Back in 2017, I stumbled through all four of the mistakes we’ll discuss today while launching my very first online course—a 32-hour digital marketing course aimed at digital nomads. Spoiler alert: it was a disaster. But don’t worry; I’m here to make sure you don’t have to go through the same pain!
You can read this blog post or watch the full video tutorial below:
1. Market Mismatch
Market mismatch is a common issue in the online course world. The most apparent way this rears its ugly head is when someone creates a course that nobody wants. It absolutely hurts my soul when I see people invest months crafting a course only to discover there’s no demand. I mean, sure, making hand puppets out of human hair might seem fun to you, but maybe the rest of the world doesn’t share that enthusiasm!
Another way this mismatch can manifest is in how the course is marketed. Picture this: you create an incredible online course for kids, only to find it’s tricky to advertise directly to them. In this case, you’d need to shift your marketing efforts to target parents, who can then give their kids access.
Then there’s the selling avenue. For instance, if you look at Udemy’s marketplace insights, you’ll find that the top monthly revenue for a course on prenatal yoga is around $559. That sounds decent, right? However, you’re up against over 5,000 existing courses in that niche. In contrast, digital marketing and social media marketing have much higher earning potential. If I were a prenatal yoga instructor, I’d definitely conduct my own market research to ensure enough interest exists. And as someone who’s been pregnant, trust me—there’s definitely a demand! Then I’d consider self-hosting, as many people don’t typically look for prenatal yoga courses on platforms like Udemy or Skillshare. Instead, I’d run YouTube ads targeting relevant channels and videos—talk about magic!
So let’s say you’ve done your research, run a mini challenge, and chatted with your audience. You know there’s demand for your course, and you’ve got a marketing plan in place. Great! The next big mistake often made is…
2. Content Overload
Let’s talk about content overload by relating it to our offline experiences. Ever been at the supermarket when they say, “You can get four bags of chips for the price of one!” or at the gym when they promise a free gym bag, a free personal training session, and a head massage from the guy behind the desk? You’re thinking, “Sweet, free stuff!”
These experiences shape us, but when it comes to creating an online course, we often panic and turn into a 2 AM infomercial, offering not just the broom everyone wants, but also a second broom, three buckets, five mops, and who knows what else—all for the low, low price of one broom. But here’s the catch: when it comes to online courses, people don’t want extra buckets. They’re after transformation, not your fancy 200-page PDF that they’ll likely never read. They don’t need a 20-hour course when it can be boiled down to just two hours.
So, here’s a nugget of wisdom: More is not always better. In fact, you can often charge more for quicker transformations.
Start by defining who your ideal customer is at the start of the course and who they should be at the end. What’s the most efficient path to get them there? This usually translates into shorter overall course length, bite-sized lessons that help build momentum, and fewer resources. Instead of providing a PDF for each module, consider combining them into one downloadable workbook that students can follow along with at the beginning. The easier you make their journey, the more you can charge!
Now, moving on to the next thing that can tank your online course…
3. Poor Production Value
When I say “poor production,” I’m not just talking about the audio and video quality. Sure, people can tolerate a shaky webcam video, but if your audio is terrible, you’ll struggle to keep your audience engaged. Invest in a good microphone! Remember, The Blair Witch Project made $248 million, despite looking like a dog was running through the forest with a camera strapped to it. Why? Fabulous audio!
However, what I’m really referring to here is the lack of preparation and practice I often see from course creators. I’ve been inside thousand-dollar courses where the instructor looks bored and uninterested in the material they’re teaching. You don’t need to be overly enthusiastic, but if you don’t look or sound interested, neither will your audience.
If you’re not keen on being on camera or feel unsure about your design skills, check out CreativeMarket for beautiful course slides you can customise. Trust me, painful-looking slides can be a real turn-off!
Now, let’s wrap up with one final tip before I share how you can overcome all four of these mistakes in just one simple step.
4. Ghosting the Customer
This is something I see a lot with course creators who only have one online course. They put in all this effort to make a sale and then completely neglect what happens after that. This hurts you in multiple ways:
- You miss out on valuable feedback from students that could help you improve the course and charge more down the line.
- You’re not collecting testimonials for marketing because you’re likely not asking for them or giving your students a reason to share.
- You’re damaging your word-of-mouth marketing, as these students probably won’t be raving about you online.
- And let’s not forget about customer lifetime value. This refers to any future sales you can make from each customer. Just because you have one course now doesn’t mean it’ll always be that way. You might partner with another business that offers a complementary service, and you could earn an affiliate commission. So, there are plenty of reasons to keep nurturing your audience post-sale!
The good news? You can overcome all four of these mistakes with one simple strategy: post videos on YouTube!
YouTube is a quick and easy way to validate your course ideas (thus preventing market mismatch), help you learn how to keep content short and concise (bidding farewell to content overload), improve your on-camera and speaking skills through practice (boosting production quality), and provide additional value to your existing customers through newsletters and videos—thereby nurturing those relationships beyond the initial course sale.
I know this might sound intimidating, but don’t worry! I’ll link to some of my favourite channels on how to start and grow a YouTube channel, so make sure to check them out.
Oh, and before I forget, here’s a bonus mistake: thinking you need decades of expertise to teach something. That’s simply not true! I started teaching freelancing less than a year after I began. I was only a few months ahead of my students, but it didn’t matter.
If you’re interested in diving deeper into this bonus tip and exploring clever hacks to overcome inexperience, be sure to check out my other post and video tutorial here
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