.png)
How to Create an Effective Online Course for Your Coaching Clients
Updated: Oct 12, 2022
#Entrepreneurship #Creative #Artist #Coaching #ArtisanPreneur #OnlineCourse
Listen to the Blog Post Here!
When it comes to providing value to your coaching clients, e-courses can be one of the most effective tools in your toolkit. Online courses allow clients to learn at their own pace and on their own time, which is a huge benefit. In this blog post, we're going to walk you through the step-by-step process of creating an e-course for your coaching clients. I'll give you tips on the best e-course platforms to use, how to plan and outline your course content, and what supplemental resources you can provide to make sure your clients are getting the most out of your teachings! Let's get started.
What's in this blog?
Choose a Platform
The first step in creating an e-course is to choose the right platform. There are a lot of different e-course platforms out there, and it can be tough to know which one is right for you. I recommend using a platform that is user-friendly and has all the features you need to create an effective course. Most e-course platforms will host your videos, provide a way for students to take quizzes and track their progress, and give you the ability to sell your course.
When selecting a platform, make sure it:
- Is user friendly
- Integrates with your payment processor
- Allows you to offer discounts and coupons
- Provides good customer support
Some of my favorite e-course platforms include Teachable, Thinkific, and Podia.
What are the pros and cons of each of these platforms?
Teachable
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Easy to create and sell courses
- A lot of features and options
Cons:
- Can be expensive if you want to use all the features
Pricing:
- Free ($1 + 10% fee on all paid products, 2.9% +30¢ transaction fee(see site for additional fees), limited courses, limited videos, no private community, no Launch Accelerator training, no live chat, no live group coaching, 1 admin user. *See the site for more restrictions.)
- Basic plan: $39/month
- Pro plan: $119/month
- Business plan: $299/month
Thinkific
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Easy to create courses
Cons:
- Not as many features as some of the other platforms
- The most expensive on this list
- Tons of restrictions on the free version
Pricing:
- Free (Limited amount of courses, 1 site admin, no one-on-one student email, no live chat support, no custom domain, no coupons & promotions, no dripped content, no Academy basic courses)
- Basic plan: $49/month
- Pro plan: $99/month
- Premier plan: $499/month
Podia
Pros:
- Sell memberships, online courses, and digital downloads
- Easy to use course builder
- The most affordable on this list
Cons:
- Does not have as many features as some of the other platforms
Pricing:
- Free (8% transaction fees, no affiliates, no priority support, no onboarding calls, no monthly creator call)
- Basic plan: $39/month
- Professional plan: $89/month
- Shaker plan: $199/month
Before you start creating an entire course, it's smart to get an idea of what your target client struggles with. What kind of information are they looking for? What format would be the most helpful for them? Once you have this information, create a short version of your course. This will help you determine if the e-course format and information are right for your target client.
Marketing Strategy
Next, you should create a marketing strategy. You don't want to wait until you've created an entire course to begin telling people about it. As you're creating your content, you want people to anticipate the release of your e-course. You can do this by sending out email blasts, creating social media posts, and running ads. Below is an example of a pre-launch marketing strategy for a social media e-course:
- Step One: Determine Your Goal
What exactly is your goal in promoting your e-course? Are you looking to generate leads? Sell a product? Increase brand awareness?
- Step Two: Choose Your Platform
- Step Three: Create a Schedule
What will your e-course promotion look like? Will you be posting every day? Once a week? What kind of content will you be sharing?
- Step Four: Batch Your Content
- Step Five: Promote, Promote, Promote!
What are some effective ways to promote your e-course? Some examples are:
- Creating a landing page
- Creating an email campaign
- Collaborating with other brands or influencers in your industry
- Sponsoring ads
- Hosting a webinar or challenge related to your e-course topic
Content Outline
Once you've selected the perfect platform for your e-course and created a marketing strategy, it's time to start planning and outlining your content. This step is crucial to ensuring that your course is effective and engaging for your students.
Some things to keep in mind when planning your e-course content:
What topics do you want to cover?
How much detail do you want to go into on each topic?
When deciding on how much detail should go into each module, remember that you want to provide your students with enough information so they can get results, but not so much that they feel overwhelmed.
What supplemental resources can you provide to help your students learn the material? Some examples of supplemental materials are:
Cheat sheets
Templates
Worksheets
Printables
Case studies or examples
Links to additional resources
How can you make the material engaging and interactive for your students? Some ideas are:
Create videos or podcasts instead of written content
Use graphics, images, or infographics
Add quizzes or polls
Include a forum or community for students to interact with each other and ask questions
How long do you want your course to be?
A good time length for e-course modules is around 30 minutes to an hour.
How often do you want to release new content?
This will depend on the length of your course and how much time you have to create new content.
When do you want your students to have access to the course?
Do you want to release it all at once or drip the content out over time?
What format do you want your course to be in (e.g., video, audio, text)?
The following is an example of a content outline for a social media marketing e-course:
- Module One: Introduction to Social Media Marketing
You will learn how to:
Define social media marketing
Understand the benefits of social media marketing
Set goals for your social media marketing campaign
Understand the different platforms available
Supplemental resources: eBooks, blog posts, articles, etc.
- Module Two: Setting up Your Social Media Accounts
You will learn how to:
Set up a Facebook business page
Set up a Twitter account
Set up a LinkedIn profile
Supplemental resources: eBooks, blog posts, articles, etc.
- Module Three: Creating Content for Your Social Media Pages
You will learn how to:
Create content for each social media platform
Schedule and automate your content
Measure the success of your content
Supplemental resources: eBooks, blog posts, articles, etc.
- Module Four: Measuring the Success of Your Social Media Marketing Campaigns
You will learn how to:
Use analytics to measure your success
Understand what metrics to look for
Make changes to improve your results
Supplemental resources: eBooks, blog posts, articles, etc.
-Module Five: Advanced Social Media Marketing Tactics
You will learn how to:
Use paid advertising on social media
Build a social media marketing team
Outsource your social media marketing
Supplemental resources: eBooks, blog posts, articles, etc.
Bonus Material: Access to Our Private Facebook Group, Monthly Live Q&A Sessions, and Downloadable Resources
Record Your Content
Now that you've planned and outlined your e-course content, it's time to start recording! This is where the rubber meets the road and you actually have to sit down and record your e-course material. The most popular ways to record course content are:
- Video
- Audio
- Text (slides, screencasts, or written transcripts)
If you're not comfortable being on camera, you can always start with audio or text-based courses and add video later. The important thing is to just get started and put your course out there!
If you're using video, there are a few things to keep in mind.
When recording your e-course videos:
- Make sure you have good lighting
- Record in a quiet place with no background noise
- Use a high-quality microphone
- Dress professionally
- Edit your videos for quality and clarity
If you're not using video and plan to stick to audio, some of the same principles apply. Make sure you record in a quiet place, use a high-quality microphone, and edit your audio for quality and clarity.
Text is the easiest format to produce but can be the least engaging for students. If you choose to go this route, make sure your content is well-written and easy to follow.
Now that you've recorded your e-course content, it's time to put everything together and launch your course! But before we go, let's quickly recap the process:
- Select the perfect platform for your e-course
- Create a marketing strategy
- Plan and outline your content
- Record your e-course material
- Edit your videos/audio for quality and clarity
- Launch your course!
And that's it! You're now ready to launch an effective and engaging online course for your coaching clients. Just follow the steps outlined above and you'll be well on your way to success. Thanks for reading!
If you found this blog post helpful, be sure to check out my other blog posts on ‘How do I find my audience and market as a creative?’ for more tips and advice. Thanks for reading!
Do you want to know more about turning your creativity into a business?
Of course, you do! That’s why I'll write more articles on this topic. I want to help you understand that creatives can also be good entrepreneurs.
SUBSCRIBE BELOW to my free email newsletter today and I'll send you an e-mail whenever I publish a new blog!👇👇👇