Let’s take a trip.
Do you remember, back in school, when you wanted to learn something and you had to go to the library to research it?
Like if you wanted to know about the best ways to train your dog, you literally went to the library and checked out an actual book.
#hahaha
We laugh now but at that time, the Dewey Decimal system and library catalogs were like Google for books.
It’s mind-blowing now to think about how much info is at our fingertips, or sitting in your hand.
“Hey Siri, can my dog learn how to fetch my Kindle?”
“Hey Siri, how many islands are in the Bahamas?”
“Hey Siri, what’s 16,000,000 divided by 413,521?”
(If you wanna know, the answers are: a dog can learn anything in 4 weeks, there are 700 Bahamian islands, and 38.6921.)
When I think about what the internet will be like for my daughter in the next 5, 10, or even 15 years, well… *head explodes*.
It’s because, as humans, we have this drive to know.
We just wanna know stuff. All The Stuff. And we want to know it yesterday.
Over the last decade, maybe you’ve noticed this new thing (honestly, I’d have to question whether you’re actually alive in 2019 if you haven’t noticed it) called the Digital Course. Online learning isn’t really new, but anyone being able to create a course is kinda new.
It seems like everyone really does have a course. Your dog probably even has one so he can teach other dogs how to fetch their owners’ Kindles.
I friggin’ love digital courses.
I remember the first one I took. It was with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and it was what inspired me to become a Health Coach. At that time, I was looking for ways to get in control of my own health.
It was exactly what I needed in my life then and it’s part of what put me on the trajectory that’s landed me here today… writing this post to you about digital courses. #meta
But hey, my point is not to travel down memory lane. My point is to get you to think of something you may have not yet considered (or maybe you think you’re not cut out to do… you’re wrong, btw):
Open your mind to the possibility that, in this information-hungry world we live in, maybe you have a message that needs to be turned into a course.
I talk a lot about your potential in your biz, about how overcoming your limiting beliefs can unlock your success, and how you can totally create the life you want.
But what does all of that mean if you don’t have a tool to make it happen?
Here’s your tool: spread your wisdom (and make some money) by creating a digital course that you can sell over and over again.
I’ve created a few online courses so I’ve got some nuggets you’re gonna wanna note as to why I think this could be your next big break. Let’s dig in:
An online course is the gift that keeps on giving
First things first: YES, creating an online course takes time and hard work.
Apart from choosing a place the course lives, you’ll have to create the content. Whether it’s videos, written, or a combo, it’s going to take time. Just sayin’.
I don’t want that to turn you off, though. And since when has anyone around here been intimidated by a little work?
It’s worth it because when you commit to capturing your message inside an online course, a couple things happen:
You can choose to have your course go on “evergreen” (meaning you always sell it, no matter the time of year), or you can sell it during “launch periods” (meaning you open the doors at specific times of year and only sell the course then).
You can control when and how that money flows into your bank account, based on what works best for you.
Read that again: an online course lets you pick and choose when to bring money in.
So let’s recap for everyone in the proverbial room: you get clear on what you say, you become a thought leader, people pay you (at times you specify) for your wisdom.
… I think I just blew your mind and we are only through my first point.
An online course is another way to spread your message
One of my least favorite games is: how much reach will my organic post get today on Facebook or Instagram?
Maybe you play this game too (it sucks).
Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could have a place where the Big Things you want to say to your audience lives in one place, and is unlocked in a way that you decide … versus an algorithm deciding how that content is delivered? Or a search term? Or an inbox with filters?
Sign me up for that shiz.
I am ALL ABOUT this because it means the students enrolled in my course get my wisdom at the pace I decide, and in the way I’d like it delivered. Boom.
It also means they’re incredibly interested in it because they paid me money to take the course. They want to learn what I’m droppin’.
If you’ve spent any money boosting an organic post, you know how invaluable it is to have people engaged with your message… on their own accord.
And hey, if you’re over there thinkin’... “how am I going to charge people for a course when I barely have any kind of following at all?” stop it right now and listen up:
You don’t have to put up a payment form on your first course.
You can give away value for free and use it as a tool to build your list. This is such an amazing tactic because people signing up for your list to take your free course are guaranteed to be in the bucket of willing-to-purchase when you’re ready to launch your paid course (or your next product or service).
You still spread your message, you still begin to position yourself as a thought leader, and you have the added bonus of building your email list with ideal clients. Problem solved.
An online course creates trust, loyalty, and a path to scale your biz
Hands down, this may be the most important reason to create an online course.
When you have people paying you money to hear your message, they’re invested in you.
When your message transforms them in the way you’ve promised, suddenly you’ve got a pack of loyal peeps who are your biggest fans.
You cannot put a price tag on that. Here’s why:
The money you spend attracting new customers can cost up to 5x more than simply retaining an existing customer - aka, someone who has already gone through your course and is lookin’ for more of your wisdom.
Let’s look at this another way - if spending some time creating an online course means more loyal customers, you make more money.
And when you launch your next product (or course), the chances of those loyal peeps purchasing from you again is 60-70% … versus a cold lead’s chance of 5-20%. (source)
This makes scaling a no brainer.
The first course I created for my biz was Social Downline. In this course, I downloaded everything I knew about growing a social following as a network marketer and packaged it up with a pretty bow on top.
Social Downline has been profitable for me by itself, but its true payoff has been in the way I’ve been able to scale since its first launch.
The courses I now offer act as a funnel, where I can send my students through them depending on what they need. Someone may start at Social Downline, but then move to my FB Ads course. After that, maybe they’re interested in my biz masterclass so they go there.
These courses are the culmination of my work so far, packaged up neatly for those who want it, while keeping me free to keep growing my biz in other ways.
If you remember anything from this, I want it to be that online courses are the gateway for you to scale your biz to crazy heights, and it can be done on auto-pilot once you’ve created your courses.
And that, my friend, is why I friggin’ LOVE online courses.
I hope you’ve got ideas running through your mind RN on a course you could make. I 100% believe everyone has a digital course inside them, just waiting to get out (and make some money).
If you need a little help figuring it out, I’ve got some good news.
My business mentor, Amy Porterfield, aka Digital Course Creation Queen, is hosting a live webinar where she talks about the 3 behind-the-scenes secrets to creating successful digital courses.
If you instantly thought “yes, please” then click THIS LINK and grab your spot.
It’s called “The 3 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Digital Course Success - How to Build, Launch and Grow a Thriving Digital Course Business Without Hiring a Big Team, Constant Overwhelm or Momentum Crushing ‘What the Heck Do I Do Next?’ Syndrome.”
It’s a big promise… and I know Amy will deliver.
This masterclass is the culmination of EVERYTHING she’s learned in building and launching 6 successful digital courses with a combined revenue of over 8-figures.
Are you an existing course creator who wants to 2x, 5x, or even 10x the number of students you enroll this year (while replacing your 1-on-1 client work and done-for-you services)?
Or an aspiring course creator who wants to make sure you’re building and launching your course the RIGHT way with the most updated strategies and techniques?
In the meantime, brainstorm some course ideas and start dreaming about how you’re going to scale and grow.