Are you a coach looking to share your expertise with the world but feeling stuck on how to launch your online course successfully?
Marketing your courses can be tricky, and many coaches find themselves facing challenges in reaching their audience effectively.
In this blog, we will explore the key aspects of starting and launching your online course, providing solutions to common problems coaches encounter.
Let’s discover how you can make your online course journey a success!
How can you Start an Online Course?
The coaching industry has become a thriving global market, with its value reaching an impressive £2.85 billion.
Starting an online course may seem daunting, especially if you’re new to the digital landscape.
However, we’re here to guide you through the process step by step.
Step 1: Explore and Identify Your Ideal Course Topic
Starting with a course topic requires a thoughtful consideration of your expertise and passion.
Identify the areas where you excel and feel enthusiastic. It’s crucial to select a topic that addresses a specific need or interest.
So, how can you choose the topic?
Consider the problems or desires of your target audience and choose a topic that resonates with them.
Step 2: Understand your Audience
Understanding your audience is very important.
So, what’s the best way to understand your customers?
You can engage in user research by conducting interviews with potential students.
This helps you grasp their needs and challenges.
Right, you can utilise tools like Google Trends to gauge the interest in your topic.
You can also browse platforms like Reddit and Quora. They provide insights into real queries and concerns within your niche.
Step 3: Select the Format of Your Course
The format of your course plays a crucial role in how you present and market it.
Decide between a mini-course, multi-day course, or a masterclass based on your experience, content depth, and your audience’s preferences.
Understanding the pricing dynamics associated with each format helps in making informed decisions.
Step 4: Test Market Demand
Before the official launch of your online course and before investing substantial time and resources, it’s wise to test the market demand.
Start by creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), such as a mini-course or a free webinar.
This initial step serves as a test for your course idea.
By offering a taste of your content, you can gauge interest and gather crucial feedback from potential customers.
This direct interaction empowers you to make informed adjustments to your course concept, ensuring it resonates effectively with your target audience.
Step 5: Pre-sell Your Course
Pre-selling means selling your course before it’s completely ready.
This approach has multiple benefits.
It helps you test your course idea, relieves stress by getting early feedback, and secures initial buyers.
To start, craft an enticing pre-sale landing page that clearly highlights your course’s title, topic, and outline.
This method ensures a smoother course creation journey while involving your audience from the very beginning.
Step 6: Outline Your Course Content
A well-organised course is vital for successful learning.
To achieve this, start by breaking down your course into manageable modules and lessons.
Clearly define topics for each segment, ensuring a logical flow.
Additionally, decide on the format for your lessons—whether they’ll be videos, text, or downloadable content.
This careful planning establishes the groundwork for developing compelling, easy-to-follow, and comprehensive course material.
Step 7: Set Course Pricing and Sales Goals
Determining the right price for your course requires a thoughtful approach.
It’s like finding the perfect balance.
Think about the specific field your course belongs to, how much you plan to spend on marketing, and how established you are in your area of expertise.
Look into what others are charging for similar courses to grasp the market landscape.
Set achievable sales goals that align with your broader business plans.
Importantly, ensure that your pricing reflects the true value your course brings to the table.
Step 8: Choose the Right Online Course Platform
Decide between standalone platforms (e.g., Thinkific, Teachable), all-in-one solutions (e.g., Kajabi, Podia), or online course marketplaces (e.g., Skillshare, Udemy).
Consider factors like control over content, cost, and audience reach when making this decision.
Step 9. Launch and Advertise Your Course
The launch phase involves effective marketing strategies.
Run webinars to generate leads, prioritise email marketing to build a connection with potential buyers, and leverage social media for consistent value-driven interactions.
Experiment with paid ads, SEO tactics, and content marketing to reach a wider audience.
Continuously refine your approach based on what works best.
Step 10: Gather Feedback and Testimonials to Enhance Your Online Course
Feedback or social proof is a treasure trove for improvement.
Actively collect feedback from course participants.
You can request testimonials from those who have seen positive results.
Remember, constructive criticism should be used to refine your course content.
Positive testimonials serve as powerful marketing tools, showcasing the real value your course offers.
How to successfully announce and launch your online course?
There are 370,000 coaching professionals who have registered on LinkedIn in the UK.
So, launching your online course is a significant milestone, and its success depends on strategic planning.
Here are key elements to ensure your course launch makes a resounding impact.
1. Pre-selling Your Course
Pre-selling is more than a strategy; it’s a crucial step to test the waters and secure early buyers.
By creating anticipation through early bird discounts, setting up a pre-sale landing page, and offering enticing incentives, you can gauge interest, fund your course creation, and set the stage for a strong launch.
2. Creating a Pre-sale Landing Page
Your landing page is the first impression potential buyers get.
Craft a compelling page using platforms like Easy Peasy Funnels.
Showcase your course with a captivating title, provide a concise overview, share visuals, and include testimonials to build curiosity and encourage action.
3. Incentivising Buyers
Everyone loves freebies and incentives!
Incentives play a pivotal role in attracting potential buyers and creating a sense of urgency.
Offering exclusive discounts, early access, or additional resources can motivate potential buyers to commit.
Clearly communicate these incentives on your landing page to maximise their impact.
4. Setting Pricing and Sales Goals
Balancing the right price for your course is crucial.
Research competitor pricing, consider your course’s unique value, and set a price that reflects it.
Define realistic sales goals that align with your expectations, allowing you to measure success, tailor marketing efforts, and track progress effectively.
5. Ensuring Your Launch Exceeds Expectations
Launch your online course better than expected.
Make sure to deliver what you promised, engage with students, address concerns, and collect feedback for future improvements.
This builds momentum for your current course and sets the stage for successful courses ahead.
Focus on keeping things smooth, engaging students, and learning from their feedback to make each course better than the last.
How Do You Lay Out an Online Course?
Designing the layout of an online course is vital for keeping students engaged and ensuring their success.
If you’re a coach new to teaching online, figuring out how to structure your content may be a bit challenging.
This blog is here to help you navigate this process and understand the art of laying out an online course effectively.
One key aspect is creating a clear outline. Think of it as a roadmap for your course.
Breaking down your content into modules and lessons is like dividing your journey into manageable parts.
This helps students follow along easily and grasp the information step by step.
The goal is to make the learning experience smooth and comprehensible.
When you launch your online course, choosing the right format for your lessons is another crucial step.
For instance, videos are great for presenting ideas visually and efficiently, while downloadable resources like worksheets can enhance the learning process.
Selecting the appropriate format ensures that your course layout supports an optimal learning experience.
Sell your online courses with Easy Peasy Funnels?
Of course!
Launching your online course with Easy Peasy Funnels is a straightforward and efficient process.
To get started, first, create an Easy Peasy Funnels account, taking advantage of the platform’s free trial for initial exploration.
Once your account is set up, craft your course content, deciding on the topic, lesson format, and overall structure.
Easy Peasy Funnels offers a secure and scalable environment for hosting your multimedia content, supporting videos, PDFs, and images.
Utilise the platform’s intuitive course hosting capabilities to seamlessly upload and organise your modules.
Design an enticing sales page for your course using Easy Peasy Funnels’ user-friendly landing page builder, incorporating high-quality visuals, compelling copy, and effective call-to-action elements.
Integration with trusted payment processors like Stripe and PayPal ensures seamless and secure transactions, with the option to set up recurring payments for subscription-based courses.
Leverage Easy Peasy Funnels‘ marketing integrations to promote your course through various channels, including email campaigns, social media ads, and purpose-built landing pages.
As you launch your course, Easy Peasy Funnels’ built-in analytics will empower you to track sales, assess traffic sources, and measure student engagement, providing valuable insights for ongoing optimisation and success.
