5 Tips for Promoting Your Online Course
So after long days of labor and sleepless nights, you’ve finally created an online course. Congratulations – you’ve joined the “knowledge commerce” revolution!
However, that is just half of the battle. The real challenge lies in getting people to sign up. Before proceeding with any promotion, take time to define who exactly you are targeting with your course. This will give you an idea of what marketing strategies will be effective in reaching your audience where they are. Using the wrong promotional tactics will only result in wasted time and money.
Here are some guidelines for promoting your online course effectively:
1. Create an email campaign
Despite the growing popularity of social media, email is still one of the marketing channels that generates the highest return on investment (ROI). If you have a mailing list, you can spread the word about your course before, during and after the launch.
Before creating your course, share the topic with your subscribers to find out if the topic resonates with them. Ask them exactly what they would want to learn about that topic. When the course is ready to be launched, send an email to your subscribers with a call to action (CTA) to sign up or download.
Two weeks after the launch, send a follow-up email to those people that didn’t take action. You might need to tweak your subject line, email copy or CTA button to enhance effectiveness.
2. Run contests and quizzes
Holding relevant contests and quizzes can be very effective for building hype about your course. This is a creative way of raising awareness about your course without having to spend much. Tools such as Wishpond, Woobox, Shortstack and Agorapulse will not only help you create great quizzes, but also allow you to collect contacts for your email list. Encourage participants to share the information with others to boost their chances of winning.
3. Place it strategically in your blog or website
You can promote your online course using slide-in forms, pop ups, an ad on your sidebar or a permanent sign up form on your homepage. To ensure it doesn’t look spammy to visitors, make sure your course is only promoted in places that are relevant to it.
For example, if the course is about weight loss plans, you could position it next to a blog post that talks about the dangers of obesity. This will allow you to reach a more targeted audience.
4. Offer a sneak peek in a blog post
Quite often, people will want to have a sneak peek before making a commitment to take your course. One of the best ways of doing this is by writing a blog post that gives some insight into what they would learn if they signed up. To create social proof, share what influencers and past students are saying about the course. If the blog post is compelling enough, people will be motivated to register for the course to learn more.
5. Share on social media
Share information about your online course on social media platforms that are relevant to your target audience. For example, while a promotion on Instagram would work for a course targeting teenagers, it would be inappropriate for a course targeting professionals. You can boost your reach by using paid social media ads. A good place to start is Facebook ads which allow you to target specific groups of people based on their demographics and location.