Whether you’re a beginner or you’re a season podcaster, I’m enthusiastic about helping you learn to make your online courses all they can be. That in mind, there’s something I wanted to share before we get into five ways to use podcasting to create online courses. I recently got feedback from a listener and he was asking me about creating a course. His plan was to create a grand course online as a means of helping people to master a particular subject. He was going to put everything he knew into one course. I told him not to fall into this trap because people want a course they take to be concise and not overwhelming. Putting everything you know into one course will make your listeners drop off quickly. Besides, if all your knowledge is in one podcast, what’s left for you to teach? A couple weeks ago, I was featured in the Online Course Creation Summit, which further fueled my podcast fire. I’m excited to share my knowledge with you. July 6-8 is Podcast Movement in Chicago, where I will be learning even more, networking, and bringing that knowledge back to you. Let me know if you’re going because I would love to talk more with you with the hope that we can learn from each other. In this podcast, I touched on five ways to use podcasting to promote your online course.
These mediums have their limits, most of the time requiring someone to read. My background is in video production and I love what video does. But podcasts give you the ability to talk directly to someone while they are exercising, traveling, working around the house, etc. This is an innovative and effective way of marketing your online course to an audience that you can be sure is interested in what you have to offer.
Because of this, I am always meeting new people and giving them the chance to meet people who are new to them. They get to build their audience and teach my audience at the same time. It is mutually beneficial to a degree that we may not even see until further down the road. You get to build your network and vice versa. Everybody wins. Also, it’s easier to interview guests than to come up with new topics week after week. If you’re worried about people stealing your ideas, you’re not alone. However, it’s important to look at it rationally. People are usually too busy with their own lives to take someone else’s idea. If they do, chances are they won’t do as well with the idea as you will because you are the original creator and you know more about it. My advice is to not be afraid to get your ideas out there. You never know what possibilities unfold when you take a chance.
This begins the interaction, letting them know you listen to their feedback. This also gives you the chance to find out what content you can create that will serve them. Perhaps more important is that you will be able to let them know that you value their time and are trying to serve them, as opposed to sell them.
First, determine if your content is evergreen or industry news. If it is news, your podcast will be dated and you should be aware of that when creating your content. Some podcasts combine news with evergreen content, giving their audience the chance to learn more from you, as the industry expert. Always be in the pursuit of knowledge yourself so that when you are looking like an expert, you will genuinely become an expert. Personally, I have found the more I study and learn, the more I grow, which in turn helps me teach you, my audience. I encourage you to do the same.
First off, title matters. It is what draws your audience in and tells them what they are about to learn and that you have something to teach them. It’s best if you create show notes, putting the title of your podcast into the notes. Turn those notes into a blog post on your website. But when you do, make sure your post is at least 500 words in length. For Google to even register a post as having any content, it typically needs at least 500 words in that post. Words are the easiest way to get Google’s attention, which increases your SEO. Also, make it engaging content. Since you already have that podcast, the show notes/blog should be simple. For me, I create bullet points and some basic notes before recording my voice.
If you’re looking for free ways to promote your course, podcasting is for you! As with anything, you should weigh the benefits versus the sacrifice. Are you able to put the time into editing the podcast, developing the show notes, and making them ready to be published? Or are you able to just record the podcast and let your team go to work on turning that and the show notes into a beautiful, finished product? Podcasting is free, but it does take some time. Personally, it has opened many doors and given me an outlet that I find valuable. I hope it does the same for you!