12 Ways To Promote your Online Course that Your Customers Will Enjoy
Congrats! You've figured out what kind of online course you're going to develop. Or maybe you've already created it.
You're now ready to sign up new participants and need to do so in a way that will make people feel motivated to sign up to your program, not shove it at them. Tricky, right?
We've all had to endure the pain of pushy marketing. However we've also been in the midst of authentic, real, enjoyable marketing. We might not have thought we were being "marketed" to, because it was that excellent.
When you're going through the 12 methods make sure you keep these two guidelines for course promotions in your the back of your mind:
Rule #1: Sales funnels are the mainstay of any game.
The following methods are suggestions to incorporate into your channel. In their own way, they won't do anything.
Plugged into a strategic relationship making machine?
It's the distinction between "making some sales" as opposed to "creating many raving fans". Which do you desire?
Set up sales funnels to 1.) bring leads in,) maintain the connection by showing them what you can do, and then 3) make them the opportunity to win their business.
Rule #2 Don't think about how much money you're going to make. Start thinking about how much you could be of assistance.
The truth is, the audience you're targeting doesn't really care about the goals you set for them. They're constantly wondering, "What's in it for me?". If you are able to step out of this mindset and begin looking at ways to be as helpful as humanly feasible, others will be in love with them.
12 ways to add to your sales funnels that people will love.
They might not even realize that you're selling!
The 12 strategies that I'm sharing with you in this article provide innovative methods of attracting new people to your list in addition to impressing, delighting and dazzling the existing audience you already have.
Pick 2-5 of the strategies that appeal to you the most and apply these next time you're promoting your courses. All of these strategies provide a empty canvasses that you are able to design contents that are branded according to your business' personality.
Strategy #1 - Engage with your followers via live video
The plan:Hop onto the live streaming platform you prefer (Facebook Live and Periscope are excellent) and share specific tips that are relevant to your course.
How do you get it:
- Create five quick lessons that you can teach. These should be things that take less than 15 minutes , and let people appreciate the value to learning more about your subject.
- Utilize Periscope or Facebook Live to interact with your followers in real-time, authentic genuine way. If you've never done it already, your fans will eat it up!
Strategy #2 - Share the tips of Instagram in bite-sized pieces
The idea:Similar to Strategy #1, here you will share about 5 or 6 days of advice via Instagram.
How to do it:
- In each lesson that you're teaching using live streaming, make an Instagram blog post which explains the lesson, too.
- It is important to make sure you expand the point in your caption. You should also include pertinent hashtags. I personally like to write pretty long Instagram captions. They're more like "mini blog posts".
- Make a long-form caption in order to give more details regarding your idea.
Be careful not do...
- Upload sloppy images. Instagram is a platform for visuals, and the trick is to combine beautiful graphics with very useful information.
Learn how I achieved it for my most recent campaign:
Here's what my friend and blogging superstar Melyssa Griffin used this technique to announce the debut of her blog to Biz Hive:
Strategy #3 - Create mega blog posts
The concept is:Create the monthly blog posts which is more substantial than your typical blog posting. The posts function as miniature courses and include a worksheet or printable (called the content upgrade) that users can download if they opt-in.
You will...
- Make a list of 3-5 blog posts ideas which address the misconceptions surrounding your subject, as well as mistakes people are making, show the importance of your topic and the urgent need to understand.
- Make a worksheet that goes with your blog post that helps people to take action in response to the blog post. You'll get results! Add a link to your blog's post, so users can sign up to receive this workbook (and voila, you've created an interest-based audience for your course topic!)
Be careful not to...
- Be a perfectionist. It is possible to improve your blog post later. Make a schedule for when you will release the post and mail it out on that day.
Look at the way Emmy Award winner Natalie MacNeil made use of content updates to promote the Media Method program:
Strategy #4 - Produce a 3-part video training
The goal is toProvide an intensive instructional video that will get the audience excited and buzzing regarding your subject. The aim of the course is to educate them about your system and why this topic is urgent.
It will...
- Create a video training that teaches people the "what" and the "why right now" on your subject.
- Each two or three days. Keep individuals engaged by sending out an email sequence.
Do not forget be a victim...
Strategy #5 : Share a passionate post about what you believe is your "why"
The Strategy:This is my favorite method! Connect with your audience on an emotional level, by showing them you really, truly understand how they are feeling. Beware: In order for this method to be effective, you need be prepared to become open.
You'll...
- Resolve a significant hesitation and blockage of your audience by sharing your personal story and experience with that block.
- Post your text with an appropriate image and a relevant image on Instagram as well as Facebook. You can also create a post like this for sending as part of your email marketing campaign.
- Dig really deep to a place where you can really identify with how your reader is feeling. Share your story. More "embarrassing" it is more embarrassing, the more authentic. It's likely that others can feel the same way and may be feeling embarrassed. They'll appreciate that you've been in the same situation and shining light about how they're feeling.
- In the final paragraph of your blog, make sure to explain the reason you came up with the program you're marketing. After that, you can share with them specific outcomes that you can anticipate with the program you've created.
Take care not to...
- Use fake information to make things look better. Share the true story!
Here's an example of the way Hilary Rushford does this using Instagram. Rushford is an absolute Instagram pro and always writes super compelling, honest, and refreshing captions:
Strategy #6 - Gamify it!
The Goal:Catalyze your audience to take action! Engage them and make it enjoyable as part of the promotion. Incentivize people to participate for a greater chance that they'll be engaged with your content and fall in love with your work.
It will...
- Set out action steps for people to take at each part of your campaign. The process doesn't need to be difficult. You can create a week-long day-long challenge.
- You can host a raffle that will encourage people to share your free training and attracts more people to join your group.
- Create a prize draw for people who achieve an objective or complete the task.
Be careful not do...
- Make sure that you do not assign people tasks that require a long time or aren't able to meet a "too big" goal. Like, for example, the 30-day in 30 challenge gives you the achievable goal of enrolling thirty new students in just 30 days. If the number was 300 students in 30 days, it'd not be enough to be a challenge that is free. The people would be too overwhelmed to act
One business owner who can do very well with this approach has Sarah Jenks, an emotional eating coach who frequently launches the #LiveMoreChallenge.
Strategy #7 - Encourage people to participate
The Strategy:
Involve your audience in the creation of your program as well as its launch so that they feel involved from the very beginning! This makes them significantly more likely to choose to click "enroll right now" when the time comes.
How to do it:
Send a short survey to your readers asking them 3 short questions:
#1 What's your top source of frustration with your particular topic?
2. What would you like an expert would finally reveal the specifics of how they came to your result?
#3 If I design an application to teach you how to insert result then what is the one thing you must include?
Strategy #8 - Host Webinars
The Plan
Make use of webinars to bring about real-time noise and excitement about your topic.
What is it:
1. Choose a webinar subject which teaches viewers why this topic is urgent and also provides them with the foundational structure. If they want the full system they can enroll in your course, for which you will provide a special offer at the end.
#2 Create a bonus for people who purchase your program at the end of your webinar. This is one of my favorite ways to motivate students to participate and increase sales.
Strategy #9 - Use Affiliates
The Plan:
Find honest to goodness true supporters and colleagues who know the value of your work and want to share it with their followers. The typical affiliate commission is 50% of the commission for e-courses as well as online courses.
How do you get it:
First, set up your desired affiliate program.
2. Create images or swipe copies, as well as other marketing materials to share with your affiliates. The goal is to make their task as as simple as possible.
#3 Apply Strategy #6 to gamify your affiliate program too! I once won $500 for being named the best affiliate in one of my favorite online programs. The "leaderboard" each week enticed me to want to see my name at the at the top of the list.
Strategy #10 - Build the Ultimate Fun Community
The Plan:
How do you get it:
- Create a Twitter chat in the live stream event. add Facebook comments to your training videos for video series pages. Encourage viewers to join in on the chat box during your webinar.
Remember Sarah Jenks from strategy #6? Her #LiveMoreChallenge is also a great community on social media. Here's what you find if you look up her hashtag:
Strategy #11 - Make your audience addicted to your results and the benefits you can help them get.
The Plan
No matter what you create what you create, the aim is to always aim to aid the audience get a specific result.
How do you get it:
- If you can, encourage people to get up and perform a simple task that will lead to a result.
- In other words, they could write something down, mark something on their calendar and then provide them with a formula for coming up with something that is simple (like the headline or tagline) Then, ask you to create something they can finish in the next 24 days.
- If you can, encourage individuals to sign a public announcement. If you have a community included here (like an Facebook group) you'll be amazed at the more likely people are to follow through.
Strategy #12 - Provide rewards to those who share
The Plan:
Offer your audience an amazing reward for sharing your pre-launch instruction via social media. They're excited to spread the word and often just need a little push to do so.
How to do it:
This depends on your technology So, make sure you examine if there's an method to send people an email upon clicking a specific link. Personally, I've done it by using Infusionsoft.
1. Create a click-to tweet link for people to use to share.
#2 Configure it so that whenever one of your customers clicks on the "click for tweet" button, they will be triggered to get an email that includes an incentive.
#3 Make a unique print-friendly PDF or PDF that you can give to those who have shared your work.
4. Create an email that will deliver the cool printable or PDF to those who click on the "click to tweet" hyperlink.
In the event that people sign up for my free webinar I then send them an email with "click to tweet" to share my webinar with their followers. Here's what it looks like:
Remember, you don't need to employ all twelve of these techniques. Try to keep it as basic as is possible now, but add more complexity later on.
Are you ready to start?
Choose 3-5 methods that sound enjoyable to you. "Fun" is the guiding policy and I'm not doing things in my work that are enjoyable (even if it's strategic). If you're having fun talking about your course you offer, the more people be drawn to your enthusiasm. When you are truly enthusiastic about promoting your program, you can't be disappointed.
Courtney Johnston is the rebel + copywriter (and the CEO) at The Rule Breaker's Club. She is a spunky, enthusiastic instructor who teaches innovative entrepreneurs to put themselves out there and make people think "yes!".