How to Sell Your Online Courses Without Paid Ads
Ready to pivot into online profit by building an automated digital course business?
I’m willing to bet you know the power of taking your business virtual - maybe you’ve even gone as far as building out a course or two.
Congrats to you, friend. Online profits are the way to go! ⭐
But perhaps you are just not generating the kind of sales you KNOW your programs are capable of.
First things first, don’t give up.
You know how powerful your ideas are, so let’s figure out how to get those sales flooding in.
I want to help you use intelligent online marketing strategies so that you can successfully sell your online courses in 2021 - all without paid ads (I promise, it really is possible!).
If we’ve never met before, let me introduce myself.
I’m Molly Ann Luna, your life and business success strategist. I've been working behind the scenes for the last several years for top-level seven-figure influencers helping them build out their digital courses, businesses, and self-published books.
I’m here to give you the best tips and strategies to help you start, scale, and skyrocket your own online coaching empire.
And today you’ll be learning how to sell your online courses without paid ads.
Now I will say this, I typically teach and preach the P.I.P. method. Which is all about proving to yourself that your course is profitable before you pour your blood, sweat, and tears into creating a program.
The P.I.P. method helps you avoid taking something to market and getting zero sales.
BUT - in this scenario, I know it’s possible to take all the work you’ve done and make a few simple tweaks that will create some change in the current state of your sales.
Let’s dive right in by talking about your sales funnel. 👇🏼
Learn How to Sell Your Online Courses Without aid Ads By Leveling Up Your Sales Funnel
When I first started to leverage my expertise online I spent an entire month building out a phenomenal course only to take it to market and make zero sales.
This made me dread the sales part of online business ownership for a LONG time.
That is, of course, until I mastered my marketing sales funnel.
For those of you who have transitioned into the online space from a brick and mortar business, you’ll find that the marketing and sales funnel looks a tad different than when working with customers in person.
Understanding that difference is *crucial* to mastering your sales.
Let’s take a look at the three phases of the online marketing and sales funnel that you absolutely MUST take any cold prospect through in order to convert them into a red hot buyer.
The Discovery Phase
The discovery phase is how you get fresh eyes on you and the work you do so that people are itching to learn more.
If you're struggling with this phase it might be because there are just not enough people that know about her program to actually want to do business.
So what’s an entrepreneur to do?
You can start by leveraging the content marketing method.
This means putting together a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel, where you address the pain points of your prospective client.
Then, you can walk them through a micro-win where you help them solve this problem step by step. 💪🏼
You pique their interest in who you are, what you do, and how your program could take this micro-win even further. In short, you’ve captured their attention, and now they’re keen to listen to you and how you can help!
The Nurture Phase
Now that a prospective client knows that you exist, you’ve got to nurture them.
One of the best ways to do that is through an email marketing campaign.
You can use your social media channels or website to start building a list of people that want a direct line of communication with you.
Once you’ve got them on your list, the next step is to show up consistently and share your expertise with them via their personal inbox.
This is your chance to make that more intimate connection with potential clients and direct them towards your offers.
The Purchase Phase
Welcome to the purchase phase.
AKA, everybody’s favorite phase. 😉
Your potential client knows who you are, what you do, how you can help them, and now they are taking out their wallets to do business.
Now, these potential clients are turning into paid clients. 💵
And that my friends, is how to sell your online courses without paid ads in 2021!
Using those three phases, you can attract new clients without ever having to shell out cash to buy expensive advertising spots.
You’ve got all the tools you need.
These Strategies In Action
The core question at play here is, “How do I get in front of more people?”
I want to use myself as an example.
Remember how I told you I got ZERO sales after my first launch?
Well, that sent me into a major self-doubt spiral.
I thought, “Wow, maybe my business idea is not that good after all. Maybe my program is terrible. Maybe I should just give up.”
And friends, I am SO glad I didn’t quit.
My ideas and my programs were great, but my sales tactics were not up to par.
The way I got my ideas in front of as many people as possible was by using three main strategies.
These three methods helped me build my email list which allowed me to further educate potential clients on who I am, how I can help them, and why my products, digital courses, and books are a good fit for them.
Here’s how I did it:
1. I started a Youtube Channel
Did you know that youtube is second in line for the most popular search engine after Google?
True story.
So get out there! I know not everyone is comfortable on camera, but trust me it gets way easier over time and it’s a fantastic way to get in front of a new audience of potential clients.
Starting my own Youtube channel where I show up and share my expertise for FREE has been a game-changer for catching the eye of prospective clients.
And I’m willing to bet that it could be a game-changer for you too.
Once people see your fabulous and informative videos, they will be searching for other ways to stay up to date on what you do.
That might be joining your email list, finding your website, or following you on social media, and getting into the next phase of your marketing and sales funnel.
2. I Became a Podcaster
Not only is podcasting super trendy right now, but it is an extremely effective way to reach more people.
I show up via podcast both on my own show and oftentimes as a guest on other business podcasts.
Guest podcasting has been a transformative tool for me in terms of exposing new people to my ideas. I get to share high-value content for free with a completely fresh audience on every podcast I speak on.
This is the perfect way to pique their interest and invite them to stay in touch. ✅
3. I Began Blog Writing
Now, I don’t really consider myself a writer.
I am talented at many things, but writing is something that I just can’t seem to fall in love with.
But I can’t stress enough how valuable it is to have a blog as a part of my marketing and sales strategy.
Through SEO optimization, prospective clients can find me and my work when they are looking for answers on Google.
Once my blog post has delivered the mini-transformation, they are ready to join my mailing list or follow me on social media and start their journey towards the purchase phase.
Tips for You
Now that we’ve taken a look at how to get fresh eyes on your marketing content.
I’m gonna take a look at her website and social media accounts and give you some tips in case you’re finding yourself in a similar situation.
Tip # 1: Get On Top of Your SEO Optimization
S.E.O. search engine optimization. It isn't enough to come up with a catchy content piece. Use a tool like Keywords Everywhere, Google Trends or Ubersuggest to see optimize the search ability of your content headline and primary keywords that you'll highlight through the piece.
You could write the most incredible blog in the world, but if the words that you use in the article aren't the exact words that your ideal clients aren't smashing into a Google search bar, you're chances of being found are small.
Tip #2: Focus on Value-Driven Social Posts
In general, your social media posts are going to be part of your middle-of-funnel marketing.
They are mostly for the folks who have already found your name through a Youtube video, blog post, or podcast and decided to give your account a follow to learn more.
Now if your chance to further educate them about who you are, what makes working with you different and how you can help.
But - also keep in mind that some people's first point of contact with your business might be through a social media post. So do incorporate a few top of funnel specific posts. A great go to is a beautiful headshot (re)introducing yourself.
FINAL TAKEAWAYS
I truly believe that you don’t need to invest a whole bunch of money into ads when you can reach new people for free by leveraging your content marketing.
Your courses and programs are valuable, and they are worth the effort you put into your sales strategy.
Now it's time to hear from you...
What next step will you take to organically attract your clients and successfully sell your online courses without paid ads?
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