There has never been a better time to buy and use online courses. As a result, entrepreneurs like you have more opportunities. Are you an expert?
Making a course, selling it online, and potentially making thousands of dollars is possible. That’s great. However, that’s where the problem lies. Are you able to sell it?
We’re discussing that here. Getting conversions starts with understanding your target market and building your email list. Let’s get started!
Part 1. Targeting the Right Market
Entrepreneurs often begin their business plan by focusing on what they will sell… not who will buy it. This is a problem. Your course won’t succeed if there is no target market for it.
Here’s where we start. The creation of a customer avatar, complete with as many details as possible.
Creating an avatar for your customers
Can you tell us about your dream customer – the person you would most like to work with? How would they describe their dreams and desires? What are their fears and worries? What do they want and wish for?
Here are some questions for you to answer.
- How would you describe their demographics?
- Can you tell me where they live?
- Who are they and what is their industry?
- What is their income?
- How do they spend their free time?
- What are their favorite online hangouts?
- How do they define their values?
- Is there anything they are afraid of?
- What is the most important thing to them in life?
- Do they face any challenges?
- How do they use other products and services?
You will be able to find, market to, and convert more customers if you understand who wants to buy your course. You now know your audience, but how do you reach them?
Figure out:
- Their top ten favorite websites and forums.
- A total of 15 active Facebook groups they are a part of.
- Instagram and Facebook influencers they follow.
- Podcasts they listen to on a daily basis.
- A total of 40 email newsletters they are subscribed to
- Their top 20 active blogs.
- Approximately 20 YouTube channels they are subscribers to.
List everything!
When you infiltrate these places, you can drive your target market to your sales funnel because these are the places where they already hang out.
Part 2. Email List Building
Each of us wants to show our online course to the world, get tons of purchases, and walk away rich. Reality, however, isn’t quite so simple.
It’s a lot harder to sell your course to cold traffic – people who haven’t heard of you before – than to your email list. Those who have followed you for a while, trust you, and enjoy what you write.
The heart of your marketing strategy should be your email list. Subscribers should be encouraged to buy your course periodically as you build trust with them. Those are the long-term goals. Moreover, it works like a charm.
When it comes to this, how do you do it? Let’s discuss it.
An effective lead magnet
In order to build an email list, you need to understand that people don’t give you their email just because they are kind. Providing them with something 100 times more valuable is the only way to gain their trust.
Lead magnets are the key to generating leads. You can get your target market’s email address by offering them something so valuable they can’t resist giving it to you.
Funnel for Lead Magnets
The first step is to create your lead magnet. You need to:
- Make sure the right people see your lead magnet.
- Ensure that the right people are converted.
Check out the places you listed describing where your target market congregates. Lead magnets can then be used to infiltrate these places.
To collect email addresses, you’ll need to create a Squeeze Page Funnel. The funnel consists of just two pages:
- Squeeze Page – A headline that grabs attention and an email signup form
- Thank you Page – An attention-grabbing headline with video or breakdown of what you’re offering.
Part 3. How to Create a Sales Funnel for Your Online Course
Your target market is clear to you. In addition, you are now working on growing your email list.
Our next topic in Part 4 is how you can sell to your email list. Having a sales funnel to send your email list to is essential prior to selling to them…
Your online course will sell like clockwork with this funnel.
One of the funnel types I see a lot of success with is the Product Launch Funnel. It is designed to increase the number of people who purchase your upcoming online course on launch day by building suspense and excitement.
The process begins with a squeeze page that introduces the product and invites prospects to subscribe for updates.
Step 1. Build out a Squeeze page
Step 2. Provide the lead with between 3 and 5 pages containing additional information about the upcoming product and its progress. This will build suspense and interest.
Step 3. A product launch order form is sent to the prospect on launch day.
Part 4. A Marketing Plan for Email Lists
We discussed the importance of building your email list in Part 2. We discussed some tactics for doing so. You will sell your online course like hotcakes if you have a strong email list. However…
After new subscribers sign up, what type of content should you send them?
In the future, what should you send them?
What is the right frequency for sending emails?
Email marketing is all about getting as many sales as possible. Think about it. You have a lead magnet on your website that leads people to sign up for your email list. What happens next?
In the following 5-7 days, you should introduce your business, build trust, and offer the person your online course.
A final thought on the sales funnel for course creators: Making money from online courses is a great way to get started. It’s easy to create them – you’ve already got all the expertise you need.
But what about selling them? That’s where the rubber meets the road.
From understanding your target market and building your email list to creating a sales funnel and marketing to your list, we have shown you how to build a successful sales funnel for your online course.
You’ve got all the information you need. Action is the next step.
Written By: Britt Dolleren
Britt has over 17 years in creative direction and digital marketing and is the founder of the award-winning digital marketing company Wet Coast Marketing.