Creating a course is only complex if you make it.
You need 3-5 topics to teach about, a welcome video, and implementation tools like worksheets to go with each topic. Yet, our clients come to us with so much anxiety about "getting it right." I remember feeling that same agony!
But the good news is that if you avoids these 3 common mistakes, you're already ahead of the game.
When I was a nurse educator, I had to learn the art of teaching nurses the most comprehensive information in the shortest amount of time possible. Typically it was around the 15 minute mark as the nurses in long term care homes had to leave their already busy workload, switch off, stay late or come in early for their mandatory education.
You can image how excited they were to be "volun-told" to attend education.
That skill, which I mastered quickly, adapted into my first business, Lisa P's Quick Fitness with 20 minute express classes and my first course, Macros, Muscles, and Mindfulness with 21 days of 5 minute teaching videos.
I learned how to master cutting to the chase.
Research shows that viewers are more likely to watch 3, 20 minute videos to completion than one 60 minute video.
The first mistake we make in courses is trying to teach everything but the kitchen sink.
It overwhelms the student and when they never get the win, they won't come back for more. Courses have very specific before and after element. My Online in 9 Course was all about how to get your first online paying client in 9 steps. Courses take you from stressed to calm with meditation, or even provide tactical information with technology or design. It has a clear deliverable.
With great content, multiple A-HAs happen, but potential clients know exactly what result they will achieve if they do the work.
The next mistake is providing no implementation tools.
I was blessed to marry an expert graphic designer so that I could have beautiful images, worksheets, and all marketing materials at my fingertips. I love providing the design services with our done for you services because there is nothing worse than great content with a crap design.
But now a days, you can create an incredible relationship with someone on Fiverr to have your PDF's and Power Points designed. Repetition is what makes things sink in and you can charge more for a course that has implementation tools. Sometimes it isn't even creating new. If the thought of creating new is overwhelming, look through your past assets to see if you can edit an old piece of work that still makes sense to re-purpose.
Courses with a live component also sell better. Instead of a PDF worksheet, you could offer a Q and A session, live coaching, or tickets to your next live event or VIP Day. Don't overthink it! What tool would help the student nail the message?
Lastly, if you build it, they may not come unless..
Most people forget about the runway involved before the launch. For me, it starts the day that I decide to create. I take my commnity along in the naming, branding, filming, and creating process. If you take them with you and make it interesting, they will come. I also believe in the term "Return on Gratitude" ROG vs. the typical Return on Investment, ROI. How much did you give before you offered the sale?
I start to officially market my course 14 days before launch with creating 14 days of story telling and education based topics that overcome objections, and create awareness of the aspiration and pain points in their life.
For example, if I'm re-launching my Online in 9 Course, I'd speak to being on vacation and still having impact and income with an evergreen course. I'd teach one quick tip a day overcoming imposter syndrome and limiting beliefs, and I'd talk about the difference between a course, membership, and group coaching program and why you'd build each.
There has to be a strategy to your marketing. Lastly, don't forget about video. IF you want people to buy a course, they need to see your teaching style and a strong sales video that makes it all about them. Go live on Facebook, Linked In, You Tube, IGTV, IG stories, Webinars.
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Want to create your next course? It's a 3 month process (or quicker) and we do everything from pulling out your ideas to naming, branding, creating, developing, designing, coding, launching. We do all the things you don't want to do or don't know how to do, so you can teach!
