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- [00:00]
A
Foreign. Hello, everyone, and welcome to episode 271 of the Kate Show.
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Y' all know I'm Kate, and today.
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I have a rant for you all about creating and selling online courses. Now, I would say that about a third of my clients either want to sell an online course or they are actively trying to sell an online course. And having sold courses myself and having signed up for a lot of other people's courses, I have to tell you, I know a thing or two about courses. So today I'm going to pull back the curtain on all the things that you might be wondering, the things that you really should know before deciding to plow ahead and offer an online course. The big thing that makes courses all the rage right now is the idea that selling an online course is passive income. But there is a catch. Building and maintaining a course isn't actually passive at all. And those who approach it like it is end up being not profitable. So that is why I want to kind of break the paradigm of, oh, I'll just set up a course and then I can cut back on my other work. It'll be a little bit of work up front, but that's okay. And then money will just start trickling in it. It just doesn't. But it will trickle out. Because creating a course costs money. Hosting a course somewhere costs money. Maintaining the course also costs money. If you've been considering adding a course to your interior design, staging or window treatment, or organizing business, there is a way to do it. So I'm not here to be the naysayer. I'm not here to be entirely cynical. Because today I am going to show you what you need to do to create and sell a viable online course. So let's get into it.
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This episode of the Kate show is brought to you by HoneyBook. I love using Honeybook for my business because it helps create a streamlined workflow when people decide they want to work with me. Because, you know, there's one thing to do the right marketing to get the client, there's quite another to impress them all the way through the end of the project. And with Honeybook, my clients are able to review and sign their proposal, make their payment, and then be told what to do next, all in one fell swoop. I've set up automations that remind them when they need to send me certain assets so that their website project can go off without a hitch. And if you've ever worked with us, you know that Honeybook kept you on track. It kept us on track. And it was really Easy to use. If you're interested in using Honeybook for your business, go to honeybook.com and use the code socialite at checkout for 50% off your first year. This episode of the Kate show is brought to you by the foundation website guys. If you need a new website for your business, but you can't afford a fully custom site or you just don't have that much time to spare, you should check out the semi custom website design service from the Socialite agency. For home pros who need more than just a DIY website template. How many times have you purchased a website template only to never use it or get stuck because you don't know how to complete it, you don't know how to connect all the things and well, doesn't that end up being a waste of money? It does. That's why the foundation website exists. If you want a professional to set up your website, handle your on site SEO, optimize your images and write your copy and you want to maintain full control over that website moving forward, this website is for you. You'll be able to see what's included and what's not included by heading over to katesocialite.com and under the services page click on Semi Custom website Design. Every great build begins with a solid foundation and we've made it easy. You'll be able to learn how to exactly how the process works, why we have a 10 business day turnaround, and why we can keep the fees so darn affordable with no ongoing fees to us whatsoever. The cool thing is, and the thing that a lot of our clients appreciate is that when you get our website, whether it's fully custom or semi custom like this one, we are available to help make updates to your site. We only charge you when you actually need an update made, which means that months, years might go by, you don't have to pay us a dime, but when you're ready for help, we're there to help you. Head over to katethesocialite.com and look under the services tab to get the website your business deserves.
- [04:53]
A
All right, so there are some considerations that you need to make before creating your online course. A lot of people get an idea for a course and they just start creating it. That that's a problem and we're going to go over why, number one, do you already have an audience for your course? Your current audience for your in person services does not count. You need to have an audience of qualified potential students before you begin to build your course. Because you'll need to build that course based on what you know about those students. And you can't build a course for a group of people that you really have nothing in common with or don't know anything about. If you think you might want to launch a course in the future, start building your audience now by creating a media they can follow, which is most often and most effectively a YouTube channel or a podcast. Social media will not be enough by itself, though. You will need to have a heavy presence on Instagram, Facebook, and wherever else your students might be hanging out. You'll have to constantly show your face in reels, stories and lives. You cannot hide behind canva graphics anymore. You cannot use stock images. You have got to show up as a real person. Because if you are the course instructor, you are the one that is like the biggest marketing asset for the course. You're the one people are essentially buying when they purchase the course. But you can't make the newbie mistake of creating a course and then trying to scrounge together an audience for it. That's not how it works. All right. The second consideration you need to make is will the topic of your course provide something that can't just be Googled? A big reason courses don't sell is because nobody wants to pay for something they could find for free elsewhere. Your course should address a specific pain point that someone would normally need to pay a professional to solve. Now, one little pro tip that I have in my notes for this episode is selecting a color palette is not a pain point. I only say that because when I have an interior designer who says I want to offer a course, it usually has something to do with selecting color. And I get it, because a lot of people are nervous about color. However, you can cover that topic in a blog post or in a lead magnet. And quite honestly, I would say that doesn't even make a good lead magnet. So don't go that direction. It has to be deeper, but it can't be too deep. Which brings me to the next consideration. Is your course topic teachable to someone with little or no experience? The intersection of topics that can be taught to a novice and still have good outcomes is actually quite small. Typically, if something complex would normally require a professional with experience to solve it, you can't expect a random person with no experience to be successful. And therein lies the issue. If your students don't see success early on in your course, they won't complete the course. And if they do complete the course and still don't get the results that were promised, the course is seen as a failure. Even if the issue was them. Not everything can be taught. Higher level skills are the result of years of experience, which is what makes you as the home industry service provider, so valuable. If what you did could be taught in a six week course, your occupation would quickly become obsolete. So thank God that what you know is way more complex than that. Now, in summary, if your course is too simple, it won't bring results. If your course is too complex, you'll frustrate the student. So either way, it's not a good look for your brand, right? You have to land in the middle. And once you figure out your course topic and you already have an audience, you have to then figure out how am I going to market this course? So you have the course, you have the audience. Now you have to bridge the gap between the two. And a lot of you tell me that you already struggle to do this in your service based business. And I got to be honest with you, any marketing you're already doing for your service based business should be multiplied by two or three times over for that of marketing a course. Because while your in person business has the huge benefit of interacting with real people on real job sites in real homes, your course will be fighting for visibility in an overly saturated digital space. You'll have to have a marketing strategy that also includes paid digital advertising, in that order. By the way, don't buy the ad and then try to build a strategy around it. Have the strategy and then plug the ads into it where it makes sense. That's a whole other conversation. Now, because your current clients are likely not suited to your course, you'll need to put most of your focus on building a new audience. Like I said earlier now, if you're starting to think that launching a course is sounding suspiciously similar to launching a new business, you'd be right. Because in fact, you'll probably need to file for a DBA and you'll need a different website to host the course. You'll need various plugins or teaching software. It ends up costing some money. Not that that's a bad thing. Sometimes we have to spend money to make money. But just because you have an audience and a product to sell doesn't mean it's going to sell. So again, how do you connect the audience with the course? Well, say hello to the sales funnel. Yes, that again, you'll need your ongoing media like your YouTube channel or your podcast. With two to four new videos or episodes every month at minimum, and almost daily appearances on social media, you'll need to pitch a lead magnet at the end of each video or episode. And on social, you'll need that lead magnet to kick off an email sequence. I suggest keeping this shorter around three emails. That nurtures a lead into a paying student. Now, I have definitely seen people try to sell courses with extremely long email sequences and oh my goodness, by the time I get to the end of it, I don't want to buy the product because they have just bombarded me so much for so long. It's kind of ridiculous. It's like, get to the main point. All right, so we should be marketing to people the way we want to be marketed to. You know, within reason. And this is one of those times where it definitely matters how many times you're emailing someone and the length of time in which doing that. So don't email people twice a week getting them into your course. Maybe email them once a week for two or three weeks. But now here's the next question. How will your course be delivered? I'm not even talking about software at this point, although that is a big conversation because there's a lot of platforms out there you could use. But I'm talking about the actual format. Anything less than video is going to fall flat. Honestly, you personally will need to be on camera 100% of the time, even when sharing your screen or a PowerPoint. Also, do not make your course workbook heavy. A simple workbook is fine, but keep it as short as possible because the more you make people do, the less likely they are to do any of it.
- [12:04]
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This episode is brought to you by the Window Coverings association of America. Are you an interior designer, a decorator, a student, a workroom, an installer, or a window treatment vendor? The WCAA was meant for you. If you're looking for community rather than competition, business guidance, real growth strategies instead of just good ideas and introductions to all the right people, you need the wcaa. Their mission is to provide education, networking, a code of ethics and increased exposure for this unique industry. Learn everything from the latest window treatment production techniques to business profit tips, marketing, and so much more.
- [12:42]
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All from the comfort of your laptop.
- [12:44]
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Learn and grow your business right where you are by connecting with your local WCAA chapter. Monthly meetings, educational opportunities and fun activities abound within the organization. Lastly, you can also save money with vendor discounts. You can save on items and services your business is already buying through their industry partner relationships. Everything from coaching and marketing to well known window treatment brands and more are available. But hey, here's the real question. Do you need More Leads As a.
- [13:12]
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WCAA member, your business will be listed.
- [13:14]
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In their Homeowner Facing Directory of Home Industry Professionals, helping you connect with more of the right clients. Do you need to hire or be hired as a member of the wcaa?
- [13:24]
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You'll have access to a job board.
- [13:26]
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That is exclusive to the design and window treatment industry. Perfect for finding or filling your next role. Don't wait. Go to WCAA.org and apply to join with them. You're never in business alone.
- [13:40]
C
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- [15:33]
A
Now onto an even bigger question. How will you interface with your students? Every successful course has a live component. This can be called a mastermind, a Panel, a focus group. And while you can use a Facebook group to allow students to interact with each other, you can. You can't use that as a replacement for sessions that are directly with you, live and on camera. Successful course creators often show up on a weekly basis to support their students and to provide accountability. Which brings us to another question that might just help you make your mind on all of this. How will you encourage course completion? The fact is, 90% of people who buy online courses do not complete them. They get busy, they get tired, and if you haven't given them any quick wins within the first module, they're likely too frustrated and don't see the value of continuing. Which means the chance that they're going to tell your, the friends about your course is next to nothing. Even if the course is fantastic, by the way. Now, some course creators try to improve course completion rates by using gamification. But even that, it doesn't always work. In fact, it rarely works based on the data I'm about to show you. Because that does not replace you showing up constantly, whether it's in their inbox. Because even when a student buys your course, you still have to market to them. So there's the lead magnet sequence, but then there's the student retention sequence and the completion sequence. The key to nurturing a relationship with your students is you. The course can never just be about the course. It has to be about the community and the direct exclusive access to you. Now you might be like, why is Kate trashing courses? Well, I'm not the only one. Seth Godin, the what's your why? Guy. Yeah. He shared that his online classes have a 97% drop off rate. Okay, he knows marketing. He has a lot of marketing dollars to spend. But his courses, even on Udemy and Skillshare, they have an 80% drop off rate. And those companies have huge marketing budgets. Udemy says the average student in their entire platform, not just a Seth Godin student, completes only a third of the course they purchased, while 70% of the people who purchase courses and never ever start the course. That is frustrating because even if you get their money, quote unquote, you shouldn't be selling a course just to get their money. And I know none of you are like that, but I'm just saying, if they pay for the course but they never finish it or never even sign into it, it's, it's not helpful. And the interesting thing is, even online college courses will go vastly uncompleted. And I don't have direct evidence for why this is. But if you just stop and think about it, how many of us are looking for ways to interact that don't involve a screen? A lot of us, we don't really want another isolated learning situation. We had enough of that in 2020. So with the really low completion rates and honestly with really low conversion rates, when it comes to trying to sell courses, I personally don't think it's a wise business move. I do not. I have never had a single client who has successfully made an income stream out of courses. But like I said, about a third of them are trying to or want to try to. And of course I'll help them with that. Like, if they want to go for it, I will give them the marketing strategy to use. I just remind them constantly that they have to be willing to see this through. Nothing about it is passive. They have to be willing to put in the work. It really is like starting another business. And there's nothing wrong with that. We can do hard things. Absolutely. So if none of what I said today scared you, then maybe trying to sell an online course is for you. But if any part of this made you think, you know what, this is not what I thought and I, I'm not going to go this route. I have something for you. Okay, There is an alternative because a lot of people want to sell courses so they can get away from selling services, trading their hours for dollars. I get that. But have you ever considered a professional consultancy service? Don't make inexperienced students the quasi professional at solving their own problems. You can actually keep your guru status while offering one to one or one to many things. So always live, always with you. And let's be honest, very few people are going to watch a recording and there's so much to be gained when everyone shows up live. So what this looks like is maybe you have a group program where you take people through whatever you'd be teaching them in a course, but instead of in a course, it is an actual video call. Maybe you do one on one consulting through facetime or through Zoom so that you can still help people and you can still get to know their unique situation. And it's not just a group element. They'll feel more taken care of and they'll also see the value of paying you. And it's a lot harder to ignore a person than it is to ignore a course. So my suggestion to you, if you've realized that courses are not everything they that you thought they were, consider the consultancy idea. It can be as flexible as you want. You can Let people book online. You can turn it into a membership of sorts. This is something that I highly recommend. It's something that I actually did after selling online courses and realizing there has to be a better way to make better income and get better results for the people who are signing up with me. So actually, that's why I created Socialite Vault. And we have monthly masterminds. And I know some of you listening are part of those. But my point is you need to step away from the idea that courses are passive. They're not. And be okay with doing one to one and one to many, even in a virtual setting with you as the consultant. You guys have told me that as you get older, you don't want to be on the job site that much. That's okay. I get it. I'm only in my 30s, but I get that. You know, I think that it's good for you to plan ahead and to understand the things that you might need to do in order to plan for a course or a consultancy. And now that you know what's involved, you'll be able to make an educated decision. All right, guys, that is what I have for you today. If you have questions, if you would like to get some marketing strategy around selling your course or your consultancy or your digital products, reach out to me. We can have a marketing audit and a discovery call. Head over to Kate the socialite.com to book that, and I will talk to you soon.