By
following just a few easy steps, you can write a free online course that
will (a) delight your readers and (b) sell your products.
If you think
about it, (b) logically follows (a). If your readers are excited by the
information they're getting, then it's natural that they'd be eager to
read anything else you write! Your task is to show, through the content
of your online course, that you:
-
are an
expert on the subject
-
offer
value (even if your e-course is free, the reader is giving up his
time to read it)
-
are not
going to make your online course a thinly-disguised sales pitch
-
respect
your reader (don't talk down to your reader; don't pretend you're
his best buddy)
-
will
only continue to offer useful information IF THE READER AGREES. (If
the reader signs up only for a free 4-lesson online course, don't
take that as permission to bombard them with sales material when the
e-course is finished.)
Why
A Free Online Course Will Dramatically Increase Your Chances of a Sale
E-courses
(or mini-courses) are a winner for web business owners. They are a great
way to stay in contact with people who are interested in your subject.
And they're an ideal method of convincing those same people (your
potential customers) that you really are an expert.
It's human
nature to be a bit wary about buying. Lots of us like to go away and
think about it for a while. If we're really keen to buy, then
we'll probably come back.
But... so many things can get in the way of that decision to go back and
buy. You know how it is...
... there's
a family crisis that takes your mind away from everything else for a few
days. By the time it's over - you've forgotten (a) what it was you were
so keen to buy or (b) where the website was. Or...
... you get
so busy at work you forget about that e-book that sounded so good. Or...
... you
decide to wait and see if something better comes along.
What's the antidote to all these failure-to-buy scenarios?
Simple.
You invite the person who visits your website to sign up for a
free online course in this subject you're both so interested
in. He's more than likely to fill in his name and email address. Why
not? You've got the information. He wants the information. Seems like a
good deal!
And once
he's signed up... you've got many more chances to mention that e-book he
didn't buy the first time around. By the time he's finished reading your
useful, timely tips in that free online course, he'll be dead keen to
buy your book!
The same
thing goes for software, services, and physical products. Whatever it is
you're trying to sell - you have much more chance of doing it through an
e-course.
If your
e-course is 4 lessons long, you have four more chances.
If it's 7
lessons long, you have 7 extra chances! Some e-courses are spread over
30 days - now that's a lot of contact opportunities!
How
To Write A Free Online Course That Will Leave Your Readers Wanting More
There are lots of ways to construct your e-course. We'll present a few
of them here. But the most important thing
you have to keep in mind is this:
"What does my reader want? Why did she sign up for this free
online course?"
You know the
answer.
-
She
wants value-packed information.
-
She
wants tips, methods, insights and how-to information.
So
make sure you give it to her! DON'T fill your course with
time-worn information she could find on a thousand different web sites.
Make your information fresh - or at least put a fresh slant on
it.
If you want
your reader to buy from you - you have to show her, through the content
in your free online course, that it will be worth her while.
Step
1: Decide on the length of your course.
Make it at
least 3 lessons. Any less than that and you are wasting opportunities
for contact. Many internet marketers devise courses that have 7 lessons,
and send 1 lesson a day for a week, or 1 lesson every 2 days.
Think
carefully about making your course much longer than that. Why?
(a) You
could be giving away too much information. Make your content valuable,
but don't give away the store! Keep some of it for an e-book, or even
"Part 2" of the course to be delivered further down the track.
(b) Some
readers get bored with courses that go on and on. They'd rather you put
it all in an ebook to start with. You don't want them deciding to
unsubscribe because they're sick of getting an email every day for a
month. (This may not apply if you give them one task to do every day
that will help them reach a goal.)
Step
2: Decide on the content of your course.
First, the
course content should relate to the products or services you are
trying to sell.
Then you go
back to that all-important question: "What does my reader want?"
Come up with a title for your free online course that sums up the
content neatly. And make it a title that sounds so tempting that your
reader can't wait to sign up!
(Not great
at titles? There's a nifty software program that I use all the time that
will make this a snap:
Headline Creator Pro. You can use it for not only your free online
courses, but your web copy and ebooks as well!)
When you
know what your course is about, and you know how long you want your
course to be, come up with a sub-heading for each lesson. (The headline
creator program I mentioned in the last paragraph will give you some
great sub-headings, too.) ALL your lessons should have your reader
eagerly clicking to open her email!)
Step
3: What are you selling through your e-course?
Your online
course might be free, but the whole point is to get the click
through to the products that will earn you money. You need to
decide whether:
1. you are
selling one product through the whole e-course, or
2. you are
promoting different products - maybe one in each lesson.
You also
need to decide how you are going to wind up your e-course. You
don't want to let your reader go. Invite them to click on a
button that will sign them up for a free ezine, or occasional advice on
good related products, further handy tips, and so on. Throughout the
whole e-course, you are working at establishing a relationship with your
customer. If they like you (and they will like you, if you've given them
what they need to know!) then they'll be happy to hear from you again.
Step
4: Integrate Your Selling Copy With Your E-Course Information
Notice I
said 'integrate' your selling copy, not drop it on your reader like a
ton of bricks. No-one likes to be sold. Your reader needs to feel that
it's her idea to buy, not that you've nagged her into it. (If she feels
that way she probably won't buy anyway.)
So... be
subtle.
First, plan
your good, useful, not-to-be-missed information. Write that first. Don't
fill your e-course lesson with fluff. Too many free online courses are
low on information and high on sales hype. Avoid that at all costs! Plan
each lesson so it has information in it that you would be happy to
receive yourself. THEN work out how you will blend in the sales
information.
The best way
to do it is to work the sales link in naturally. For example, you give
some top-quality information - a 'how-to' tip that anyone would be happy
to know. Then you add a line that says something like:
'In Chapter 3 of [NAME OF YOUR EBOOK] you can read
about how I used this method on three different sites, adding a
different twist each time - all with great success. Believe me - it
works!'
(The name of your ebook will be a clickable link through to your sales
page for your book.)
Another way
to add sales information is to use a standard template for each lesson.
You include these elements:
1. The name
of your e-course, your name as the author, your website link
2. The
lesson number (e.g. Lesson 3 of a 7-Day E-Course)
3. The title
and a brief description of today's lesson
4. A
"Today's Sponsor" message. (If you are selling different products
throughout your course, you can include a brief message from the
'sponsor' who produced the software, ebook, etc that you are promoting.
This is one way to include your selling message if you are earning
income through affiliate links.)
5. Today's
lesson
6. A preview
of what is to come in the next lesson. (No need to tell you to make it
sound so tempting your reader won't want to miss it!)
7. Your
closing details, name, website link, etc.
Step
5: How Long Should Each Lesson Be?
If your
reader is like most of us, she's pushed for time. She wants good
information, and she wants it fast. She wants it in an easily digestible
form - bullet points are good, tightly written examples are good.
She does NOT
want three or four paragraphs of hot air followed by half a page of
advertising copy for your products. Do that and you deserve to lose her.
Nor does she
want twenty pages of densely-written text. Why? SHE'S PUSHED FOR TIME!
Get to the point. Two to five pages is fine.
[TIP: If
you want to write a longer course, then consider making it a paid online
course with exercises, examples, and perhaps even assignments.]
Free online courses are designed to whet the appetite.
There are
plenty of examples of online courses all over the Internet - sign up for
a few and analyse the structure. If you want to fast-track your
understanding of how these work, Jimmy Brown lays it out well in
Autopilot Income Streams. He provides you with templates for
your e-courses and tips on how you can ensure your customers will stay
with you - and click the 'buy' button for the sale you've worked so hard
to get.
Tip
6: Alternative Ways to Create Content
You can
write all the content yourself, or you can use these methods:
1. Make your
e-course a series of interviews with successful people
2. Call your
e-course a '7 Best Articles On [TOPIC OF YOUR E-COURSE]
- There are thousands of free articles available on the Internet. You're
sure to be able to find some on your topic. You'll need to include the
author's copyright details and resource box, but you should add a few
comments of your own to each lesson. The whole idea is to establish a
relationship with your customer, and you can't do that if you're
presenting ONLY other people's work.
3. Base your
free online course on good resources for your reader -
a review of the best websites, the best ebooks, the best software and so
on. The fact that you're writing the reviews will personalize it.
5 Final Tips
On Writing Your Free Online Course
1.
Keep your reader's needs foremost in your mind. (Yes, I know
we've said that before, but that's because it's so important to the
success of your e-course.)
2.
Don't make your course so huge that you never complete it. It
has to offer value, but it shouldn't be so difficult that you put off
finishing it!
3.
Edit, edit, edit. If your e-course is full of mistakes your
credibility goes right out the window. Don't advertise it as soon as
you've finished it - give yourself time to edit and polish. Give it to
someone else to proof-read. You won't be sorry.
4.
Check the balance of 'sales' material to 'educational' content.
The sales material should be non-intrusive and should avoid 'hype'. Let
your expertise speak for itself. Make sure you have been subtle.
5.
Market your course in every way you can. Put a sign-up link on
your website. Write a sales page for it that shows why the reader can't
miss signing up. Put an email link to your course in your signature in
emails. Write articles for other ezines or websites, and put a link to
your e-course in the resource box.
QUICK TIPS:
-
Want to see an example of a mini-course? Subscribe to my
Ghostwriting e-course at
www.mini-ghost@aweber.com so you can see how it's constructed
and presented.
-
Want to see how to create a newsletter that looks good, without
having to use FrontPage or Dreamweaver? You'll find out how to
create it quickly and easily in Outlook Express right here on the
"How the Heck do I..." site:
Outlook Express
Newsletter Ideas
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