Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out! Happy to give you some initial thoughts on your Excel Masterclass launch and Google Ads strategy. I understand you're new to this and worried about budget, so let's look at some actionable things you can do to get those first students enrolled.
We'll need to look at your keywords...
First things first, your keywords will make or break your campaign, especially with a limited budget. As you're completely new to this, I really think you should spend some time researching keywords.
I recall working on a campaign where we initially used broad keywords like "online course" and it didn't work out. The traffic was far too generic and didn't convert into sales.
The lesson here is to really drill down and niche down with your keywords. Think about the specific skills people want to learn with Excel, the industries they work in, and the problems they're trying to solve. Instead of "Excel course", try things like "Excel for finance professionals", "advanced Excel data analysis", or "Excel dashboard training".
Long-tail keywords (longer, more specific phrases) are your friends here. They may have lower search volume, but they also have less competition and higher conversion rates. People searching for very specific things are much more likely to be ready to buy.
I'd say you NEED to nail your landing page...
Your landing page is where the magic happens. All the clicks in the world won't matter if your landing page doesn't convert visitors into paying students. It needs to be spot on.
So many people skimp on this and focus on just getting the cheapest possible traffic but, its madness.
Here's what you need to focus on:
First up, make your value proposition crystal clear. What will people actually learn in your masterclass? What are the tangible benefits they'll get? How will it improve their skills or career? Don't make them guess!
Next, focus on strong sales copy. Your copy should be persuasive, engaging, and address the pain points of your target audience. Use testimonials, social proof, and case studies to build trust and credibility.
And then, you need to have a clear call to action. Make it super easy for people to sign up. Don't bury the sign-up button at the bottom of the page. Make it prominent and compelling. People are lazy, you know. You need to tell them exactly what to do.
You probably should think about retargeting...
Don't underestimate the power of retargeting. Not everyone who visits your landing page is going to sign up immediately. They might need a little nudge.
Retargeting allows you to show ads to people who have already shown interest in your course. Maybe they visited your landing page, watched a sample lesson, or added your course to their cart but didn't complete the purchase.
I remember a campaign where we saw a big jump in conversions when we started remarketing to people who'd watched a free preview video for a client's course. They were already interested, they just needed a reminder.
You can use retargeting to show them more ads, offer them a discount, or highlight the benefits of your course. It's a great way to re-engage people and get them back to your landing page.
You'll need to keep testing your ads...
Don't just set up your campaign and forget about it. You need to constantly test and optimise your ads to improve performance.
The best ad platform is where the target audience can best be reached with the ad platform’s available targeting options. Wrong ad platform = wrong targeting = difficult to achieve results.
Always split test creative and targeting within the same campaign.
This is especially important when launching a new product like your course. I've seen many campaigns perform poorly just because the ads weren't up to scratch.
I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:
| Area | Actionable Solution |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Niche down with specific, long-tail keywords. Target the skills, industries, and problems your course solves. |
| Landing Page | Make your value proposition clear, use strong sales copy, and have a prominent call to action. |
| Retargeting | Set up retargeting campaigns to show ads to people who have already shown interest in your course. |
| Testing | You can use split tests to find winning ads. |
Launching a new course can be daunting, especially when you're new to paid advertising. There's a lot to learn, and it's easy to make mistakes that can cost you money.
That said, the advice above should prove helpful. Do you want to consider expert help? We offer a free initial consultation where we review your strategy and account. This usually is super helpful and gives potential clients a taste of the expertise they'll see going into their project if they decide to work with us. I think this will allow you to go ahead and start your project with the comfort of knowing how to achieve the results you want.
Regards, Team @ Lukas Holschuh
