How to Create an Online Course that is Effective and Marketable
Creating an online course that is effective and marketable can be a significant challenge. But with good strategy and execution, it can be a very profitable endeavour. In this article, we will discuss the basics of creating an online course, from how to come up with a winning idea to marketing and selling your course.
What makes a successful online course?
Well, for one thing, the course must offer something that is unique and different. It should be a subject matter that is in demand by the public. It can be anything from a topic you are an expert in to something you just discovered about your niche or passion. The best way to determine what type of content your audience wants to consume is to ask them directly. You can use surveys, questionnaires, polls, and even a simple email or social media campaign to get the ball rolling.
The best courses are those that provide real value to their students. They offer something that is valuable to the student. This could be a product, a service or a process that the student can use after the course is completed. Another way to define a successful online course is by looking at the sales it generates. A course that sells a lot is a great course because it has proven its value. They have the ability to teach a skill that people need.
How to determine if creating an online course is right for you?
Before you embark on creating an online course, you should first take some time to determine if this is something you would like to do. There are many reasons why you may want to create an online course. You may be looking for ways to supplement your current income. You may want to make more money online, or you may want to learn a new skill that will help you reach your goals.
You should be sure that you know yourself well. What do you love doing? Are you good at it? Do you enjoy teaching others? If not, perhaps you should look into another area of expertise where you can be your own boss.
Whatever your reasons are for wanting to create an online course, you must first identify them and determine if they are good enough to warrant the effort. It is important to find something that you are passionate about, as this will keep you motivated and inspired.
Determine your objectives
What should you consider when developing an online course? How do you create a course that is so compelling that students will enroll and pay for it? These are all great questions, and we’ll tackle each one in turn.
The first step is to decide what you want to teach and to whom. This may seem obvious, but you may need to clarify these questions before you even start designing the course. If you don’t know, now is a good time to find out. Think about the market you want to reach. Will your course be aimed at a particular audience, such as entrepreneurs, freelancers, or professionals in the field? Or will it be a general online course targeting the masses? In addition to the audience, you also need to think about the content you want to cover.
Know your audience
You’ll need to understand who your target audience is, what they want, and how you can connect to them. This step is crucial to the success of your course. If you can figure out who your ideal client/customer is, you’ll have a better chance of reaching them and enticing them to enrol in your course.
Before you create a course, spend time getting to know your target audience. Who are they? What do they care about? What problems are they trying to solve? Try and think of your target audience as a person — someone with their own hopes, dreams, and motivations. This will help you identify what you should teach and how you should teach it.
Create a course outline
Once you have an idea of who your target audience is, it’s time to start thinking about your course outline. Think about what you want to cover in your course and how you want to cover it. You should always have a clear and concise outline that includes:
- The topic you’re going to cover (i.e., the goal of the course)
- The content you plan to share (i.e., the learning material)
- How long the course should be (i.e., the duration)
- The steps to take to get from point A to point B
This step is key to the success of your course. Make sure that you have a clear idea of what you’re teaching, why you’re teaching it, and how you’re going to teach it. If you don’t have a clear idea of what you’re teaching, you won’t know whether your audience understands it or not. If you don’t have a clear idea of what your audience wants, you’ll be forced to guess which topics they want to learn about.
Create engaging content
The truth is, people don’t care about what you know until they know that you care. So, create quality content for your audience to consume and share. With so much content available on the web, people are skimming instead of reading. If you’re going to succeed in online teaching, you need to make sure that your content is engaging and not dry. Use graphics and animations to keep people interested and create a “wow” factor that will draw them back for more.
Create a strong branding strategy
An effective branding strategy is vital when you’re planning to start an online course. A great course name is only the first step in creating a successful brand. Your branding should consist of more than just your course name. Think about what you want people to say when they think of your brand. What do you want them to associate with your brand? Is it something that people can get excited about? What do you want to communicate to potential customers?
You need to think about the purpose of your course. Are you teaching people how to do something? Are you sharing your expertise on a particular topic? Once you know what you are teaching, you can choose a branding style that is consistent with your message.
For example, if you’re creating a course about social media, it might make sense to use a fun and quirky style. You may also want to look at offering a free “taster” version of your course to potential students. This will give them a chance to experience the course before they commit to purchasing. It also gives you a chance to get feedback from these potential customers on what they like and don’t like about the course.
Pricing:
Choosing the right price point for your online course is crucial. You want to ensure that your audience will find value in what you’re offering, but you don’t want to make it so expensive that no one will buy it. Your course should be priced at a point where you can make enough money to pay your expenses, but not so much that you lose money on each person who takes it. A good rule of thumb is that the price should cover the costs of the course expenses plus a profit margin.
Market your course:
The beauty of using a course to make money online is that you can continue to sell it for as long as you’d like. Creating a buzz and driving enrollment requires a combination of a clear value proposition, great marketing, and solid selling techniques. Look for niche communities on Facebook or Reddit that might benefit from your content. Guest post on relevant blogs and sites. Look for anywhere you might be able to get in front of the right people. With just a few hours a month, you can continue to generate sales.
Offer bonuses and extras:
Make your course irresistible! If you want to attract more people to your course, you can offer some kind of bonus or extra for signing up. This could be a free video or a free report, or something else that would help them learn. Think of ways to give away extras so that people are incentivized to sign up.
For example, if you are teaching a course on web design, you might offer a free one-week trial of your web design software or an exclusive interview with one of your favourite designers. This is a great way to promote your online course and attract new students.
Get help from professionals:
This may seem like a silly point to make, but you need to ensure that you have the skills to create a successful course. If you are having problems with your online course, it is time to seek out the services of professionals. The best way to do this is by asking for advice from experts who have already gone through the process of creating an online course. They can provide valuable insights into what worked and didn’t work for them.
Assess and improve:
The final step is to evaluate what you’ve done and where you could improve. Take the time to analyse and learn from each experience. The best online courses are continually being improved, and you should try to do the same. It may sound obvious, but it is very important to keep improving the content of your course, whether by improving the quality of videos, pictures, or any other media that you use. If you find that your course is not performing well, you can analyse why. Look for areas where your course could be improved and fix them.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the way to market your online course is by providing value to your target audience. Online courses, in particular, should be created to address a specific problem that students face in their lives. By addressing that problem directly and providing students with the knowledge and tools they need to solve it, your course will find success.
A note about online learning. While there is much debate about the effectiveness of online learning (check out this article for some detractor details), the motivation of adult learners is what makes them perfect for this mode of learning delivery. I think that an inclusion of how to learn best online is a component of responsible online course creation.
For our complete of our articles on Creating Online Courses, go here.
FAQs
How Do I Sell An Online Course With No Followers?
In order to connect with different audiences, you will:
Write guest posts on other websites and blogs that point visitors to your course. Give influencers and other content producers access to your course, and in return, encourage them to tell their audience about it.
How Do I Market My First Online Course?
How are leads for online courses generated?
Conduct surveys to learn what qualities prospective students are looking for in a course.
Google AdWords for prompt outcomes.
Make use of social media to advertise your course.
As you design your course, use various content types.
Conduct email-based advertising initiatives.
Provide a complimentary mini-course.
Do People Sell Courses On Shopify?
One of the easiest platforms to use to sell your online courses is Shopify. Hosting them across platforms is a smart idea though, as it makes it easier to expand your audience.