5 Strategies for Marketing Your Online Course

Myth: You must have your course completed before you can start marketing it.

Reality: You should start marketing as soon as possible!

The good news is you don’t have to have your course ready before you sell it. There’s no need to have your program created and packaged with red a bow… yet!

I’ve developed five great strategies to help you spread the word while you are still secretly building your course:

• Start Talking Early - the sooner, the better
• Collaborate with People in Your Niche - Bloggers, Coaches, etc.
• Get on Podcasts - join one or make your own
• Post on Social Media - Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest
• Collect Emails - build a list of people who are interested in your idea

Start Talking Early

The earlier you can get an audience aware of you and your course, the less work you will have when launch day arrives. Early exposure of your idea to your audience will help you refine any areas that need more work. In other words, you can use this opportunity to get feedback from people who might be interested in purchasing your course. This process will allow you to make any necessary changes before the final version of your course is released.

“Talking” could look like creating a teaser video or offering a free webinar—it doesn’t have to be text. However, it’s important to show the transformation your clients will be experiencing. They need to see how their life can change by taking your course. This could mean a weight loss transformation, learning a new skill set, or becoming more confident in themselves.

The bottom line is you want as many people as possible to know about this new thing you’re launching and the benefits/transformation they can expect from your program.

If you have a small presence online, then the next thing you’ll want to do is collaborate.

Collaborate with People in Your Niche

One of the best ways to get started with online course creation is to collaborate with people in your niche. You can partner up with other coaches, bloggers, or other experts in your field. They can introduce you to their audiences, and you can do the same for them. This is a great way to reach new people who might be interested in what you have to offer.

An easy way to find people to collaborate with is to:

• Search social media using hashtags
• Look at the profiles of people who comment on pictures and videos of your topic on other platforms
• Use professional networks on LinkedIn

Get on Podcasts

Podcasts are another great way to share your message and reach a new audience. If you have something interesting to say, consider pitching yourself as a guest on someone else’s show! 

You can also create your own podcast where others might want to be interviewed by you. This would give them exposure while giving listeners valuable information at no cost to them.

Post on Social Media

Sharing your offer on Instagram stories and posts every day is a great way to get people’s attention. They’ll see your message multiple times, which will increase the chances that they’ll act. And since Instagram is a visual platform, it’s the perfect place to share photos and videos of your course.

YouTube and Pinterest are also high-traffic areas where people look for new information and education opportunities on many topics. Find out which social media platform your ideal client is using, and make sure you have a presence there.

Create a simple form to start collecting contact information

This is technically called a lead magnet. When people are interested in your course, you want to capture their contact information to put them on a waitlist and then follow up with them when you’re ready. If you’re new to all this online stuff, Google Forms, MailChimp, and JotForm can get you started.

The form is just the technical part of collecting information. You need to think of something valuable you can offer in exchange for someone’s email address. This could mean offering a freebie or a discount for the course once it’s released. This is the magnet that you use to generate your lead.

You can also offer an opportunity for them to see the course before anyone else and provide feedback and create a special pre-release email list. This is an excellent opportunity for them to get a sneak peek of what’s to come, create testimonials, as well as help you make any final changes before releasing it to the public. 

Conclusion

With these five strategies, you’re well on your way to creating and marketing a successful online course! By collaborating with others in your niche, getting on podcasts, and sharing your offer on social media, you’ll reach more people who might be interested in what you have to offer. By creating a signup form, you’ll build an email list of people interested in learning more about your course and waiting for your launch.

If you are interested in diving deeper into how to pre-sell your course, check out my previous article here.

Next Steps

While building your audience with social media, you will also need to consider your next steps in building your course. I recommend you create an outline, record new content, and maybe even talk with an online course-building expert (she’s great!).

Develop an outline of the program

This process will break down your main idea into smaller sections to help figure out the pace and timing of your materials. 

Make the Content

This could be blog posts, videos, or podcasts. The more helpful and informative this content is, the more people will learn from you. This step is all about taking your knowledge and making it digital.

Talk to an Expert

A few platforms out there are great for creating an online course, but they’re not all equal. It helps to work with someone like me who knows the ins and outs and can get you set up and ready to go quickly.

If you have not decided on which platform to create your course with, I have a special offer to try Kajabi for FREE for the first 30 days. This offer is not available on the Kajabi main website and is only available through Kajabi Partners. By signing up through my link, you'll also receive some pretty sweet bonuses to help you kickstart your online journey! CLICK HERE to check them out!

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and I make earnings from some qualifying purchases if you click the links. I only recommend tools and products that I personally use and trust!