Beslan Bakriev
June 9, 2023
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5 min read
1. Determine your audience
You want to tailor your marketing efforts to what your audience is actually interested in. A number of ways to do this is by conducting market research, surveys and interviews. The better you know your audience, the better you can tailor your marketing efforts to attract learners who are interested in what you have to offer.
Once you have narrowed down your audience to one or multiple segments, you have to know what language they speak. By this, I don’t mean if they speak Spanish or Swedish, but try and identify which keywords they use, which topics are they interested in and what type of content can appeal to them.
This will help you in figuring out what content to create and will consistently guide you from content idea generation to creation. You can start with a short list of “parent” keywords and from there branch out to more long-tail keywords with multiple variations in synonyms, search intent, etc. There are free tools available for this such as Google’s Keyword Planner, and if you can afford to invest in more powerful paid tools, my personal choice would be Ahrefs.
Once you have your list(s) of keywords you want to target, you can use them as a source of inspiration for content and practice an optimal use of keywords within that content. Word of advice though, don’t stuff your content with as many keywords as possible, but try to keep a natural approach to writing your content and use the keywords where they naturally fit.
2. Make it clear that your course meets learners’ needs
By promoting your product, you’re asking learners to invest time and money in what you have to offer. So it goes without saying that you should make your offering crystal clear.
Highlight the biggest benefits or key topics of your course. Make it obvious to learners what content they will be consuming by taking your course. And ensure that what you state in your promotion matches the summary and biggest takeaways of your course.
You can also point out how immersive learning differs from traditional learning. If your course involves a certain learning style such as bitesize learning, then consider mentioning this in your marketing efforts.
This tip is also closely related to tip #1, as you’ll want your learners to know that they’ve found exactly what they were looking for. So use your researched keywords (or research new ones) that reflect the value you’ve offering.
3. Show what you’re offering
While your messaging is an important step in attracting learners, it is what follows after you get their attention that will impact their decision on whether or not to purchase your course.
Think of your course as a product with a free version for potential customers to try before buying. Let learners see what you have to offer for their buck, by allowing them to view a sneak peek of your course.
This could be the first module in your course, giving learners an introduction to the course and by doing so also giving them a taste of the eLearning experience they’ll get by taking your course. So don’t forget to consider the promotional aspect when you’re improving your introduction and recap modules.
4. Build credibility with customer feedback
There’s nothing like customer feedback to attract new customers.
Chances are your potential customers have already heard of you, they might even be lurking on one of your marketing channels but are hesitating to buy. You need to help them move past that barrier. A survey on online reviews and consumer behavior showed that 93% of online buyers who read reviews weekly, believe that it will help them make more accurate purchase decisions.
More honest reviews attract ideal customers and reduce the likelihood of acquiring wrong customers due to a clear reflection of what your course offers. This will in turn increase the proportion of accurate reviews.
Ask satisfied learners to endorse your course through surveys and reviews so that they can be advocates of your product and brand. You can ask them to complete a review, rate you on one of your channels. You can share their endorsements on your website or other marketing channels to build trust and convert more customers.
5. Engage with your learners
It's also worth noting that marketing your e-learning courses doesn't end once someone enrolls. In fact, it's just as important to engage with your learners throughout their learning journey to ensure that they have a positive experience and come back for more.
This could include sending follow-up emails with additional resources, offering personalized support and feedback, and creating communities or forums where learners can connect and share their experiences.
Conclusion
Ultimately, you want to revisit these steps every now and then to ensure you’re consistent with the approach and strategy you’ve set in motion. Another key to successful e-learning marketing is to stay flexible, experiment with different strategies, and always put the needs and interests of your learners first.
By doing so, you can attract and retain a loyal audience that values your courses and sees your brand as a trusted source of knowledge and expertise.