Latest / Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs / 41: How to attract customers to your online course

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41: How to attract customers to your online course · Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, and welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 41, and in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about how to attract customers online.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: So let's jump right in and get started.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host Karen and I'm here to lift the lid on what it actually takes to create a successful business.
• 0:30
  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.
• 0:38
  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.
• 0:49
  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 business's growth.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes, which drop every Wednesday.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining me today.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host Karen and I really appreciate you hitting the play button to listen to today's episode.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about how to attract customers online so you can get your online course in front of the right customers and make those sales.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: So one of the things that a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with when they start thinking about creating an online course is how they're going to attract the right customers so that they can make the money that they want to make.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: You don't want to be spending ages creating an online course that nobody wants.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: So when you put it out into the world to be sold, you want it to be bought.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: And so you don't want to put it out to crickets.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: You want to make sure that your course is going out and you're going to get what you want to get from it.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now there's nothing more soul-destroying or upsetting than spending a huge amount of time creating something that you can't sell or feeling like what you have created nobody wants.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think having a plan at the beginning is going to be what helps you to mitigate the scenario of not getting those sales so that you can focus your efforts on creating a plan that drives you to the results that you ultimately want.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: So, what do you need to do to ensure that you're going to attract the right customers?
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Because let's face it, this is a tricky one, isn't it?
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we create an online course, we hope that people will buy it, but how can we make assurances that this is actually going to happen and that the right people are actually going to buy it?
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Well, first and foremost, I think it's all about having a strategy in place, even before you have started creating your online course.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Creating a really solid strategy of what your plan looks like is going to really put you in a good position down the road because it's going to be what's going to help you to achieve your goals, and this is something that many entrepreneurs fail to have in place.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: They think, yes, my business wants, um, I'm going to create an online course for my business, I'm going to make money from it, it's going to be a great way to attract new customers, and I can scale my business from there.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: But the truth is, if you don't have a solid strategy in place, then it doesn't matter what your intentions are, you're not going to achieve your goal.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: And so having a strategy in place that's going to help you move forward is going to ultimately set you up for success.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Now, your strategy doesn't have to be overly complicated.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think when the word strategy is banded around, it feels very, it feels very serious, it feels very grown-up.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're used to running your business without having a solid strategy in place, which many entrepreneurs do have and do do, then feeling like you have to suddenly create one can be really overwhelming.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: But it doesn't have to be anything complicated, it could just be a really simple process on what you're going to do, when you're going to do it, and how you're going to get it done.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: I think once you get clear in your mind about what your goals are and what you're ultimately looking to achieve, and then what you're going to do to achieve it, then the next step is about looking at that customer journey.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: And this is what your strategy is ultimately going to outline.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when it comes to running a business, the journey that we take our customers on is really important because this is going to set the tone for what is to come and it's going to build an impression of your business.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's important that we be we are intentional with the journey that we create in order to provide the most effective experience possible.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: We want to wow our customers, we want to make them feel as though we are the right choice for them and that it's a no-brainer for them to work with us.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: And part of that is making sure that each and every touch point that your customer comes into is second to none.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: So by being conscious about that journey that your potential customers are going to be embarking on, you can ensure that every step is well thought out and presents you and your business in the best way possible.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: Now, in the world of marketing, this process is known as a marketing funnel.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: You may have heard of it, you may not have heard of it.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of digital marketers use this term to describe the pathway a customer takes when they're being nurtured through to conversion.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: So it's a really effective way of breaking down the customer journey so that you can control how your interactions are with them.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: So that ultimately you can lead them to that point where they're converting and they're making a purchase.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this process is usually split into four stages.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: So you have the awareness stage, the interest stage, the decision stage, and then the action stage.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the reason why marketing funnels are so powerful is because it's going to be what helps you to deliver the right information at the right time across the right channel to the right people.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: So with even with that thought process in mind, you can see already that it's actually really quite powerful because it gives you structure and a process to follow.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what's great about using marketing funnels is that you can influence potential customers by using analytics.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: So you can lead them towards you generating more sales by studying and getting familiar with the analytics that is being displayed based on the customer's behavior, which means that you can really get to know how your customer behaves, and then you can create a really strong process that supports and nurtures them as they move through the funnel.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: Now, as I mentioned, there are four key stages to this process, and each stage carries its own weight.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you need all four stages to create a really effective funnel because, as I said, this is a customer's journey, so you want to be looking at each of the stages of their journey and looking at how you can enhance it in a way that encourages them to move forward onto the next stage.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: So the first stage is the awareness stage.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: This is when your potential customer is aware of the problem and the possible solution that exists.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now they may be at a stage where they're starting to think about the problems they're experiencing and they're starting to think about looking for a solution.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: And so their behavior may be that they start scouring social media or Google to see what solutions are available to them.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: So as you can see, at this stage, your potential customers are displaying a certain type of behavior, they're becoming aware of the problem, they're starting to think about the solution, and then they're actively looking externally for a solution.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: The second stage is the interest stage.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: This is when your potential customer shows an interest in your product.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: So it may be that they've done some digging around and they've come into contact with you.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: So they may have come across a social media post or an event that you're running, and they're at that point where they're evaluating whether or not what you are offering is right for them.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: So this is when they are showing that bit more interest.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the next stage, the third stage, is the decision stage.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: So this is when your potential customer starts to actively look at you for being the possible solution provider.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: It may be that they have experienced your brand before, they may have worked with you before, they may have purchased a previous offer before.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: So they may, it may be that they have some experience of you in your brand, or it may be that they've seen something on social media, maybe they've seen a Facebook ad that you've run, they're interested in what it is you are offering, and therefore they've clicked through and they are making that decision whether or not to buy.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, at this stage, the no like and trust factor is really important because if you don't have that in place, then they're not going to move on to the fourth and final stage.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: And so, as you move your potential customers through that funnel, at each stage, you're building that no like and trust factor.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: So you are using methods and content or however you're doing this to really drive home that trust factor because they need to trust you before they're going to buy from you.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the fourth and final stage is where your potential customer is ready to take action, so they're ready to make a purchase, and of course, that's then going to lead to a conversion.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: So the way you measure the success of your funnel is whether or not you have achieved a conversion.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: But from your potential customer's point of view, at this stage they're going to be buying.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: So whatever it is you have on offer, that's what they're going to be purchasing.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now you need all four stages of this marketing funnel in place to work effectively.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: However, sometimes customers do come in at various stages.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: However, if you have made previous sales before in your business, then it may be interesting to look back at how your customers have come to you because whichever way you have attracted them, there will be some kind of funnel in place.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you don't recognize it, you'll see that you've most likely had some kind of funnel.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: And by having a funnel in place, it means that you can track your customers' journey, which means that you can gain analytics on their behavior, and then you can build your customers' journey around their behaviors.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: So again, it's meeting them where they're at, and then creating an experience that is so exceptional that they naturally lead through your funnel.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I just want to give you some examples of some other funnels that you may have in place.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: You may not, it may not be something you have currently, it may be something that you're thinking about.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: But I just want to give you some examples of other funnels that you might be using.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are an entrepreneur or a business owner that uses networking as your way of growing your business, then it might be that you have a funnel in place already.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, you you go networking, you attend an event.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: Well, this is of course the awareness stage because this is where you're going to be creating visibility around what you do or what you offer.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: So if you go networking, you're most likely going to have an option or be given a period of time where you can stand up and introduce yourself, your business, and what it is you you have to offer potential clients.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: So this is where you're creating visibility around your business.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the interest stage is usually achieved as the next step.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: So if you then go on to book a one-to-one with somebody, so a one-to-one meeting, or you go on to have a further conversation with somebody based on your 60 seconds, then this could be the interest stage because it might be that what you've said during your 60 seconds may be of interest, and so that person that you are speaking to may be showing interest in what you have to offer.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: So, of course, this is the second stage, the interest stage.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the decision stage happens when the person that you're meeting with asks you to send them a proposal or asks you to send them an offer because they're showing a behavior that they have a desire to work with you.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: So this is the decision stage, and then the final stage is the action stage because this is when that person is going to go ahead and buy from you.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: When you go networking, or if you go networking for your business as part of growing your business, you can see that you will have a funnel in place.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: Now, let me give you another example.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: So if you currently run Facebook ads, then you most you will have a marketing funnel in place.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: So when you create the ad and you put it out online, then and and of course you've gone through the whole selection of who you want to get it in front of, then you're creating visibility around the thing that you're promoting.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: So that's the awareness stage of the advert because it's all about visibility.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: The awareness stage is the stage where you're creating visibility around what it is you do and what it is you have to offer.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: The fact that somebody has clicked through your Facebook ad means that it's piqued their interest enough that they want to find out more about what it is you have to offer.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: So this is then the interest stage.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: The decision stage is when they go to click through to your sales page and they're starting to look at what you have to offer in a more serious way.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: So they are considering purchasing, and then, of course, the action stage is when they click on the buy now button to purchase the offer.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: So, as you can see, funnels are used all of the time in business, and they're really common in both marketing and in sales, and it really doesn't matter whether you have an online business or you operate offline or whether you have a bricks and mortar store, it really doesn't matter.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: A marketing funnel applies to every customer interaction.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: A funnel is the most powerful way that you can bring visibility to what it is you do and what it is you have to offer.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: So you are nurturing every stage of your customer's journey.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: So, with all of this in mind, how can we use funnels to generate more sales for our online courses?
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so the first thing you must do is get really clear on your goal.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: I cannot stress this enough.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: The goal that you have for yourself is going to determine your intention and the actions you take.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: Now, goals can change at any time.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: You may decide, you know what, I'd be happy with selling 10 of my courses, or I'm going to be happy with selling 20 of my courses.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: It really doesn't matter.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: That number does not matter.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: What number matters is that you're setting intention and you're saying to yourself, do you know what?
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: This is what I want to achieve because I'm serious about making this happen.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I think taking the time to put it down on paper or put it in your project management system, whatever works for you, I think taking that time is really vital because when we set goals, something magical happens when we something is really becoming embedded into our subconscious, and so that then becomes the thing that ultimately drives us.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: So then, whenever we're confronted with a decision to make, we can then measure that decision against what our goals are.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: So that's why setting goals is super, super important.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: And when you go to do something like sell an online course, at the beginning it's not easy, it takes time because you have to go through a process.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: But if you don't set a goal and you don't set that intention, you can very easily become off track.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: And so, what I want you to do if you are wanting to sell your online course is first and foremost get really clear about your goals and what it is that you want to achieve for yourself.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now, once you have done this, it's all about then putting that funnel to sell your online course in place, and there's two things that you need to achieve.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, you need to create a very simple path for potential customers to move along so that ultimately it convinces them to buy your course.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: Second, you need to automate this process as much as possible because you don't want to be spending time having to do things over and over again.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: The great thing about creating an online business and selling online courses is that much of the process can be automated, so it can lead to being a time saver once you've set everything up.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: But if you don't set everything up at the beginning, then you're gonna waste a lot of time having to revisit things.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: So you need to make sure that whatever you do, you automate the process.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_00: Now, of course, it does take time to build out a pathway, however, as I said, once it's done and it's in place, then it's a case of you just need to keep adding to it, you just need to keep adding to the top of the funnel, which is the awareness stage, which is the visibility.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: So think about it this way: you have your four stages, you're out on social media, you're creating posts that talk about a topic that you have covered in your online course.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_00: Now, at the end of that post, whether it's on Instagram or LinkedIn or Facebook, you're going to have a call to action.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when somebody clicks on that call to action, which is the next step, they're showing an interest.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: So you've already done the awareness stage because you've created a post which is all about visibility, you've given them a call to action for them to click.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: So that's of course the interest stage.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: You then take them to the next step in the process, which could be a sales page.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: So that visitor is reading the sales page, so they're showing an interest, so it's all about them making a decision.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when they click on the buy now to go to the checkout, they're making the decision to buy, and then when they click the purchase button on your checkout page, they've then converted into a customer.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: So as you can see, that funnel can be very, very simple.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_00: I've got a post, I've got a call to action, I've got a sales page, and I've got a checkout page that has a buy now button.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's a very, very simple funnel, and you can automate that.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: So you can build your checkout page, you can build your sales page, and you can build the call to action buttons and all of that and create all the links.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: The thing that you need to do is invest in the awareness stage.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: So that might be multiple posts, it might be a lead magnet, it might be something that is enough to pique their interest, so they click on that call to action button.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: Now, whatever that is, it's going to be individual to you.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: So you just have to make sure that your funnel is.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Is created and in place so that when a potential customer comes into contact with the very first point of um what you have to offer, which is your post or your blog, it could be your podcast, it could be your YouTube video.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: So whatever that state, whatever that content is that you're sharing, you just need to make sure that you have the various components set up so that when that person wants to take that next step and find out more about what it is you have to offer, it's a seamless process.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: They just need to click a call call to action button, they just they can read a sales page, they can which is going to lead them to a checkout page, and then you've got the purchase button where they can actually get hold of the thing that you're offering.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: So it's really important that in order to attract the right customers and to make sure that they stick around and buy what it is you have to offer, it's important that you have that funnel built out.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: So one of the things that you do need to consider as you are thinking about this is your ideal customer.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: Now, we know in business customers are the the lifeblood of our businesses.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_00: If we didn't have customers, we wouldn't have a business.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: But in order to get what we have to offer in front of the right customers, we have to really get to know them.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_00: We have to know exactly who it is we want buying our offers.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_00: Now, in order to create a really effective funnel, you need to get really clear on who your ideal customer is.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_00: If you do not know who your key person is, then you will struggle with this and you won't achieve selling your online course.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I really do encourage you to spend some time and get really laser clear on who your ideal customer is.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to write down as much information as possible about them.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to really paint a picture of who they are in your mind.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: Give them a persona, give them a name, build a story around them.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now, to help you with this, it always helps to think of somebody that you know.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_00: It could be a client, it could be a friend, it could be a family member.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if I asked you to describe them, I am sure that you would probably describe them in so much detail that by the end of it, I would probably have a really good picture in my mind of exactly who they are.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_00: Now that's where you need to get to when it comes to your ideal customer.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: You need to be able to talk about them in a way that they feel like a real person because the more you get to know them, the more you can build your funnel around them, and the the more sales you're ultimately going to make.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: Now, in truth, there are many ways to build out your funnel.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: I've just offered a few examples in today's episode, but ultimately it's a process that you take your customer on that leads them through to then buying what it is you have to offer.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the more time you spend on this, the clearer you get about how you want your funnel to be and the experience that you want to deliver, the better and more effective your funnel is going to turn out.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_00: Because this is the thing that your potential customers are going to experience.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: So you just need to think how you can create a really top-notch process that's going to make that person that you want to buy your course want to buy your course.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: The great thing is that once you have your funnel created and you've put all of the components in place, then you just have to focus on attracting new people to the top of your funnel.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_00: And then it's a case of rinse and repeating the process over and over again.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: So there is that work at the beginning, but once you've done it, then it is a rinse and repeat process.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to today's episode.
• 26:35
  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 benefit from listening to today's episode.
• 26:45
  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.pink-lemondigital.com.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: I will be back next week with another episode, but until then, have a great week.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_00: New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday.
• 27:21
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• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in today, and I will see you next time.