Sometimes knowing how to market your course is one of the biggest challenges in selling a course. But without marketing, you certainly won’t see the number of sales you may have expected.

Most course creators will initially turn to social media or publish the details of their course on their website, but there are plenty of other ways that you can reach a whole new audience.

Let’s take a look at 10 activities you can use to market your course outside of social media and your website.

Blogging

Blogging is a well-known way to market your course, particularly if you research the relevant keywords (for example, if your course is about learning how to paint, you’ll use keywords relevant to painting).

Writing and publishing blogs on your website, or guest blogging on another website, is a great way to promote your course. These blog posts can then form the basis for your social media marketing, as well your email marketing.

The easiest way to start blogging about your course? Pick one section of your course and think about what questions people may have. Using our previous example of learning to paint, you might write a blog on how to choose the right-sized canvas.

If you want to dive further into blogging take a look at the Blogging for Business course in the Enever Group business academy.

Build a Newsletter List

A regular newsletter is a great way to keep in touch with people who are interested in what you do. These might be potential students or past students. A newsletter is a cost-effective marketing method where you can share tips, your latest blogs, testimonials, and snippets from your course.

You can, of course, include links to purchasing your course or signing up for free challenges, downloading eBooks, or any other lead generation tool you may be using.

A newsletter list is a tool you can use from the very beginning – you don’t need to wait until you have hundreds of people on your list before you start sending regular newsletters.

Find out more about the formula of a newsletter.

Free Email Course

Everyone loves a freebie! Take a small section of your course and turn it into a series of educational emails. This is a lead generation tool that can be promoted as a free course that will help you build your newsletter and email marketing list.

At the end of the free course, invite those students to purchase your full course, join in on a live webinar or attend an event you are speaking at. You won’t always get students to sign up straight away – sometimes they may need to see more value before parting with their money.

Read more about how you can utilise educational marketing to market your course.

Free Challenge

A free challenge is another great lead generation tool. It is a great way to direct people to your landing page and build your email list. Usually run on a social media platform like Facebook or Instagram, a free challenge can go for anywhere from a few days to a month. Challenges help to:

  •         Engage your audience
  •         Show your expertise
  •         Qualify leads
  •         Increase traffic and sales

 These challenges can take a little planning, as you need to create a map of where your potential students are now and where they want to be. Think about how completing the challenge will benefit the student. 

We have a challenge workflow inside the Course Creators Circle members area.

Schedule a Live Webinar

Live webinars are a great way to position yourself as an expert in your subject matter in a casual setting. Webinars also help to build the “Know Like Trust” principle, where people are more inclined to do business with people they know, like and trust.

A live webinar allows you to share some of your best content for free, and really gives those who are watching a taste of what they will find in your course.

Start a YouTube Channel

Did you know that YouTube is one of the most visited search engines across the world (behind Google)? With millions of people searching for videos on the platform, what a great place to pop some video shorts with helpful information, Ask Me Anything sessions or how-to videos.

It’s easy to start a YouTube channel, and publishing videos regularly is a great way to market your course. You can then utilise these videos on your social media channels.

YouTube is great for posting snackable content.

Start a Podcast/Get Interviewed on a Podcast

Podcasts are a great way to help you build an audience of interested potential students. You can share valuable tips related to your course topic, and then include a call to action at the end of the podcast. Podcasts can be anywhere from 5-10 minutes up to 90 minutes long. You can mix up the length based on what you are talking about and whether you go into depth on particular subject areas.

If you aren’t interested just yet in creating your own podcast, you may find other podcasters who would be interested in interviewing you. Do your research on podcasts in your area of interest and reach out to them with a personalised email introducing yourself and why you would be a good fit for their show.

Producing your own or being on someone else’s podcast is all about giving value and not only about selling your course.

Want to create your own Podcast check out Linda’s P’s of Podcasting Course.

Buy Me a Coffee

Buy Me a Coffee is a platform where you can connect with your students and potential students. It is a platform where you can upload snippets from your course or webinars and followers can essentially buy you a virtual coffee to support you in continuing to make content they find interesting and helpful.

Check out Linda’s Buy Me a Coffee profile to get a feel for how it all works.

Speak at Local Events

Speaking at local events that relate to your course is a great way to network and promote your course content. This type of networking hits into the Know Like Trust factor and gives attendees a chance to speak to you after your speaking time slot.

Similar to podcasts, speaking at local events should be all about providing value to those who have attended and giving them the details of your course at the end of the session.

Meet Up groups are a great way to get started, or you can reach out to businesses, educational facilities, or charity groups to find out if your content would be relevant to their audience.

There are many ways that you can promote your course, getting your content in front of a new audience. We hope that these activities have given you some more ideas