Does this sound familiar: You begin to write a blog post, and before you know it, your “quick update” has turned into a rambling, 3,000 word novelette that covers everything from where to find a graphic designer to how to design a business card.
Now, a 3,000-word blog post can be great for traffic, but only if you’ve kept it tightly focused. But what happens all too often in blog posts (and in course development as well) is that every point covered can bring up a new point to be addressed.
Logo design leads to business card formatting…
Business cards lead to taglines…
Taglines lead to ideal client avatars…
Avatars lead to…well, you get the idea.
The point is, when you strive to provide the very best information for your audience, it’s easy to want to include one more important detail. Soon, you’ve outlined an encyclopedia’s worth of content that overwhelms not only you, but your clients as well.
Here are some steps that can make creating content easier:
1) Start with a single problem that has a simple solution
Most people don’t need or want an all-inclusive answer. For example, if you create a course that helps your clients identify their ideal client, then including information about choosing a domain name might seem relevant, but it really just ends up being a distraction to the main point.
Or, worse, if you try to branch out too much, you run the risk of overwhelming your customer. Too much of that, and she’ll log out and never return—for this or any other course you create. Not because you’re a bad coach, but because she’ll be convinced she’s a bad student.
Here’s another issue with trying to include too much info in a single course: Depth of knowledge. When you try to include too much information, what you end up with is very thin coverage of a lot of different topics.
Instead, when you focus your course on a single problem and a single solution, you can dig deeper and present ideas and information that won’t be found just anywhere, such as:
- Case studies
- Worksheets
- Planning documents
- Checklists
- Multi-media content
These are the types of things that your audience will happily pay for, because they can’t find them elsewhere. When you focus your course on a single problem, you’ll have the leeway to create these and other resources. Take a broader approach, though, and you’ll be forced to scrimp on the “extras.”
But make no mistake—there is still room for that all-inclusive, massive eCourse. One look at powerhouse coaches such as Marie Forleo and her massively popular B-School will tell you that.
Keep in mind, though, that if you decide to go ahead with an eCourse of this magnitude, you will (by necessity) have to:
- Expand the length of the course to accommodate all the extra information. Each week (or module) becomes its own “mini” course, focused on a single issue/solution.
- Increase the cost of the course. If your market will bear a high-ticket, multi-module course, then by all means you should produce one. But do keep in mind that the more information you provide, the higher the price point should be.
Remember, too, that a large course is a more difficult sell—and we’re not just talking about the price. There’s a bigger commitment on the part of the buyer as well, and that’s something she’s going to have to carefully consider before she takes the plunge. A smaller, single-problem course is easier to commit to and easier to complete and be successful with.
2) Choose the right format
Video? Audio? Written? Live?
When it comes to creating course content, you have a dozen or more options, and all of them are useful in their own way, so how can you choose? There are three primary considerations.
- Your Buyer
Some people love watching videos, while some prefer to skim through written instructions. Some people learn best by doing, with a checklist as a guide. Still others much prefer to have an audio they can consume while doing other things.
- Your Content
Let’s face it, some information lends itself well to certain formats, and simply won’t work in others. For example, it’s difficult to explain how to use software, without a screenshare video. By the same token, if you’re asking clients to work through a discovery process, a fillable worksheet is appropriate.
- Your Own Comfort Zone
While your biggest consideration should be your clients and their needs, your preferences matter, too. If you aren’t comfortable with video, then it’s a safe bet you’ll procrastinate getting your course done, and stress over it unnecessarily. By the same token, if writing isn’t your forte, trying to force yourself to create 50 pages of content is going to be frustrating. Remember that whatever you enjoy, your audience will too.
3) Choose your delivery system
Beyond the obvious format choice, you also have to consider how you’ll present the material. Again, you have a variety of options.
- Email Delivery
This is the simplest method of eCourse delivery. All it takes is an autoresponder set to go out on the schedule you choose, and a series of messages with your training materials. You can include attachments as well, or you can link to a page where buyers will find the course materials, such as video or downloadable files.
- Membership Site
A more sophisticated option is to set up a membership portal where buyers can log in to retrieve their material. This gives you the option to deliver the content all at one time, if you prefer, and also allows you to better protect your content from unauthorized access.
- Zip File Download
If your eCourse is small, a zip file download is a viable option. In this case, you simply set up delivery through your shopping cart by providing a link where buyers can download the entire course. This format works best if your course does not include a video element, because the download could be too large for those with a slow internet connection.
The bottom line is this: When you’re planning your eCourse, your most important consideration is your buyer. What does she want, and how does she want it delivered? (If you aren’t sure, try putting yourself in her place.) Do that, and you’ll be well on your way to launching a successful course.
4) Pricing strategies
Struggling with how to price your eCourse? You’re in good company. It’s a dilemma all online business owners face, and one that can even cause you to put off launching your product—maybe indefinitely.
Sound familiar? These pricing strategies will help:
How much do you want to earn?
Here’s the most basic idea: how much money do you want to make on your course sales? Take into consideration the following:
- Your time investment: How many hours did you spend planning and creating your course?
- Your monetary investment: Did you pay writers, editors, developers or others to create your course?
- The cost of sales: What percentage of each sale will go to pay your payment processor, affiliates and JV partners?
- Projected sales: How many individual units can you reasonably expect to sell?
Taking these things into consideration, makes it easier to calculate the cost of your course.
What is the buyer’s return on investment?
Beyond how much you expect to earn from course sales, it’s important to consider how much your buyer stands to gain from her access to it. For example, if your clients routinely increase their income by $2,000 every month thanks to your training, then it’s more than reasonable to charge $4,000 or more for your course.
Or, what is the perceived value of knowing how to lose 10 pounds and keep it off, or knowing how to deal with a teenager’s crisis? In determining price, you need to consider what the perceived value of the result you promise is.
How committed are your buyers?
Or more accurately, how committed do you want them to be? Generally speaking, the higher the price point, the more invested a buyer will be in:
- Seeing the course through to the end
- Taking action on the material
This means that they’re also more likely to realize the results you promise, which leads to a better return on their investment. If you have the value and the case studies to prove a solid return, it’s reasonable to price your course higher to encourage commitment on your buyers’ part.
How exclusive is the content?
You might think that there is nothing you can teach that hasn’t already been done before—many, many times.
But there’s plenty that can make your course stand out from the crowd:
- Present the content in an unexpected way
- Use design elements such as cover art, charts, and other graphics
- Include worksheets, checklists, and other step-by-step help
In the end though, deciding on a price for your course might come down to simply following your intuition. After all, you know your audience—and your content—best. Don’t overthink it, and don’t use pricing indecision as an excuse not to launch.
5) Repurpose your content
If you have a blog or an email list, or have created other courses, then you already have a wealth of content to draw from. Sort through past blog posts and emails for gems you can polish and repurpose. Scout your past courses for modules and elements that are a good fit for your new course. Update the information (if needed), reformat it to match your new design, and use it to add value to your next offering.
Don’t worry that some of your content may have been seen before—even if you create an entire eCourse based on nothing but your blog content. People will happily pay for a step-by-step plan, even if they can find the information for free elsewhere. It’s the convenience of having a proven plan without having to organize it themselves that will encourage them to buy.
Fill in the Blanks with Re-brandable Content
If there are obvious gaps in your content (and there may not be) you can easily fill them in with rebrandable content. You can find inexpensive, well-researched and well-written private label content on nearly every subject. In addition, you can often find a variety of formats, including video, software, slide decks and graphics. All of these can be used to create a more well-rounded, valuable course with very little effort on your part.
Let’s be clear. Your course is not likely to be an all-inclusive, multi-media filled epic offering. Instead, aim for a low-cost introductory course that will sit near the top of your funnel. You can always expand it later (repurposing yet again) into a more comprehensive training, but for now, the goal is to get it finished and get it out there.
In Summary
When creating an introductory or low-cost product remember these steps:
- Start with a single problem that has a simple solution – keep your course focused on a single issue so your buyer doesn’t get overwhelmed, or doesn’t feel a need to come back to you for more.
- Choose the right format: decide what format you will use based on your audience’s as well as your own preferences.
- Choose your delivery system: decide on what method and/or platform you will deliver your product.
- Pricing strategies: how much do you think your product is worth to you and to your audience.
- Repurpose your content: make it easier to develop a course by using material and content you already have or rebrandable content.
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