I’ve got a question for ya…
This has come up recently in a mastermind I’m in, and it made me think of you.
There was this whole discussion about how to get qualified leads more consistently… with less effort.
Which is, of course, the dream for every biz person, right?
And yes, there are plenty of ways to do that.
Like… run Facebook ads…
...do collabs with people who have similar audiences to you…
...or do traditional media buys.
But that hack I wanna share with you today is something you can totally do to stand out from the crowd… AND qualify people better.
And the secret is… a mini-course.
Here me out on this.
Most people think of an online course as some HUGGGGGE project… that you have to charge a lot of money for.
Well, my friends, I’m here to tell ya…
The next wave of marketing is coming… and it uses mini-courses as A LEAD GENERATION TOOL.
So let’s break this up into three key phases of creating a mini-course.
This should help you get more comfortable with the idea…
And not feel as overwhelmed by it, ok?
Alright, so the first phase of creating a mini-course as a lead generation tool is…
Coming up with your idea.
Maybe you already have an idea of what you’d love to share in your biz.
If you don’t, here’s how I recommend you start.
Think about what problem your ideal customer or client has that you can solve with your product or service.
THIS is the topic of your free mini-course.
Let’s say you have a network marketing biz… like essential oils.
And your ideal customer is into DIY solutions for everyday life.
Including for her fam and pets!
You could do an online mini-course that you offer for free showing her how to solve common problems she experiences.
Like: how to make all-natural flea repellent using essential oils.
If she and her kids get eaten alive by mosquitoes… you could show her how to make at-home mosquito lotion or spray.
Because TONS of people are scared to put harmful chemicals on their skin… let alone their kids’ skin.
The point is… once you know what your ideal customer struggles with… or wants to achieve… you can use this as the topic of your mini-course.
OH -- and actually that reminds me.
One of my girlfriends told me the cutest, most hilarious thing ever.
Her son is 6 and has decided he is afraid of ghosts.
So it’s made their nighttime routine extremely hard.
In fact, he told her he has to be with her all the time at night because the ghosts try to get him if he’s alone.
Now, I do love a good ghost story… but whatever you believe about the supernatural…
I feel like we ALL would prefer to pee in peace, am I right? LOL
No matter how much we love our kids. LOL
So she decided to make him what she calls “Ghost Spray”.
It’s basically distilled water with Lavender essential oil in it.
Now, before he goes to bed, they have a ritual where they spray the whole room with this Ghost Spray… and he feels comfortable going to sleep.
And their evenings are much calmer.
So cute.
Anyway… let’s move on to phase #2: developing your content.
Here’s where perfectionism creeps in for a lot of people.
So I want you to wipe your mind clean of ALLLL the preconceived notions you have about what an online course IS -- or has to be.
Start with this question:
What is the simplest way for the information to be consumed?
I feel like people get stuck on the whole idea of what platform to put it on… that it has to be this absolutely perfectly produced video to be valuable.
So let’s bust that myth right now.
The best thing for your ideal customers… is that they get the information when they need it.
In a simple, effective manner.
Trust me, they don’t expect or even need all the bells and whistles you have in your mind.
Stop comparing yourself to the huge companies with lots of money and employees.
Instead, think about the best METHOD for your ideal customer to learn what YOU have to share.
Would it be a booklet with screenshots or step-by-step instructions showing them how to do something?
Is it fully video?
Would audio be best? Like in the case of a meditation, as an example.
Would a PowerPoint work best?
Then think about HOW they would consume it.
Like, would it be better to run your mini-course live every now and then?
Or would it be better to pre-record it so you can do it once, then offer it on-demand?
Should it be multiple lessons or is the best way to learn a one-shot deal?
The best way to think about these things is to take the SHOULD out of the equation.
Imagine nothing exists yet.
What can you do with your existing time and resources… that would still add value for your ideal customer?
That’s your go-forward plan.
Don’t wait for things to be perfect.
Every moment you spend on perfectionism is a moment you’re not able to help your ideal customer.
Ok, now let’s talk about the third stage of putting out a mini-course for lead generation purposes.
I’ll call it “publishing” but really all that means is getting it out there.
That’s your commitment to yourself.
Finishing it and putting it out.
Flaws and all.
Again, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
See it as practice.
Think about how you are HELPING someone… worry less about mistakes or spending tons of time on it.
One of the hottest ways people are producing mini courses right now is over Zoom.
Yep, even with as much Zoom fatigue as we’re all feeling. LOL
Lots of people are creating a simple PowerPoint presentation and recording it as their mini-course.
A person has to opt into accessing the video presentation… by handing over their email address, and then they can receive the recorded Zoom video.
And you know what? They’re THRILLED with it.
Depending upon what your topic is and how long you end up making it, you can do this whole thing in less than 1 day.
Know who loves this PowerPoint style of mini-course?
People who hate being on camera.
Here’s why:
In this style of mini-course, the audience is looking at the slides -- not you.
They’re listening to your voice and using their eyes on the PowerPoint.
Most biz owners forget about this when they think about creating content for a mini-course.
Your face is a tiny little circle at the bottom of the screen.
Trust me when I tell you… when people sign up for your mini-course, they’re there to learn -- not to judge you.
They literally don’t care if your slides aren’t professionally designed.
Or if you stumble over a word.
They want all the delicious knowledge and insight you have inside you.
So yes, give a crap about your work…
But don’t spend weeks or months laboring over your free mini-course.
Focus instead on:
- Putting it out into the world… and
- Developing a kickass FOLLOW-UP marketing plan.
Because THAT is how you’ll grow and optimize your biz.
The mini-course is just the carrot to get them into your system.
Once they are in your list and like what you have to say, then you can nurture that relationship and guide them toward an eventual sale.
But it all starts with creating a super compelling online lead generation hook -- in this case, your mini-course.
Ok so let’s say you’re feeling like…
YES -- I am in, Hayley.
How do I actually START this.
Well, if you wanna do what I did… you wanna check out Amy Porterfield’s Digital Course Academy.
I’m an affiliate this year… but I’m sharing this with you because it literally changed everything for me.
Back in the day, I was just like you.
I started my online biz… and I needed a way to attract more people in a scalable way.
Online courses weren’t mainstream yet like they are now.
So I actually had to struggle a bit to get people to UNDERSTAND why the heck they should sign up for my first mini-course.
Fortunately for you, now online learning is SUPER popular and mainstream.
So it’s the exact right time to create your own.
I took Amy’s Digital Course Academy training and learned how to create an online course that was…
Simple to produce…
Easy to put out into the market…
And was REALLY useful for the people I wanted to serve.
And because it was professional biz training, I was even able to write it off on my taxes.
I mean, it was one of the best business investments I made that year.
Now I have several online courses I sell on the regular…
And I apply the same methodologies I learned inside DCA to my free lead generation trainings.
So I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth.
In fact, 5 years later, I still go back and refresh myself on the online course material she offers in Digital Course Academy…
Because you get lifetime access once you buy it.
I highly recommend you check it out yourself.
You’ll find it in the show notes, too.
But you’re not gonna want to sit on this.
Enrollment for DCA closes on Tuesday September 28.
AKA: next week.
Amy opens this course once a year… MAX.
So truly… if you’re like… heck yeah, this sounds super interesting to me…
Whether it’s to use as a free lead gen tool… or to make money by selling your mini-course…
There’s no time to waste.
Definitely pop over there and check it out.
You’ll definitely learn WAYYYYY more about today’s topic there…
AND get the step-by-step instruction of taking your idea… and putting it out into the world.
Alright friends, I hope you’re feeling inspired to take a fresh approach to consistent lead gen in your biz…
And decide to create your own… perfectly imperfect… online mini-course.
Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Have a good week… and I’ll see ya online.