Hi there,
Thanks for getting in touch. I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on your situation with marketing your online course. It sounds like you've got a strong product but are struggling to connect with your audience, which is a common challenge when starting out.
Let's Talk Strategy First
It's great you recognise the product is good, but it means very little if you can't get it in front of the right people, at the right time, with the right message. I'd say this is a common issue we've seen, particularly with solo founders trying to get off the ground. They often pour time into the course itself, and the marketing gets left behind.
First thing I'd say is: who is your ideal student? Who are you trying to reach? Where do they hang out online? What are their pain points? Once you have a detailed picture of your ideal customer, it becomes much easier to tailor your marketing efforts.
We need to look at your course and what makes it different to others on the market. What is the unique selling point? Is it the content, the delivery, or the results people get? What is the transformation your students experience?
We'll need to look at traffic quality and your website...
I'd like to dive deeper into the traffic you're currently getting, because that sounds like the key issue you're highlighting. Are you driving any traffic at all currently? If so, where is it coming from? Is it organic (SEO), social media, paid ads, or referrals? What is the quality of that traffic? Are people actually engaging with your content or are they just bouncing off?
It may well be worth taking a close look at your website or landing page. Is it clear what your course is about and how it can benefit students? Is it easy to sign up? Is it mobile-friendly? Does it load quickly? All of these factors can impact your conversion rates, and ultimately, your sales.
Paid Advertising on Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads
Based on what you've said so far, I'd suggest looking at Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram). We've seen very good results for course sales using that platform. We drove $115k revenue in 1.5 Months for a client that was selling a course, and we've also seen 447% ROAS in 1 Week for another eLearning client. A lot will depend on your targeting, your offer, and your ad creatives.
I'd suggest targeting people who are interested in the topic of your course. For example, if you're teaching a marketing course, you could target people who are interested in digital marketing, social media marketing, or content marketing. You can also target people based on their demographics, such as their age, gender, and location.
UGC (user-generated content) is really worth exploring on these platforms as well. We’ve also got a client currently seeing really good results with UGC videos on Meta ads, so there's lots of angles to test there as well. These are ads that look and feel like they were created by real people, rather than polished marketing materials. They can be very effective at building trust and credibility.
Other Marketing Channels to Consider
While paid ads can be a quick way to get traffic and sales, it's also important to build a sustainable marketing strategy for the long term. Here are a few other channels you could consider:
- Content marketing: Create valuable content that helps your target audience solve their problems. This could include blog posts, articles, videos, or infographics.
- Social media marketing: Build a presence on social media platforms where your target audience hangs out. Share valuable content, engage with your followers, and run contests and promotions.
- Email marketing: Build an email list and send regular newsletters to your subscribers. Share valuable content, promote your course, and offer exclusive discounts.
- Affiliate marketing: Partner with other businesses or influencers to promote your course to their audience.
I'd say you need to give it more time...
I think it is important to allow sufficient time for your marketing efforts to mature. It often takes time to start seeing results. What is your timeframe and what metrics will you use to know whether the marketing is succeeding? Is there perhaps a limited timescale on your side?
Recommended Solution
Here's an overview of what I'd recommend as your next steps:
| Area | Actionable Solution |
|---|---|
| Target Audience | Define your ideal student in detail. What are their pain points, goals, and aspirations? |
| Unique Selling Proposition | What makes your course different and better than the competition? Highlight this in your marketing materials. |
| Website/Landing Page | Make sure your website is clear, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly. Focus on the benefits of your course and include a clear call to action. |
| Paid Advertising | Experiment with Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram). Target people who are interested in your course topic and use UGC videos in your ad creatives. |
| Other Marketing Channels | Explore content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and affiliate marketing to build a sustainable marketing strategy. |
I'm not sure if you have any specific competitors in mind, but that's something worth knowing about. Is anyone else offering something similar? How are they marketing it? What can you learn from them?
It's also worth testing different pricing strategies. Are you charging too much or too little for your course? What are your competitors charging? Consider offering discounts or payment plans to make your course more accessible.
In order to make an assessment of your likely ROAS (Return On Ad Spend), I'd need to know some information about your pricing model, which would dictate your revenue per student. We've seen good results in the eLearning area, as I said, and also in other areas of software. With app growth we've seen 45k signups at under £2 each for a client, and with B2B we've seen B2B decision makers at $22 CPL, and 4,622 Registrations at $2.38 for a B2B Software.
Marketing is an ongoing process of testing, learning, and optimising. Don't be afraid to experiment with different strategies and tactics to see what works best for you. And don't get discouraged if you don't see results right away. It takes time to build a successful online business.
Why Expert Help Might Be Useful
I understand you're on a limited budget, and I admire your drive to get this going yourself. However, sometimes bringing in an expert can actually save you money in the long run. It's worth considering the time you are spending on this, and the opportunity cost associated with that.
We have experience in helping businesses like yours to develop and implement effective marketing strategies, and the truth is we can often achieve results much faster than you could on your own. We can help you identify your target audience, create compelling marketing materials, and run effective ad campaigns.
We're also constantly staying up-to-date with the latest marketing trends and best practices. The marketing landscape changes incredibly quickly these days, so what worked last year may not work this year.
I'd be happy to offer you a free consultation to discuss your business in more detail and see how we can help. We can talk about your specific goals, your budget, and your target audience, and develop a customized marketing plan that's right for you. There's no obligation to work with us after the consultation, of course.
I really hope these initial thoughts are helpful. Feel free to implement anything you can from the above and get back to me with questions!
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
