Imagine this…you’ve put in the work and created the perfect course for your audience. It’s up on the platform of your choice and you’ve created your sales page. You hit publish, excited for all the sales that are going to be coming in. And then, nothing happens. No one is buying. Days, weeks, months later you still have no sales. What gives?

It could be you aren’t doing any marketing or the right kind of marketing to sell your course. The sales page is only the beginning of the marketing process. Marketing is essential for any business and selling your courses are no different.

The first step is to build awareness of your course. This means getting traffic and letting people know about the course. Then you can begin converting them to customers.

No matter what platform you use to create and host your course, you are responsible for getting sales to the course. The marketing, recruiting and getting the sale all are a part of the selling plan for your course. So you need to know where and how to sell your course for the best return.

1 – Your Own Blog or Website

You probably already have a website and/or a blog. This is the perfect place to expose your audience to your new course. Marketing your course on your blog allows you to be unhindered by the algorithms or rules of other platforms.

Create several posts about the course content, it’s benefits and how it can help them solve their problem. Be sure to create a clear call to action to the sales page. You need to tell your readers what you want them to do next.

You can use any of the other ways you market your blog to sell your course on your website. One thing you need to incorporate into the content is to use Search engine optimization (SEO) to help you rank highly in the search engines so you are seen by potential customers.

2 – Industry-Specific Forums

All industries and niches have numerous online forums. Create a personalize account at these forums. Then explain in your first few posts that you are an online tutor with an exciting new course you’d like them to try out. Of course, get permission from the forum administrators before you post something for sale.

Offer them a free product of some kind as well as making your first lesson free to anyone interested in learning more about the course. This makes it more appealing for them to give the online course a chance.

3 – Social Media

There are many ways to advertise on social media platforms. You can create a Facebook group around your course or niche and offer your course through it. You can open accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn and sell from those pages.

Create buzz about the course by offering relevant and helpful content in your social media posts. You’ll find a huge number of potential students ready to get your course.

Another option is to sell your online course through Pinterest. Create graphics called pins of your course and post on Pinterest. Have the pin link to your course sales page.

4 – YouTube

One of, if not, the most popular video streaming service on the web, YouTube is free to use for everyone. You can create promotional materials for your course and publish them on YouTube under your professional brand or a personal name.

The good thing about YouTube is the algorithm supports ad revenue which means you can earn additional revenue.

5 – Influencer Collaborations

Online influencers are social media stars that have large followings. These celebrities often work with manufacturers, brands, and content providers on campaigns. Contact one or more influencers within your industry and ask them to collaborate with you on selling your course.

Most influencers require you to compensate them for their time and effort marketing your course. But you are likely to get good conversion rates since they have many followers.

6 – Paid Advertisements

Paid advertising is always an option as a way to sell your online course if everything else fails or you want to get your product seen quickly. Paid advertisement can be purchased through many of the social media platforms as well as Google and other search engines.

You will be required to pay for each individual post and for a specific amount of time, either days or weeks in advance. This, of course, will depend on the complexity of the campaign you choose.

Paid social media is an option as well. Facebook Ads are based on specific demographics, behaviors, interest and affiliations making them convert well.

7 – Get Affiliates to Sell Your Course

Contacting and enlisting affiliates to promote your online course for you ensures you’re getting new eyes on your content. Affiliates are people who want to promote someone else’s content, getting a percentage of the sale in return. You can recruit affiliates from different places including your first round of students.

Depending on the program you set up, affiliates can get anywhere from 2% up to 100% of the sale. To get the best affiliates to promote your course, you should offer a good percentage amount of at least 20%.

8 – Public Speaking Engagements

If you do any kind of public speaking, you can sell your course through the presentation. Come up with an interesting subject that you know about and that relates to your course in some way and speak at local events. These can be seminars, conferences or Meetup groups.

You can send interested attendees to your sales page, website, LinkedIn profile or other social media that directs them to your course. Handout templates, checklists or resources with a link to your sales page.

9 – Podcasts

Do you have a podcast? If so, you can direct your readers to your course during your show. Create podcast episodes around the different subject areas of your course, with each episode being on each of the topics in the course.

Another option is to be a guest on another podcast. Talk about your topic and promote your course at the end of the interview. Do your research and find relevant podcasts in your niche. Make sure they have an engaged audience. Then send the host an email introducing yourself and your brand before you discuss the idea of being a guest. You want to build the relationship first. Point out the benefits they’ll get from the arrangement. Pass along your URL that can track back to your business site.

A final way to use podcasts is to be a sponsor on someone’s podcast. You will most likely have to pay to be an advertising sponsor, but it’s great exposure to many new potential students.

10 – Email Marketing

If you have been in business online for a while, you most likely already have an email list of interested subscribers. Marketing and selling your book to these warm potential students should be one of your first places to sell.

Email marketing to sell your course consists of sending several emails in an email campaign that build up the course using content snippets from the course. Send 5 to 7 emails. The first three to five are just warming up the subscribers to the possibility of the course. The fourth or fifth email is when you send them a link or call to action to get the course. The final email is a reminder to get in on the deal of the course.

In Summary

Selling your course might seem like the hardest part of the course creation process. But in fact it’s not, if you know the top 10 ways to sell your course. Although each course and platform will be different, the basic principles will be the same.

Your first thought for selling your course needs to be your website or blog. This is your home base, where you keep your subscribers engaged. Your email list is the next step, building your relationship while warming them up to buying the course.

Next social media can be a big asset when selling your course. Direct your followers to the sales page when they show an interest in the topic. Posting on your page, in Groups and on your timeline keeps your audience interested and reading.

Begin recruiting affiliates to sell your course. Don’t be stingy with the commission payout either. You want good quality affiliates to promote your course. Be sure to provide them with their own marketing tools for your course. These can include social media graphics, blog posts, email templates, or any other marketing tactic you desire.

The next step is to start implementing some or all of these strategies to being getting interested potential customers.

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Aletha McManama

Aletha is a "Digital Marketing Maven" who specializes in online marketing using WordPress, social media and email marketing to assist her clients in marketing their business. She is a WordPress pro that designs websites and blogs. Plus, she trains business owners to create and maintain their own WP site and blog.

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