Interested in creating a course, but not sure what’s involved in the process? With expertise, it may not be difficult to create, but it takes time and research to establish a course that your target market is going to sign up for.
Here are 4 steps to guide you on this journey to developing a successful course.
Identify a Pain Point in Your Audience
There are business problems to be solved in every industry and in every market. They may be pain points that have arisen from technological advances, new trends, or gaps in knowledge and expertise.
If you are looking to create a course, you will need to identify one of these problems. Even if you know that a problem exists, take time to research the issue. Surface level issues are solved too easily. Find the root of the problem and you’ll be on your way to developing a valuable course.
Identify a Solution
Once you have identified the problem, you will need to identify the solution. The solution usually lies within your expertise. The solution should be one that you are confident in selling. As it isn’t just simply developing a course and walking away, but creating a persona proficient in that solution.
You’ll then need to research who is already offering this solution and how you can be different. Creating a competitive advantage for your course and promoting that differentiator will be essential to your success.
Some questions that you can ask yourself here are: Is your course the first of its kind? Is it more extensive than your competitors? Is your course more affordable? Are you offering support after the course? There are so many ways to differentiate yourself from competition. Determine your advantage and build from there.
Identify Demand for Your Course
Learning if there is demand for your course can be complex. You’ve done your research and know that there is a problem that needs solving, but who and how many will actually need your course?
Again, here is where research comes into play. One great way to do some initial exploration on demand is to personally reach out to your sphere and ask if this course would be worth investing in. Another option would be to create a very brief survey and send it to your database of contacts. A simple one or two question survey would suffice. If you have a social media following, you could also post a poll on Instagram or Facebook asking your audience if they would want help solving that problem.
A little research goes a long way, but ensure you are soliciting your target customers.
Identify a Plan to Make Your Course Visible
Now that you have identified a solution for the founded problem and identified demand, how are you going to market it?
If you are already well-established in your industry, then you will have a deep understanding of where your target market can be found. If you are on the newer side, then you will need to do some more research here. Where does your target audience spend most of their time? Is it on Instagram? LinkedIn? Facebook? Pinterest? A combination of one or more of those platforms? Once you have the answer, start marketing.
Creating a specific landing page when promoting your course will be crucial. You will want your organic and paid traffic to land on a webpage that specifically highlights your course. This page should include details about your course, expected outcomes, and a call to action.
Offering a small freebie here is also a great idea. If someone isn’t ready to commit just yet, but you provide them with a free valuable resource, they will be much more likely to come back and sign up for your course.
Get Started
If there is one piece that you take away from this article, it is to research. In each of the steps above, research is required. It is not be a burden, but to ensure you are successful in your journey of developing a new course.
Capitalize on your knowledge and build that course!
