Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, my personal social media feeds have been inundated with posts about boredom, a lack of motivation, the need for mental stimulation, and a desire to learn something new. If you’ve been thinking about offering online classes in literally anything, now is the time to act.
While so many people are homebound and losing their jobs, a large number of them are looking to learn new skills and possibly transition into other lines of work or business. This puts you in the unique place of being able to share the skills you’ve acquired and make money online doing it.
Video is a key medium in successful MMO plans. With sites like Udemy starting to focus on homebound users, you’ve just found yourself in the middle of a prime opportunity. Today, I’m going to give you the tools you need to start developing course content that sells and show you how to properly promote your course for maximum exposure.
1. Know Your Subject Well
It might sound silly, but too many marketers dive into online course content with far less knowledge than they should. If you are thinking about teaching something, please make it something about which you actually know. You should at least know your subject well enough to fill out at least a brief course’s worth of content without filler.
Please keep in mind that most online course sites that allow users to upload premium content also offer money-back guarantees. Don’t think you can provide subpar content and still profit. There are safeguards in place to prevent that.
If you’ve already tried to market online course content and have dealt with paying a disproportionate number of refunds, it’s time to look carefully at the quality of the content you’re producing. It’s probably time to make some changes that provide a more comprehensive approach.
2. Keep Video Quality High … But Don’t Obsess
You would be amazed at how many successful online course content producers start out using their phones as the primary camera for their videos. There have been independent movies filmed entirely on iPhones, so, yes, it is completely possible to produce a good online course with nothing but your phone, a tripod, and (perhaps) a Bluetooth microphone.
If the video is clear, sharp, and easy to watch, people will watch it and gladly pay for the privilege. However, they are typically much more prone to focus on the quality of the instruction since, in this instance, that’s what they’re paying for.
3. Keep Materials and Supplies Expectations Reasonable
Bear in mind that you are marketing to people who are probably struggling a little financially. First, you want them to pay for your course. Now, you want them to buy more stuff to meet the materials requirements.
This part of the equation has to be commensurate with what you’re teaching. It’s fine to require things that the user expects to need. If you are teaching crochet, for example, it is reasonable to expect students to buy things like hooks and yarns. Expensive accessories or your preferred brand of everything? Not so much (unless you’re promoting sponsor products).
4. Keep Course Pricing Attractive and Competitive
Research what other content creators are fetching for similar courses and see how yours measures up. The quality and value need to be competitive. Also, keep the estimated materials cost for the student in mind. Supplying links to well-priced materials can help boost the perceived value of your course, as well.
Bear in mind that content like this is almost all profit after launch, with only advertising expenses (which really are minimal in comparison to traditional businesses) as continuous overhead. Decide what profit margin you can live with and keep your price reasonable. You’ll make zero dollars by giving potential students sticker shock.
5. Develop Great Support Content
Pre- and post-launch content are crucial to your continued success. Here are a few of the things you’ll need and how to use them:
Email — If you already have a list, send out a four-day pre-launch blast to raise excitement and anticipation. Include the order link in your last message. Send students who buy your course regular emails that keep them engaged and excited about learning more and follow through with more launch sequences as you develop more content. You are developing follow-up courses for students who like your content as we speak, right?
Your Website and Blog — Your website and blog should set the stage for what students can expect. Maintain a clean, professional look with a minimum of ads. If there’s one thing people really dislike, it’s having to endure ads when they pay for premium content. Any on-page ads you choose should be relevant to what you’re teaching (and attempting to sell).
Paid Ads — CPC/PPC ads can help increase your reach considerably and also help you find students while you build SEO. You should always drive primary traffic to your own site, then embed course material on your own pages or link out to the hosting site from there. Don’t waste time feeding Udemy’s SEO. It’s doing fine. Build organic traffic for yours, starting with a few inexpensive paid ads.
Social Media Engagement — Promote your product and your blog on social media and, when possible, engage personally with your audience. Keep the content branded and include calls to action in your posts to click on blog posts or product pages.
At BeezContent, we can assist with any and all of the above for your online course offerings and much, much more. We are a full-service copywriting company with writers who have all levels of experience with specific content types and subject areas. Talk to us about your course, we’ll help you increase sales.
