There are so many different ways that you can promote your business and attract new customers but here are 10 ways that consistently pop up in marketing articles.
1. Create a blog for your business
Blogs are a fantastic marketing tool that you can use to your advantage. Especially if you have a blog that you publish regular free content on topics that your online course is about, your readers are already potential students. Some great places to promote your business in a blog post could be as a top bar, on the sidebar, at the end of a blog post and even on the About page but just remember to promote it tastefully rather than bombard your readers. If you know basic SEO principles and publish regularly, you will soon grow a devoted audience. Think carefully about what to name your blog as it should be somewhat related to your business, but make it memorable.
2. Utilize social media
Regardless of what social platform you’re using, it’s smart to post teaser information about your online course early on. As your following grows, don’t make all your content about your online course. It’s all about quality and value rather than quantity. Use various social channels to deliver valuable content about your course. This way you’ll build a following that consistently checks on what you post and by the time your course is launched, you’ll have a dedicated following as potential customers. One really effective way is to start a Facebook Group, this is a fantastic way to build a community on a free platform that most people use and as more people join and become interested, they will tell their network about your class. It’s a great way to have a bird’s eye view of what people are saying about your course and what they think about the topic at hand. It’s also great for personal branding purposes as it allows you to position yourself as an authority on your topic.
3. Run Ads for Your Online Course
Google Adwords works by creating ads to pop up in search results by using specific keywords that are related to your topic or online course. This is a great way of showing your course right in front of people to bring awareness to your business. Facebook Ads are a little bit different, they create ads to target users based on their interests, behaviours and other demographics. Since it is a social platform, the key is to get them onto your blog or email list in order to sell your online course to them.
4. Leverage Email Marketing
Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective promotional strategies when it comes to online courses. Everyone’s emails are usually connected to their phone so you have mobile devices covered, you’re less likely to lose your audience because of a platform shutting down and everyone on the list has already shown interest in your content. The click through versus open rate is pretty good for both big and small businesses. Building your email list should be made a priority from day one if you want to effectively market your business. Having people sign up to be a part of the mailing list can be done in a number of ways, it can be linked on your blog, your course homepage, spoken about on your podcast, advertised on social platforms, the avenues are endless.
5. Create a free “mini” course
This strategy takes little effort and time but is well worth it. Creating a smaller version of your full length course is a great way to show potential students what they’re in for. You not only show them what kind of content they’ll be getting but there will also be a lower risk of refund requests as they will be getting an introduction to the course before they buy it. Take some concepts or modules of your course and offer them as shortened versions to your students while giving them the option at the end to purchase the full course. You might be asking “what good is that? Won’t they just take the free course and not buy?” but you’d be surprised, if you build your taster course the right way, by the end of students should realise how little they know about the topic at hand.
6. Run price promos and discounts
Running price promotions for your online course in relation to specific holidays like Black Friday is a really effective way to generate revenue. Offering discounts for your first round of students is another idea, this way you generate a tangible source of income to pay for your advertising costs (if you’re running paid ads) and you can get feedback and reviews early on that you can display on your blog and other platforms to drive interest. Offering a satisfaction guarantee is seen as desirable as it gives the students peace of mind even if they end up finishing the course. It also conveys confidence because you wouldn’t offer this option if you knew all your students would use it. Payment plans are also an effective option to provide as people might not have the money to pay the full price upfront. Offering payment plan options so that they can pay over an extended period of time might push them to purchase your course.
7 . Host a live webinar
Live webinars are one of the best ways to promote your business according to the latest research. They allow you to give some of your best content for free to bring awareness to your course and bring you closer to your target audience in a way that TV never could. Live webinars can be watched by anyone in any corner of the world and you can opt to have Q&A sessions so that people can diminish any doubts they may have and participants can provide their feedback and comments on the course. It’s also a great way to produce evergreen content so people can still watch it even if they’ve missed the live session. Live webinars also help position you as an expert on the topic at hand and helps build confidence and trust in both you and the participants before asking for a sale.
8. Social proof marketing
Social proof marketing is all about using testimonials and reviews from students to attract new students. It’s a quick way of building trust and rapport without directly speaking to the prospect. While you may not have any testimonials or reviews at first, ask your students to fill out a feedback or review form after they’ve finished the course or module. If the response rate is poor, offer an incentive of some sort to increase the rate. Positive testimonials and reviews are an effective way of showing potential students that past students who took the course appreciated your talent and your skills which instill confidence in prospects about your course and teaching ability. It shows potential students that your course is valuable.
