Latest / Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs / 10: What you MUST do before creating your online course

Transcript

10: What you MUST do before creating your online course · Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to the Digital Ishhe Does It Show.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 10, and in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about what you must do before you start creating your online digital course.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: So let's jump right in and get started.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, then this podcast is perfect for you.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: With my award-winning approach to marketing and expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energized, and ready to bring those big dreams to life.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know-how, along with actionable step-by-step strategies to help you accelerate your businesses' growth.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes, which drop every Wednesday.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to today's episode.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 10, and today I'm going to be talking about what you must do before you start putting pen to paper and start creating your online course.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I highly recommend you do this because what you don't want to do is be spending a huge amount of time creating your online course that ultimately does not sell.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: You want to be in a position where once you're ready to launch your course, you know without a shadow of a doubt that it's exactly what your audience wants, what they need, and so that you know that you're going to be able to sell it.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this stage of the process can be easily overlooked, but it's an integral part to ensuring that you're going to achieve success.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: The worst thing you can do is start creating a course by making assumptions about your audience before you really get to know them.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Understanding exactly who your audience are, what they need from you, where they are in their journey at the moment, what their challenges are, and what you can do to support them in the best way possible is going to help you create a really effective course that delivers results.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you make assumptions before really understanding these key points, what you may find is that you're missing out on knowing exactly what your audience needs because you're making assumptions that might not be true.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: So the best thing that can be done before you even dive in and start creating any content is to carry out research, and by doing this, you can then validate the need of your course.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: So today's episode is all about that, it's all about validating your course idea so that you can ultimately move forward confident in the knowledge that you're bringing something into the world that people actually do want.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: So, what do I mean by validating your course idea?
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Well, what I mean is that to ensure that your idea has mileage, to make sure that it's an idea that is really going to be needed, first you have to validate that there is market demand for what you're going to be teaching.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: So this is proving that there is an audience, there is a struggle, and that the course that you're actually going to be creating will be bridging that gap.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now, in order to validate your idea, you of course, in the first instance, need to have an idea of what your course topic is going to be.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: So if you don't know this, then I would really encourage you to go back and listen to episode eight, which is all about how to pick the perfect course topic to teach, where I walk you through how to decide the perfect course topic that you can teach your students so that you can create an effective course that your students are actually going to want.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this episode has been designed to help you get started if you're creating an online course for the very first time.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: So if you haven't listened to it already, then I encourage you to go back and listen to episode eight, how to pick the perfect course topic to teach.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: Now, once you have your course idea, you can then go about validating your idea to prove that it has legs, it has mileage, and that your idea is going to sell.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: So the only thing I would say here, as a side note, is that once you have picked the topic that you've decided to teach, know the audience that you're going to teach it to.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, hopefully, what you'll find is the two go hand in hand.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: You'll have a really good idea that the topic that you've chosen is ideal for a specific audience.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I would really encourage you to get clear on that first before you put it out for validation.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: I have a future episode that's going to cover this, but for now, I just want you to get clear on who you can serve in the best way possible.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you haven't done so already, I do have some free resource on my website.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: Go to www.carin-devies.com and what you'll be able to do is download a workbook that I have designed to help you get really clear on not only your course but who the course will be for as well.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: So if you would like to get hold of that free piece of resource, go to my website and you'll be able to access it there.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when you are choosing your ideal audience that you're going to reach out to for your course, the key thing to remember is not to try to appeal to everyone because you won't be able to help everyone.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: And in doing so, you'll end up being really vague and you won't end up helping anyone.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: So decide on a specific audience that your course will be able to help.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: For example, say you'll create an online course teaching fitness instructors how to take the business online.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's great, you're focusing in on fitness instructors.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: However, you can niche it down further and you can teach yoga instructors how to teach their business online.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Because by choosing a niche, you'll be able then to create a course specifically for that audience that has content specifically tailored for them.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: And that's gonna be what helps them get the result that you are going to be promising.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: So the more specific you can be, the better it will be for not only creating your online course, but for when you go into the marketing stage later on and you start promoting your online course.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: If you can get clear on exactly who your course is for and who it's best going to help, then you'll be able to create the right content that's going to be effective enough that's going to deliver the result.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: So I highly encourage you to get really clear on exactly who you want to teach so that you can create an effective course.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: So when you are deciding on your audience, getting specific is what matters.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: It will also help you, like I say, at the other end of the journey when you're starting to promote, because you'll be able to really refine your messaging so it's laser clear and to the point, and it will make your life so much easier down the road when you are promoting your course.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: So all the work you're doing now will benefit you later on when you go into the promotional stage of your course.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: So get clear on exactly who your ideal student is, who your audience are, and then you can start validating your idea from there.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you already know your audience because perhaps you work with them already, you may be asking, Well, look, you know, I work with these clients, I'm teaching these clients, I'm delivering these results to my clients, so why should I bother validating?
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: Because I know what I have to offer works.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: And you're absolutely right.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: You know, if you are delivering what you're going to be packaging up in a course to clients, then absolutely you know that there is a demand already.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: The caveat to that is that you may not be selling your online course to the people that you are working with on a one-to-one basis at the moment.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: It may be that your course is ideal for those that want to do self-study.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: So the clients that you're currently working with have come to you because they want to work with you on a one-to-one basis, they want to have direct communication with you so that you can help them resolve whatever challenge that you're helping them work through.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: However, the great thing about a course is that you can expand your audience and audiences that maybe you're not reaching out to at the moment because maybe they can't afford your price point on delivering a service.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: So it might be the fact that they just can't afford to work with you at the moment.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, your online course is a way for them to get hold of what you teach, but in a more affordable way.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: So, therefore, what you need to be thinking about is does this audience differ from the clients that I'm currently working with?
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so really think about that.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: So, again, I said do not make assumptions.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: If you understand your audience, you can then validate your idea.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: So, even if your audience shifts to being maybe an audience that wants to do more self-study rather than paying premium price for your services, then they're going to be coming at it slightly different.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: They may have slightly different challenges, they may have a different perspective to what you're going to be teaching, they may be looking for a different result than what your one-to-one clients are looking for.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: So it's worth going through the process and asking the questions just to ensure that you really do understand the audience that you're going to be creating the course for.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm just going to share with you my own experience.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: So at the very beginning, when I created my first course, I had this idea about creating a color course.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: So that was going to be my first online course, and it was going to be all about picking your brand colour because I have a branding studio and I work with clients supporting them with their branding, helping them to create a deeper connection with their audience through their identity and their messaging.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: So one of the things that was constantly coming up in my business was this idea of colour.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of my clients really struggled to know what colours to choose for themselves when they were working through their branding.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: So my idea on my first course was all about colour and how to simplify that process so that they can choose their brand colours.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now I spoke to a colleague and I was talking to this colleague about my idea, and my colleague completely disagreed with this and was very negative towards my idea, and they had a different opinion as to the first course that I should be creating.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: So of course, this took me back because I didn't expect the response.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: I've spoken to somebody that is in my industry that understands what I'm trying to do, but doesn't agree about the nature of my course.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: So I need to get my idea validated.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: And so I did this by going into some Facebook groups and putting out a poll and asking questions and getting feedback.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what I got back was incredible.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: Not only did they validate my course idea, but they also gave me an idea of exactly what they wanted.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: And what it turned out is they didn't just want a course with colour.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: Some did.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: Some of the responses were absolutely would love this, this would be really useful.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: But actually, I got a lot of responses based on a course, on a new idea about the how to approach their branding.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: So the insight I gained was incredibly valuable.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: And what I actually received was them writing my course framework because I had a few people that came back and told me exactly what they wanted.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I kept all of those responses, I stored them, and they became really valuable insights, which then influenced my decision on the course that I then went on to create.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: I then went on to create my crafting your brand, which is a branding course supporting startups and entrepreneurs that are new in their business with creating their branding.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: And so the course that I then created broke down that process to support them with doing so because actually my audience wouldn't be able to afford to pay me in one-to-one services because they weren't at a stage in their business where they can afford to pay a branding studio to brand their business for them.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: So the point that I'm trying to make is that we can have these amazing ideas, and I still believe in my colour course, and I still think that there will come a point where that colour course will be born, but actually, because of that experience that I had with my colleague and which then forced me to go and validate my idea, what I got in return was so much more, and that insight from my ideal audience influenced the content of the course that I then went on to create.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: So even if you think you know your audience, you know what they need, you know the course that they're looking for, I would still recommend you going through the process of validating your offer because it will build your confidence around what you're creating and it will help you to prove that there is market demand for your online course.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: It will also enable you to generate revenue from pre-sales.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: So if you start talking about your online course and you're able to talk about it without giving too much away to your audience, but talk about it in a way that this is coming up and it's going to be available soon, then you can achieve pre-sales, which will then also build your confidence.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: It will also give you the opportunity to build your email list.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: So, what you can do through the validation stage is put your idea out to be validated and ask for people that are interested to sign up to your email list so that they can be the first ones notified.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: That can be really powerful because they can then become founding members that you can then offer a discount to.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: It will also give you the opportunity to talk about your course.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what I wouldn't recommend is that you talk about your course in the fullest of ways.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: So, what I don't want you to do is put something out on Facebook and give everything away about your idea before you've validated it because you want to keep it under wraps until you're confident that what you have to offer is what you're going to be creating.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: But it does give you the opportunity to start talking about the fact that you are creating an online course, you are looking to serve your audience at a deeper level, and that you're wanting to build interest around it.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: So, validating your course idea is a really smart move, and there are so many benefits that you can gain from doing so.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: The biggest benefit, of course, is just knowing that you're not going to be wasting your time, that actually what you're going to be creating is needed, and that you're going to be solving somebody's problem through your course.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: So, how do you go about validating your idea?
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: Well, before you can test your idea in terms of it having merit, you just need to define your course proposition.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: So consider the following: why would somebody pay for your course?
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: So, what is it that they're looking for that's going to make them hand over their money to you for your course?
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: So, why would somebody pay for your course?
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what challenge does your course solve?
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: So you're creating a course, not because you want to create a course, you're creating a course because you're delivering a result that's going to fulfill a challenge of some kind.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: So your student that's taking the course is looking to solve a problem.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: So, what is that problem?
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: What does it look like?
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: And how can your course solve it?
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: What transformation does it facilitate?
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: So, what journey are you taking your student on?
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: And where are they going to be at the end of your course?
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: What are the expected learning outcomes?
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: So, what is your student going to walk away with?
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: What are the key things that they're buying from you?
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: And what are the tangible elements that they're going to walk away with?
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: And also consider that if your competitors have a course already, why would your course be different?
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: So, what is making your course different from other courses that are out there on the market?
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: Now, by carrying out the research, you'll be able to get a really clear picture as to whether or not your course has a demand.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: And some of the ways you can do this is just simply by talking to existing clients.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are already delivering your course as a service, speak to your clients and ask them why they came to you in order to get this resolved.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_00: So get really clear on the difference that you are providing your clients because what you may find is that difference is going to be infiltrated into your course.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: And so you can use that within your course messaging.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: Now have a look at the content that is currently being downloaded.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_00: So if you have freebies on your website, if you offer free resources that support your audience, what ones are most popular?
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: What are people gravitating to?
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: What are they looking to you for?
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: Is there something specific?
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you have hosted any webinars, any conferences, any online masterclasses, have they been well attended?
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: And are there any that are standing out as having more demand?
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: So if you've delivered some online workshops, are you delivering a workshop that every time you're putting it out there is just being full capacity?
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: There's a clear demand for that teaching that you're offering.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: Have a look at what people are signing up to and get a really clear picture as to what is working well for your business.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now, have you sent any newsletters relating to this topic?
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: And if so, review the analytics that sit behind these newsletters.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: Are people opening them?
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_00: Are people responding to them?
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: And are you getting any feedback?
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: Because any feedback that you're getting regarding your content is valuable insight, and you can use this insight in order to influence how you're going to create your course.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: So don't underestimate the power of insight and what your audience are saying to you.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you can also use Utilize the Google search.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: Google is amazing.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: You can find out what people are searching for just by going into the search bar.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: So when you type your topic into the search bar, there will be a drop-down list, and you'll be able to have a look at what people are searching for in real time online.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: So that's definitely one way to find out what your audience are searching for and what they need from you as well.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: Now, also consider the following: can you find similar courses in your area?
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: So you have an idea, you know what your course topic is going to be.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: Are there courses that already exist that's teaching this?
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if there are, please don't be put off by it because all that says is there is a demand for what you're teaching.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: So that in itself can validate what you have to offer.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: And don't forget, competition is good.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: Just because other courses exist, it doesn't mean that yours won't sell.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now, are you finding content online that is relating to your subject matter?
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: So are there Facebook groups that exist that cover your topic?
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: Are people talking about your topic online?
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: Are they having discussions about it on LinkedIn?
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_00: Are you able to find forums that are releasing articles and discussions around your topic area?
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: And if so, have a look at the words or the phrases that are being used.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_00: What language are people using when they're talking about your topic?
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: Because again, you can use this as part of your course.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: If you are finding that there are other courses similar to the course that you're intending to create, then that is good news.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you are finding that there is articles being written around your topic area, that's great news.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're finding that people are discussing what your course is about, then brilliant, because what that means is that there is a need and a demand for access to what you're teaching.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_00: So this is all worthwhile research, and it will give you a really good insight into what already exists, but also what you can create that can be different and that can deliver your topic in a really effective way that does deliver results.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what you can also do is you can reach out to your target audience.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_00: So if you know your target audience is on a social media platform, so for example, there are Facebook groups that are available with your ideal audience in there, then why not reach out to them and ask them questions?
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: And do what I did, which is release a poll, run a poll asking a question and get feedback and insight on that.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_00: Create a survey.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_00: So if you've got your ideal audience on your email list, then create a survey and send that out through your email list.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_00: Or you can simply create a lead magnet, a freebie that covers your topic and get people to download it.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_00: All of this is going to tell you whether or not people are interested in your subject matter.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: And the more insight you gain, the better your course is going to be because you're gaining a window into your audience's world.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_00: You can start them really understanding what they need or their challenges are and what you can do to support them in the best way possible.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now, everything you get, I would recommend that you keep it all somewhere safe because then you can use these insights in the future when you go into launching your course.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now, knowledge is power, and if you validate your course and you go through the process of getting that insight, then you're going to be in a stronger position when you start talking about your course in the future.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_00: So if you validate your course by reaching out to the right people, you should have plenty of knowledge and content to move forward with.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are feeling like what you have to offer is not good enough or you don't know if it's needed, then I would highly encourage you to spend the time validating your idea.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_00: Don't be afraid to reach out and ask your audience because most people love to help.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's commonplace to feel nervous and anxious at the beginning of your course creation journey, especially if you are doing this for the first time.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_00: However, by taking the time to validate your idea, not only will you be able to feel confident that what you have to offer is needed, you will also know that it will sell and that you will be serving your audience in the best way possible.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_00: Because here's the thing: by simply asking your audience what they need around your topic, you will get valuable answers and insight that will help you to write your course.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_00: So it's a win-win situation, and it's going to make your life so much easier in the long run.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to today's episode.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you found this episode of value, and of course, please feel free to share it with others who you may think will also benefit from listening to today's episode.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: If you are feeling inspired and would like to know more about getting started with creating an online digital course, then why not download my free ebook, 10 Steps to Digital Course Success, by visiting my website www.carenhyphandavies.com.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_00: I will be back next week with another episode, but until then, have a great week.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_00: New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday, so why not rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode?
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in today, and I will see you next time.