So, you have great content, you want to package it into a coaching course, but you’re stuck trying to figure out which format to choose. Should it be Video? Audio? Written? Live?
When it comes to packaging course content, you have a dozen or more options, and all of them are useful in their own way, so how do you choose? Here are three things to consider.
Your Buyer
How does your ideal client prefer to learn? Some people love watching videos, while some prefer to skim through written instructions. Some people learn best by doing, with a checklist as a guide. Still others much prefer audio they can consume while doing other things.
Tip: Create a simple survey using Survey Monkey and ask your potential clients how they learn best. Keep the survey short and simple.
Your Content
Some information lends itself well to certain formats, and simply won’t work in others. It’s difficult to explain how to use software, for example, without a screenshare video. By the same token, if you’re asking clients to work through a discovery process, a fillable worksheet is a must.
Tip: Use checklists and worksheets to help enhance the learning experience and cut down on how much writing you have to do.
Your Comfort Zone
While your biggest consideration should be your clients and their needs, your preferences matter, too. If you aren’t comfortable with video, then it’s a safe bet you’ll procrastinate getting your course done, and stress over it unnecessarily. By the same token, if writing isn’t your forte, trying to force yourself to create 50 pages of content is going to be frustrating.
Tip: Simply choose what works best for you. You want to be comfort and confident delivering your content.
Now what about delivery?
Beyond the obvious format choice, you also have to consider how you’ll deliver the material. Again, you have a variety of options.
Email Delivery
This is the simplest method for your course delivery. All it takes is an email marketing system with an autoresponder feature. Here are three systems I recommend:
- MailChimp. MailChimp is one of the free email marketing systems and it’s user-friendly. I suggest this to my clients that are just starting their business. On a scale of 1 – 10, I give MailChimp an 8. I used this service for over 8 years.
- Jigsawbox
- Active Campaign
I used MailChimp when I first started my coaching business and then I graduated to Jigsawbox. I love Jigsawbox because it allows me to give each of my clients a private portal and I can coach with my clients via this private portal. The price for Jigsawbox starts around $67 per month. Check it out by clicking here.
Another platform you can use to delivery your course via emails is Active Campaign. Active Campaign is a more robust system. It does way more than just email marketing. Active Campaign is a CRM (Customer Relationship Management system). It is a bit pricey but well worth the investment. This system manages your email marketing, sales pipeline, customer database, and so much more. The cost ranges from $17 – $229 per month. For beginners, the $17 month will work just fine as you grow your business. Check it out by clicking here.
Using the autoresponder feature in an email marketing system you can schedule your training materials to go out in a series of messages. There are two ways you can send your training materials:
- You can include attachments within your emails. The attachments can be your worksheets and other supporting documents for your course. One drawback to sending attachments, your delivery rates may suffer. Some email services frown on attachments because hackers sometimes deliver viruses via attachments.
- You can link to a page where your clients can find more resources, such as video or downloadable files. You can store these items on Dropbox and share the links provided for each resource.
Membership Site
A more sophisticated option is to set up a membership portal where your clients can log in to retrieve their material. This gives you the option to deliver the content all at one time if you prefer, and also allows you to better protect your content from unauthorized access.
Memberships have grown in popularity. Almost everywhere you look, companies have implemented memberships. Believe it or not, Mercedes-Benz launched a subscription service this past summer and it’s being tested right here in Nashville Tennessee. That’s right, you can drive a luxury Mercedes-Benz for monthly fees ranging from $1,095 to $2,995.
Here are a few advantages to using a membership model:
- Recurring Revenue – You could predict your revenue better. Deciding on your revenue goals and then setting the small fee for many members to help meet that goal is much easier than relying on a small number of clients at sometimes higher rates. It also means no more dollars for time.
- Flexibility – you get to control your business, you gain more time freedom, and you choose when you work, where you work and what you work on.
- Leverage – a membership website enables you to share your knowledge, experiences, skills and expertise to many. This saves you time and efforts.
You can use Jigsawbox to host your membership or if your website is on WordPress you can use a plugin to host your membership on your site.
Zip File Download
If your course is small, or if you aren’t concerned about overwhelming your clients, a zip file download is a viable option. In this case, you simply set up delivery through your shopping cart by providing a link where buyers can download the entire course. This format works best if your course does not include a video element, because the download could be too large for those with a slow internet connection.
The bottom line is this: When you’re planning your coaching course, your most important consideration is your buyer. What does she want, and how does she want it delivered? Do that, and you’ll be well on your way to launching a successful course.
Here’s to Designing Your Victory!
Working through this process can be daunting but you don’t have to do it alone. Grab your 2-Hour VIP Quick Start Strategy Session and we can map out your plan together. Click Here to learn more about how this session can help you eliminate confusion, frustration, and overwhelm.
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