Podcast Listener question:
I was listening to your latest episode "Why You Should Create an Online Course & How to Plan One." First, I have to say that I found it very informative and full of great content, so thank you for recording it. I own a small business currently, and would like to start another business creating some online courses. I have a great idea for one in a niche that I currently am working in. I have an idea and the curriculum for a great online course that I know would sell. However, I have no social media presence, email list, or following in any capacity. I know a lot of the information I have found on starting an online course is geared towards people who already have an email list or something. My question for you is it possible for me to have a successful launch of an online course without already having some sort of following? If so, what would be the way to do it? Where would I launch or promote it? - Michael
A summary of my answers: Ask as many people in your target audience what they think, how much they would pay and would they find valuable. Then, create a test group of VIPs and require them to pay in order to get early access into the course. Many people get excited about being able to craft the course with you. It's not a big roadblock that you don't have an audience or large platform...do you know someone in the industry that does? You could have them be a part of the training, especially if you do videos. You can have them promote it as an affiliate and/or give recommendations. You can start a podcast on the topic and interview industry leaders. You can get on other podcasts as a guest to speak to the pain points of your target audience. Go to onlinecoursecoach.com/podcastcourse to learn the exact forumla for success. Where you build the course depends on your audience and your long term vision. Should it be on your website or hosted on another platform? Do you want to use something pre-existing and pay a monthly fee (or a percentage of your sales), or do you want to have your own website where you control all aspects of the course? This will determine where to host it. The Online Course Coach Podcast Questions: What was your background before your first online course? Why did you create the Double Your Freelance rate course? What did you learn while creating it, is the current course the same one as you originally launched? What systems, tools or websites do you use to house and deliver the courses? Now that you’ve create multiple courses, what have you learned along the way? How have your courses gotten better as you've created more courses over the years, or what have you done to make them better? Tell me about Double Your Freelancing Clients and why you decided to create it. How has building your courses helped impact more lives and increased your success (success could be financially, time freedom, etc)? What marketing strategies have you used to promote your courses? Who all do you utilize throughout the course creation process? Is it just you, or do you have a team that supports you along the way? Where can people learn more you about you and your courses? Online Course Coach Podcast Show Notes: He started an agency as he moved into a new town and grew it into a agency Brennan then left the agency and started a software as a service business, called Planscope.io This first course, Double Your Freelance Rate was originally an ebook, before he made it into a full fledged course There is an auto responder within the course to help with accountability The name of his course was originally the title of the course but then it became the name of the course He used pricing tiers to help improve his sales, and better help his students learn better Don’t assume a self study course is enough. Make it high touch for maximum impact Within his course, he has upsell opportunities that helps the student, and increases Brennan’s revenue Double Your Freelancing Rate using Gumroad to deliver the course workbook content in pdf and mobi files. He then delivers the videos within a local environment so they can watch it on their computer. He gives a free email course that takes 2 weeks but afterward, he offers the course at a discount to buy DYFR Double Your Freelancing Clients is 57 videos lasting 5 hours of content. It’s different in that he’s available for office hours to ask any questions He only markets to his own audience with the DYFC and mainly for those that have taken his DYFR course. Brennan uses paid ads as well free traffic that comes to his site, takes the free email course and then buy his paid course For the most part, Brennan does most of the work himself Go to FreePricingCourse.com to see Brennan's system and flow Go to DoubleYourFreelancing.com for more blog posts, articles, and podcasts on the topic of increasing your rates