Launching your online course for the first time can be an intimidating task if not done with a proper plan in place.Â
There are three main stages to launching your online course:Â
- Â Â Pre-LaunchÂ
- Â Â LaunchÂ
- Â Â Post-LaunchÂ
Pre-Launch PhaseÂ
- DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCEÂ
Create a strong image for your target audience so that the content is relevant and specific to them.
- DELVE INTO THE PAIN POINTS
Find out what your target audience already knows and what they don’t to clearly define gaps. Research your competition through various mediums like surveys, social media, interactions on forums, simple Google search etc., to identify pain points where you can improve.Â
- CHOOSE COURSE TOPIC & CREATE MATERIALÂ
 This requires extensive research. You need to be an expert on your chosen topic to attract a strong customer base. You can always work or collaborate with subject matter experts to make your content more authentic and reliable.
- DECIDE CONTENT FORMATSÂ
After choosing the content topic and preparing material, it is time to choose formats in which you want to dispense your content. It can be done internally using the features provided by the platform or externally with the use of other external tools. A decision has to be made on the types of formats used (example: video, presentation, text, audio and images).
- LIST DOWN THE COURSE’S GOALS AND OUTCOMESÂ
Always list down your course’s goals and outcomes so that your audience has a definite picture of what they can expect from it.Â
- PRE-PROMOTE YOUR CONTENTÂ
 This is a great way to test whether there is a demand for your content and whether you can earn a recurring income from the sale of your courses. You can use beta testers, emails and blogs to get initial feedback. From this, you can use the feedback from the launch to promote your course.Â
Launch PhaseÂ
- CHOOSE YOUR SALES PLATFORMÂ
 Your content should always dictate the course selling platform you choose. Different platforms function differently and choosing the right one requires a lot of consideration. Analyse your requirements and compare them with the features offered by multiple platforms. Choose a platform that is intuitive, user-friendly, dynamic, and can accommodate features like plug-ins/integrations, white labelling, promotions etc.
- SALES PAGE CREATIONÂ
First impressions last. First impressions can work wonders for your online course sales. Your sales page must include a description of your course topic and why it is perfect for the user. Emphasize learning objectives and your method to resolve the pain points of your audience. Ensure that your sales page is user-friendly by design and content, and utilise strong visuals plus linguistic elements to support your content.Â
- CONTENT UPLOADÂ
Treat every course you create as a standalone course. If you build courses similar to each other or complementary to your other courses, make sure that you upload them flexibly. You can either group them as a package for promotional purposes or as an effective analysis of your course curriculum. Â
- PRICING DECISION Â
Carry out plenty of research in order to discover the pricing points of your competitors. Once you fix a price range for your courses try to stick within that range. As you continue to establish a strong foundation and name for yourself, you will be able to fix prices as you may seem fit.Â
Post-Launch PhaseÂ
The post-launch phase is a continual process that includes finding ways to increase your audience. One must be ready to accept change and be flexible to accommodate new changes while creating and selling their content.Â
- DRIVE TRAFFIC THROUGH PROMOTION Â
There are different ways to promote your online courses after the launch like e-mail marketing campaigns, hosting webinars, creating blog posts, starting a YouTube channel, and using social media etc. You can choose some or all of these mediums to promote yourself and your content in order to grow sales. Â
- GET FEEDBACKÂ
Always get feedback for your content to improve. Every bit of feedback from people is helpful, so seek it with sincerity and accept it with grace. Make sure to project the changes made after customer’s valuable feedback as this will create more trust towards your brand and image. Â
- MONITOR ANALYTICSÂ
Ensure that your platform of choice has a detailed, accurate and robust reporting system concerning course content and sales strategy. Use the information required to increase the efficiency of marketing your online course and website.Â
Tick everything off your checklist and get ready to start making money in three quick and easy steps with the help of Mykademy. Try out our robust platform dedicated to helping you earn easy money by doing what you do the best. You may even make plenty of sales before the end of your free trial!