartphone and tablet to record your course videos. I also give you my the best apps and software to use to film and edit directly on your phone or tablet. You can find the course at EasyVideoForCourses.com.
One of the biggest factors in both the success of the course for your students as well as how much money you make is what access you provide. While it takes more time to provide more access and you might lose money, you might actually get more students because they want to learn directly from you.Plan out how much time per week you’ll be there and make sure you’re not losing money on your course. Consider offering:
If your course is inexpensive then don’t offer a private FB group. Use these tips to create an effective online course that doesn't overwhelm your students.
Check out the new course at http://easyvideoforcourses.com Please help us bring more content to the masses by subscribing to the podcast at https://onlinecoursecoach.com/itunesapp
One of the key factors in the success of an online course is how well put together the course content is in your videos. If it's thrown together or isn't done properly you could lose students and income. In this episode, I share 7 Tips to create effective course videos.
By having your notes on these devices you can sync them anywhere on everywhere on any device. And that gives you peace of mind knowing that if your computer crashes that you haven't lost everything.
We all know how important it is to survey your students to ask them what they want to learn and what their biggest struggles are (this is where your best course content can come from). But you can also ask what type of video they like most and would learn best from. You might learn that this type of video will take some time and work for you to complete but that will actually help you stand out from your competition who only created basic course videos and didn't go above and beyond like you will.
Put a few key points, or even 1 statement that you talk about. Just like Ted Talks only have one thing per slide, your slides shouldn't have too much content. Use a mix of stories so you’re not just reading from slides. Your students will engage more with your course content if you relate stories throughout your course videos.
Are you only putting information in your online courses or are you engaging your students with different learning styles? Don't forget to use this method to improve your courses. For more information on this method, check out 3 Simple Teaching Tips for Better Online Course Videos.
While I recommend being on camera for some or all of your course videos, you can get creative. Create a video where you only show your hands or have someone ask questions to you off camera. But the main thing is to not underestimate the expertise that you provide. You don't have to be a world famous expert. You just have to be 1 step ahead of your students. Keep your focus on your students and not on you. Know that you are your worst critic. While you might think you look or sound strange, your students will not…I promise you!
There's nothing worse than a distraction while you're filming so put your phone in airplane mode and turn off any notifications on your computer. This will make your course videos go a lot better and you won't be distracted by anything.
You never know when a computer will crash or fail. Plus video content will fill up your computer quickly so buy an external hard drive to store your videos. Even better, use Dropbox or Google Drive to store the files and sync them in the cloud. You want to be able to access these files in the future if you need to change something and having them synced online will greatly help. I recommend having a local backup AND a cloud backup. That way you reduce the risks.
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In the next few weeks, I’ll be releasing Easy Video For Courses. An online course that teaches you how to create effective course videos in half the time. I’ll be sharing more about it in another week or 2 but for now you can go to onlinecoursecoach.com/7tips to get a free video on 7 tips to create better course videos. I’ll also alert you when the course is available. I plan on giving some bonuses and perhaps even a discount only to my podcast listeners so subscribe to the podcast and listen to future episodes to learn more.
These are 3 things that every course video, module, and lesson should contain. It will help your students better learn, remember and apply the course content.
This is typical where course creators start….and end. It’s the easiest to do because it’s where you convey your knowledge. It’s one of the most important…but it’s not the only thing your course should contain
This is usually overlooked but it’s very important. The student may not truly learn if they don’t feel anything. This might be hard for some personality types to think about the emotional aspect of the course content. Think about what the content will make your students feel. How will that impact their life? How will it motivate them to continue the course? Tony Robins says ‘change your story. Change your life’ and emotion is a big part of that. What can you do to help change the student’s story, so they know and feel it?
One of the most important pieces of your teaching is to help the student transform what you know, so they know it. And what they can feel with that knowledge but most importantly, you want them to change their lives with this information. You want them to DO something with your course content. What do you want them to do? So how do we do this? Here is a simple layout that I help my students use when their creating course videos. Teach what you’re going to teach, teach it, review it, ask them to put it into practice
If you follow the advice above then your online course videos will be more effective, your students will have more success which will make your online course more profitable. Everyone wins when you spend a little more time preparing your course content. Which tips did you like the best? I'd love to hear what you're working on and learning. This entire website is to help course creators improve their online courses. Send me a message. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget, if you want to create more effective online course videos in half the time, sign up for the free video and get on the waitlist for Easy Video for Courses.
Please help us bring more content to the masses by subscribing to the podcast at https://onlinecoursecoach.com/itunesapp
In this podcast, we will talk about anything from marketing, building your course and audience, and how to create a successful and effective course videos.
If you are doing a video and you are talking about technology or anything that has to be updated regularly based on new laws, rules, and regulations, this tip is for you. Try not to mention any specifics and be as vague as you can with what you're saying on camera. Instead of saying, "Use your iPhone 10," just say, "Use your iPhone to create course videos," and show the newest model with a photo or slide. It can get really time-consuming to update your video whenever a new model or law comes out. It is easier to be a little broad in what you say and then just show the specifics on the slides. In the next few weeks, I'll be releasing Easy Video for Courses, an online course that teaches you how to make effective videos. I'll be sharing more about it in a week or two, but for now, you can get a free video on 7 tips on how to create better course videos. I plan to give discounts just for my podcast listeners. So make sure to subscribe to the podcasts and listen to future episodes to learn more. Also, I will be at Social Media Marketing World on February 27-March 2. If you are there, make sure to chat with me or tweet me via @jeff_long so we can meet and talk about online courses. I have a front-row seat to talking to a lot of people by going to conferences, trade shows, and networking events. I also have this podcast and I correspond through social media and emails. A lot of times, these are the reasons why courses fail. So, I want to talk about how to fix them.
The first reason why a course fails is you did not take the time to build your audience. This is probably one of the biggest frustration for people who want to build a course, but did not sell very well. You can put it on Udemy and let them market for you. You might get some sales, but then Udemy sends out coupons regularly and you can't control the price. You have to be fine with that. What I recommend is building it on your own website and then build your audience. One of the first steps that I do with my coaching clients is to talk about how big their influence is. That includes the email lists, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter followers, and YouTube fans. The next step is to spend at least 90 days to build your audience. If you are just getting started, the first step is to build your audience. Download my free guide to deliver bonus material to your students and collect their emails. You can learn my strategy of how to deliver bonus materials to your audience and how to build out that system. I can give the software and systems that I use for myself and my students.
Be a podcast guest and borrow their audience. Do interviews within your circle of influence and about your course topic.
You can do this on your personal or business Facebook page. Personally, I like to do them under 5 minutes. People don't have time to watch 10- to 20-minute videos. You can take 1-3 very short tips and at the end tell my audience about my website and free guide.
Blogging is something you should consider. You can blog about successes, tips, technology, FAQs, industry news, and other things related to your online course. At the end of your blog post, put in something free that you are giving away.
If you are not involved in FB groups, I highly recommend that you do. There is so much value in FB groups. You can ask and answer questions, as well as learn about different things. People have grown their audience significantly by giving answers on FB groups.
Your tutorials can be in the form of a podcast. They should be simple to understand and to follow.
If you don't have a podcast, start one as soon as possible. Even if there are the same podcasts in your industry and area, don't be intimidated.
If you need to call influencers, organizations, agencies, and potential clients, then make a phone call or send letters.
You can put these videos on YouTube and Facebook.
You did not take the time to go through and think about who your audience is - their ages, income levels, likes, dislikes, goals, struggles, and questions. A course that is very broad will not sell well. The more you define who your audience is, the easier for you to speak to them. If you want some helpful tips on how to plan and build your audience, I'll be coming out on a mini-course on planning your course. You can sign up for that and get alerted when the course is available.
I love and recommend John Maxwell's book "Failing Forward". See failure as temporary. Maybe your course didn't sell well, so what are you going to do to turn that around? John Maxwell also talked about rejecting rejection. Achievers have a healthy self-image that's not dictated by an external stimulus. If you made a mistake, just learn from it and move on.
Don't get discouraged just because there are people out there who are better than you. Instead, think about what they did to achieve that success. Are there any ways you can partner with them? Maybe you are comparing yourself to somebody who has more success than you. All you need to do is to readjust your gauge of success. I've been doing this podcast for two and half years and it's a marathon. If you are just starting out in your course, don't get discouraged. Keep coming back to my podcasts, videos, and other resources. Remember, I will be re-launching the Easy Video for Courses in the next couple of weeks. Also, check out my free video on 7 simple tips on how to create course videos. Keep coming back for more podcasts and I love talking with people from around the world. It is my goal to help to teach many to impact millions.