{"id":7968,"date":"2020-08-20T18:42:29","date_gmt":"2020-08-20T18:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/?p=7968"},"modified":"2020-11-17T00:11:08","modified_gmt":"2020-11-17T00:11:08","slug":"creating-and-selling-online-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/?p=7968","title":{"rendered":"How to Create and Sell Online Courses: The Process We\u2019ve Used to Validate and Launch More Than $1M in Yearly Course Sales"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This post is a step-by-step guide\u00a0for the\u00a0system we\u2019ve used to create, validate, and sell\u00a0more than $1M ARR in online courses\u00a0ourselves. It\u2019s the same plan we\u2019ve taught to hundreds\u00a0of <a href=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/growth-university?utm_source=gc&amp;source=createandsellcourse-blogpost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Growth University<\/a>\u00a0students. And it\u2019s the plan we walked our client, <a href=\"https:\/\/jacobmcmillen.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jacob McMillen<\/a>, through when he made $11,000 on <em>course presales<\/em>\u00a0(more on exactly how he did it to come).<\/p>\n<p>To use this plan to create and sell your own online course, you don\u2019t need a teaching degree.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t have to be a business genius.<\/p>\n<p>And you don\u2019t have to be a \u201cdigital marketer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The four most common course creators\u00a0we interact with are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Coaches<\/strong>\u00a0who are ready to dial back their hours, productize their knowledge, and help more people without losing income or sleep.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Agency owners<\/strong>\u00a0who are overworked and ready to monetize in a way that <em>doesn\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0eat into their crammed schedule.<\/li>\n<li><strong>White-collar <\/strong><strong>pros<\/strong>, often overworked and underpaid for their expertise, who have a specific method or technique other people would pay to learn from. Think anyone from medical experts to accountants.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Blue-collar pros <\/strong>who are great at what they do and whose everyday lives would be transformed by income from creating and selling an online course.\u00a0For example, a carpenter selling a home-improvement course.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Can you see what they all have in common?<\/p>\n<p><em>Existing knowledge which others would pay to learn.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If you have that, you <em>can<\/em>\u00a0build a successful online course.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You don\u2019t need<\/strong><strong>\u00a0to have perfect clarity on what you\u2019ll teach<\/strong>\u00a0right this very second. We\u2019ll teach you how to get that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You don\u2019t need to have 10,000 email subscribers<\/strong>\u00a0eagerly awaiting your first launch. We\u2019ll teach you how to get the number you need.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You don\u2019t need<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>to wait till you have more time.<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s okay if you\u2019re busy. It\u2019s okay if you\u2019re working two jobs already. To be honest, building a course takes months. Some people spend years preparing for it. And anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.<\/p>\n<p>But plenty of people get lost doing things they don\u2019t have to do. Or never launching because they\u2019re always tweaking something in their course. Or launching without validating it and ending up with poor sales.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll show you how to prioritize only what\u2019s needful\u00a0at each stage of the journey so you can spend your time where it counts.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the step-by-step process\u00a0we\u2019ll cover:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7953\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1.png\" alt=\"(1) Choose your topic - tell the difference between ideas your audience does and doesn't want (2) Grow your email list to get to 1000 subscribers (3) Presell the course without being agressively salesy (4) Build the course - from how to organize it to where to host it (5) Launch the course - including the exact email sequence to send\" width=\"1600\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1-1024x340.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1-768x255.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1-1536x511.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7953\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1.png\" alt=\"(1) Choose your topic - tell the difference between ideas your audience does and doesn't want (2) Grow your email list to get to 1000 subscribers (3) Presell the course without being agressively salesy (4) Build the course - from how to organize it to where to host it (5) Launch the course - including the exact email sequence to send\" width=\"1600\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1-1024x340.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1-768x255.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1-1536x511.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>And before we get into all that, we\u2019ll cover five common mistakes that could keep you from success.<\/p>\n<p>By the way \u2014 if you\u2019ve already made and launched a course before, this post is relevant for you, too. You may find steps you overlooked the first time around, and we have specific recommendations at the end of the post on how to get those purchases rolling during your launch.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019d like to skip ahead, here are the jump links:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#topic\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose a topic<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#email-list\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grow an email list<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#presell\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Presell (validate) the course<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#build\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Build the course<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#launch\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launch the course<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">Want help building and launching your course?\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/skyrocket?utm_source=gc&amp;source=createandsellcourse-blogpost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/mastermind?utm_source=gc&amp;source=createandsellcourse-blogpost\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">You can book a complimentary strategy session<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">\u00a0where we\u2019ll audit your business strategy and talk through a 90-day plan to skyrocket revenue.<\/i><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.m3vaifibv94t\">5 Common Mistakes That Will Keep\u00a0You From Launching a Great Online Course<\/h2>\n<p>Before we get into the steps, we need to touch on where you might get stuck. If you ever find yourself thinking:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#h.3bv5s32jxud6\">\u201cNo one will buy my course because someone else already sells a course on that topic.\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#h.mams4k5cr6g7\">\u201cI don\u2019t have time to make everything from scratch.\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#h.p44hzcg8i97j\">\u201cIt needs to be the most comprehensive course on the topic ever made.\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#h.5i515jzytee\">\u201cI have to do everything myself.\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#h.sj0clcijvbtn\">\u201cI have to have a great idea before starting.\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8230; then this section is for you.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.3bv5s32jxud6\">Mistake #1: Quitting When You See the Competition<\/h3>\n<p>If someone else is selling a course on your topic, that doesn\u2019t mean you should quit. In fact, it\u2019s a good sign that there\u2019s demand in your space.<\/p>\n<p>The way you approach your topic and explain it to your audience will resonate more with some people than with others. Remember: There\u2019s room in every niche for competition.<\/p>\n<p>If you follow the steps we explain here, you <em>will<\/em>\u00a0validate demand for your course, so you\u2019ll have proof that you can succeed <em>before<\/em>\u00a0putting all the work into your product.<\/p>\n<p>So tell the imposter syndrome to take a hike and get working.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7957\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-26.png\" alt=\"Imposter syndrome\" width=\"1010\" height=\"754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-26.png 1010w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-26-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-26-768x573.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7957\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-26.png\" alt=\"Imposter syndrome\" width=\"1010\" height=\"754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-26.png 1010w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-26-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-26-768x573.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.mams4k5cr6g7\">Mistake #2: Thinking You Have to Make Everything From Scratch<\/h3>\n<p>New course creators\u00a0think they need to build their course <em>entirely<\/em>\u00a0from scratch. But that isn\u2019t always true.<\/p>\n<p>If you have an existing online business\u00a0and audience, you\u2019ve already created valuable content throughout the years. Sometimes, course creation\u00a0is less about finding something new and more about organizing everything you have.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve done any of these:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Webinars<\/li>\n<li>Live events<\/li>\n<li>Podcasts<\/li>\n<li>YouTube videos<\/li>\n<li>eBooks<\/li>\n<li>Blogging<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8230; then you can use them when you make your course.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Important note:<\/strong>\u00a0We\u2019re not suggesting you dust off old content and present it as-is. Instead, find topics that make sense to include (we\u2019ll teach you how to tell which topics are the best to pursue), retool them, and add more value to these ideas when you package them into your course.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.p44hzcg8i97j\">Mistake #3: Making the Course Too Long<\/h3>\n<p>Course-creators\u00a0are ambitious. They want to load their programs with all the information a person might need to become an expert on the topic.<\/p>\n<p>But that takes a <em>really long time<\/em>. It\u2019s easy to burn out while you\u2019re creating the content. And it\u2019s equally easy for your <em>students<\/em>\u00a0to burn out while taking the course.<\/p>\n<p>Think about how much your audience knows on the course topic. If your audience is completely new to it, give your students the very basics and not much more. Take them from beginner to intermediate, not beginner to advanced.<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, if you have an advanced audience, don\u2019t cover the basics extensively before moving on to harder topics. Offer a recap to get everyone on the same page, then dive into the advanced material they paid for.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, course length is a judgment call you\u2019ll have to make. If you pre-sell the course <a href=\"#h.gm569pf8l8u2\">like we recommend in Step 3<\/a>, you\u2019ll have early-access students taking it. Use their feedback and progress to gauge whether the course needs to be lengthened or shortened in certain places.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.5i515jzytee\">Mistake #4: Trying to Do Everything Yourself<\/h3>\n<p>You might assume you have to do every single part of the course creation\u00a0process yourself.<\/p>\n<p>The truth is, you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, even if you are solo, have never started a business, and have no employees.<\/p>\n<p>You can outsource tasks that you\u2019re not the absolute expert on to freelancers. For example, don\u2019t spend hours researching and shopping for camera gear when you can hire a professional videographer. Or rather than editing video lessons\u00a0yourself, turn to an experienced video editor to handle that for you.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, you only need to be an expert on what you\u2019re teaching. If you can afford it, paying others for their expertise will improve the quality of your content while saving you from a constant cycle of learning new techniques, trying them out, and tinkering with the results. (And if money <em>is <\/em>an obstacle, remember that you\u2019re going to collect some presale income. You could choose to invest it in the course creation\u00a0process.)<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.sj0clcijvbtn\">Mistake #5: Thinking You Need a Great Idea With Zero Research<\/h3>\n<p>What if you don\u2019t have a million-dollar idea right this very second? That\u2019s cool. You\u2019re like most people who have built and sold successful courses!<\/p>\n<p>You want to know the real secret to a great course idea?<\/p>\n<p>Research.<\/p>\n<p>In our process,<strong>\u00a0the market always has the final say on what\u2019s in a course. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You have to talk to people and understand what they <em>need<\/em>. Then, go build it. We\u2019ll teach you exactly how to do this below.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.xhotmettqjfa\">5 Steps to Create and Launch Your Online Course<\/h2>\n<p>In this section, we\u2019ll dive into the 5 steps of creating and selling an online course:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7948\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18.png\" alt=\"(1) Choose your topic (2) Grow your email list (3) Pre-sell the course (4) Build the course (5) Launch the Course\" width=\"1600\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1024x340.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-768x255.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1536x511.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7948\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18.png\" alt=\"(1) Choose your topic (2) Grow your email list (3) Pre-sell the course (4) Build the course (5) Launch the Course\" width=\"1600\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1024x340.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-768x255.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/18-1536x511.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p id=\"topic\">We\u2019ve included detailed instructions, templates, and examples so you can execute our process. Let\u2019s dig in.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.lkyrwygrdwji\">Step 1: Choose Your Topic<\/h2>\n<p>The first step to creating an online course\u00a0is to decide what it will cover. That might sound simple, but this is the most important step of creating and selling online courses\u00a0\u2014 and yet it\u2019s the step most people don\u2019t do <em>at all<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what it involves:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Find out what resonates with your target audience.<\/li>\n<li>Know the difference between casual interest vs purchase potential.<\/li>\n<li>Check out the competition.<\/li>\n<li>Make a mind map.<\/li>\n<li>Choose your topic.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Repeat after me:<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>I will not sell an <\/em><em>online course<\/em><em>\u00a0without finding out what my <\/em><em>target audience<\/em><em>\u00a0wants <\/em>\u2014 <em>by asking them.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.7p7eyjk2b30o\">Step 1a: \u00a0Find Out What Your Target Audience\u00a0Wants<\/h3>\n<p>This step is so important, we wrote an entire guide on it, which you can read here: <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/how-to-find-a-profitable-niche\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to find a profitable niche<\/a>. It will walk you through four steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Honing in on your exact audience.<\/li>\n<li>Understanding the problem they\u2019re facing.<\/li>\n<li>Deciding how you <em>do<\/em>\u00a0and <em>don\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0solve that problem.<\/li>\n<li>Testing your messaging.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you\u2019re confident you have your niche pinned down, you can skim or skip that guide and use the shorter method presented here instead. (If we\u2019re being honest, you should probably just go read the niche article).<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve already been publishing content, then you can analyze its performance to see which topics resonated the most with your existing audience. If you\u2019re targeting a completely new audience or haven\u2019t published content, <a href=\"#h.q7e96cchs78j\">scroll down to the alternative options<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the shorter methods of figuring out what your audience wants.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"h.o40s9d112le3\">Use Your Existing Content<\/h4>\n<p>Look at your existing content to see what your audience liked the most. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you blog, round up all the topics that generate the most traffic to your website. You\u2019ll find this information in <a href=\"https:\/\/analytics.google.com\/analytics\/academy\/course\/6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/analytics.google.com\/analytics\/academy\/course\/6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0Analytics<\/a>\u00a0(follow the link for a tutorial on how to use it).<\/li>\n<li>If you host a podcast, which episodes had the most downloads? If you have comments enabled, which ones had the most discussion? Why?<\/li>\n<li>If you produce video content, which videos are\u00a0your most commented-on or watched? What drew people to engage with them?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7945\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7945\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7945\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19.png\" alt=\"Use Google Analytics data to determine what content is doing the best.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"751\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19-300x141.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19-1024x481.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19-768x360.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19-1536x721.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7945\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19.png\" alt=\"Use Google Analytics data to determine what content is doing the best.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"751\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19-300x141.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19-1024x481.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19-768x360.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-19-1536x721.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7945\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>If you\u2019re using Google\u00a0Analytics to determine the popularity of your content, go to Behavior \u2192 Site Content \u2192 Landing Pages. In this example from the VideoFruit blog, you can see that our piece on <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/high-ticket-sales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">building a funnel for high-ticket sales<\/a>\u00a0is the most popular.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>What if you don\u2019t have content, a <\/strong><strong>podcast<\/strong><strong>, or videos? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you have an audience but not much content, email them a short survey. Ask free-response questions (Yes or No answers are not often helpful) that dig into what they\u2019re trying to do and what\u2019s standing in their way. For example, \u201cWhy do you subscribe to my emails?\u201d and \u201cOf these topics [list a few in bullet points], which do you want to learn more from me about and why?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re done, you should have a list of your five to 10 most popular topics. Like this one <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Harris_Bryan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bryan<\/a>\u00a0made while building his <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/product-launch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Get 10,000 Subscribers<\/a>\u00a0course:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7943\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-18.png\" alt=\"URLs and their traffic\" width=\"537\" height=\"372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-18.png 537w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-18-300x208.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 537px) 100vw, 537px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7943\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-18.png\" alt=\"URLs and their traffic\" width=\"537\" height=\"372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-18.png 537w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-18-300x208.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 537px) 100vw, 537px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Keep this list and head to <a href=\"#h.oyyak2qi9jzf\">Step 1b<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"h.q7e96cchs78j\">If You Can\u2019t Use Your Existing Content (or Want to Do More Research)<\/h4>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have existing content or an audience to survey:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Look at keyword volumes in an SEO\u00a0tool such as <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ahrefs<\/a>\u00a0or <a href=\"https:\/\/moz.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Moz<\/a>\u00a0to see what people in your audience are looking for. If you need a free tool, use <a href=\"https:\/\/ads.google.com\/home\/tools\/keyword-planner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/ads.google.com\/home\/tools\/keyword-planner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0Keyword Planner<\/a>\u00a0or <a href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/keyword-surfer\/bafijghppfhdpldihckdcadbcobikaca?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Keyword Surfer<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Investigate user forums and Facebook groups\u00a0on topics related to your course idea.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of each.<\/p>\n<p>Say you\u2019re an amazing pet sitter, and you want to make a course for other pet sitters. Should you focus on the processes you use to work efficiently during the day? Should you focus on how you market your services to pet owners?<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you\u2019d see if you went to Ahrefsand typed \u201cpet sitter\u201d into their Keywords Explorer (you can get a 7-day Ahrefs trial for $7):<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7951\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-21.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs: Pet Sitter\" width=\"1465\" height=\"926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-21.png 1465w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-21-300x190.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-21-1024x647.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-21-768x485.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1465px) 100vw, 1465px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7951\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-21.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs: Pet Sitter\" width=\"1465\" height=\"926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-21.png 1465w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-21-300x190.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-21-1024x647.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-21-768x485.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1465px) 100vw, 1465px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>\u201cPet sitter\u201d is a vague term, but the results get you access to questions people ask about pet sitting.\u00a0At this stage, you want to know what other pet sitters are asking about the topic. \u201cHow to become a pet sitter\u201d is a little too vague to tell you anything useful. But if you click on the \u201cQuestions\u201d tab, it takes you to a bigger list of search engine\u00a0terms.<\/p>\n<p>Here we see questions such as \u201chow to be a good pet sitter,\u201d \u201chow do I get a job as a pet sitter,\u201d and \u201chow to become a certified pet sitter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7965\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-32.png\" alt=\"Keywords, Volume, Clicks, etc.\" width=\"1329\" height=\"917\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-32.png 1329w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-32-300x207.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-32-1024x707.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-32-768x530.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1329px) 100vw, 1329px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7965\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-32.png\" alt=\"Keywords, Volume, Clicks, etc.\" width=\"1329\" height=\"917\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-32.png 1329w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-32-300x207.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-32-1024x707.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-32-768x530.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1329px) 100vw, 1329px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Aha! \u201cCertification\u201d is a more complex topic, one that you might include in a course that teaches people how to become a great pet sitter. But if your target market is <em>current<\/em>\u00a0pet sitters who want to improve their business, you\u2019ll need to get even more specific.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, you\u2019ll find those very specific questions in Ahrefs that tell you exactly what kind of knowledge your audience is looking for. Other times, you\u2019ll need another resource. So for the current topic, Google\u00a0searches aren\u2019t enough. We\u2019ll need to look at forums and Facebook groups.<\/p>\n<p>In this case, when we Googled \u201cforums for pet sitters,\u201d a Reddit pet sitting community came right up. A quick glance through current posts shows that <em>pricing<\/em>\u00a0is a big pain point\u00a0for pet sitters. They are asking or talking about topics such as how to set your rates, how to handle bonding and insurance, and how to handle difficult clients, along with operational issues such as scheduling.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7961\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-29.png\" alt=\"&quot;How much to charge&quot;\" width=\"1170\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-29.png 1170w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-29-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-29-1024x473.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-29-768x354.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7961\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-29.png\" alt=\"&quot;How much to charge&quot;\" width=\"1170\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-29.png 1170w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-29-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-29-1024x473.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-29-768x354.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Keep a (rough) tally of:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>How often these questions are asked.<\/li>\n<li>How experienced the asker is.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For example, you might notice that inexperienced pet sitters ask about general pricing, but experienced sitters ask about how to handle price increases.<\/p>\n<p>This information is helpful because it tells you, on a topical level, <em>who<\/em>\u00a0in your audience is experiencing <em>which<\/em>\u00a0problems.<\/p>\n<p>So by the end of the exercise, you might have a table that looks like this:<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7959\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19.png\" alt=\"Beginner Pet Sitters vs Experienced Pet Sitters vs Both\" width=\"1600\" height=\"782\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19-300x147.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19-1024x500.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19-768x375.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19-1536x751.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7959\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19.png\" alt=\"Beginner Pet Sitters vs Experienced Pet Sitters vs Both\" width=\"1600\" height=\"782\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19-300x147.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19-1024x500.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19-768x375.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/19-1536x751.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Some of these problems could be large enough for a whole course, e.g. \u201cHow to earn good, consistent income as a pet sitter.\u201d Others, like \u201cHow to raise your rates\u201d would be better as a subsection in a course.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t worry about organizing them perfectly yet; we\u2019ll cover that in <a href=\"#h.53ao5rptjkuw\">Step 1d<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have two to three course ideas\u00a0and five to 10 supporting topics, move on to the next step.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.uyvodf4luv2c\">Step 1b:\u00a0Decide What Topics People Will Pay For<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Just because a subject generates traffic doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s a topic your target audience will pay to learn about.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For each topic, ask these questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is your target audience\u00a0already spending money and trying different solutions to solve their problem?<\/li>\n<li>Does the solution to their problem require specialized knowledge?<\/li>\n<li>Is solving their problem labor intensive, frustrating, or otherwise difficult to do with free information and content?<\/li>\n<li>Is this actually a big issue for them vs. a minor inconvenience that they complain about but don\u2019t care enough to fix?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If the answer to any of those questions is \u201cYes,\u201d keep that topic on your list. If the answer to all those questions is \u201cNo,\u201d drop the topic.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a topic like \u201cHow to go camping\u201d is too generic. You don\u2019t know what they\u2019re really asking for, and it\u2019s so beginner that tons of free blog posts with camping tips are probably enough. It might get more visitors, but <strong>high volume doesn\u2019t always equal high quality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, \u201cHow to build a teardrop trailer\u201d is specific. There are lively communities and YouTube channels about teardrop trailers and camping with them. It\u2019s not a skill someone can easily learn just by watching free videos online. And people who want to build a trailer for much less than they\u2019d pay for a pre-built trailer are more likely to pay for an extensive tutorial.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7966\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33.png\" alt=\"Generic\/Beginner Level vs Specific\/ Advanced\" width=\"1600\" height=\"824\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33-300x155.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33-1024x527.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33-768x396.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33-1536x791.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7966\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33.png\" alt=\"Generic\/Beginner Level vs Specific\/ Advanced\" width=\"1600\" height=\"824\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33-300x155.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33-1024x527.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33-768x396.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-33-1536x791.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.kirxseryp4rk\">Step 1c: Research Your Competitors<\/h3>\n<p>If other people are selling products in your niche, that\u2019s a good thing. It (probably) means someone\u2019s buying what they\u2019re selling.<\/p>\n<p>But this step isn\u2019t to verify that there\u2019s demand for your product. (<a href=\"#h.gm569pf8l8u2\">We\u2019ll get to that part shortly<\/a>.) This step is all about figuring out what your competitors are doing wrong so you can do a better job and stand out\u00a0to your audience.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Find any courses that cover the same subject as the one you\u2019re creating.<\/li>\n<li>Look for gaps in their content, mistakes in their positioning \u2014 anything you can improve upon in your own course.<\/li>\n<li>Jot all of these down.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Let\u2019s use the \u201cBuild a teardrop trailer\u201d example again.<\/p>\n<p>Say you\u2019ve scoured the internet and found two people who sell plans (but not courses), a few books that leave out what you think are important steps, and one other person who has a course.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe you notice the course only covers trailers with a steel and aluminum frame, but you know a better material to build it with. Maybe it skips information true beginners would need, such as instructions on welding. Or maybe your course could provide more options, letting students pick and choose the features they want their trailer to have.<\/p>\n<p>The more in-depth your research is, the more clearly you\u2019ll start to see examples of what you can do better, or at least differently, than your competition.<\/p>\n<p>Note: In case you\u2019re wondering, yes, this involves purchasing other people\u2019s paid content. So if you want to wait to do this until Step 4 <em>after<\/em>\u00a0you\u2019ve collected presale money, that works too. And if you\u2019re really strapped for cash, you can skip this step altogether.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.53ao5rptjkuw\">Step 1d: Make a Mind Map<\/h3>\n<p>Once you have two or three rock-solid ideas for your course content, create a mind map to narrow your focus. Put your main topic in the central circle, key subtopics in the next round, and further sub-topics from there.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example mind map on creating and selling your first online course:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7950\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20.png\" alt=\"Creating + Selling Online Courses: Common Mistakes, Grow Email List, Topic, Pre-Sell Course, Build Course, Launch Course\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20-300x276.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20-1024x941.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20-768x706.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20-1536x1411.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7950\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20.png\" alt=\"Creating + Selling Online Courses: Common Mistakes, Grow Email List, Topic, Pre-Sell Course, Build Course, Launch Course\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20-300x276.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20-1024x941.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20-768x706.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/20-1536x1411.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>If your ideas are all related, you could make one large mind map and decide how many subtopics to include. If your key ideas are fundamentally different topics, make a separate mind map for each.<\/p>\n<p id=\"email-list\">Once your mind maps are made, you should have a clear picture of roughly what you\u2019d cover for each topic. Pick the one that seems the most promising, according to:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What you\u2019re most interested in teaching about.<\/li>\n<li>What your audience\u2019s biggest, most painful problems are.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"h.mi2ljjfdy8cp\">Step 2: Grow an Email List\u00a0to 500-1000 Subscribers<\/h2>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve finished Step 1, you should have a clear idea of what you\u2019ll teach and who you\u2019ll teach it to.<\/p>\n<p>Next, you need <strong>hard proof<\/strong>\u00a0that they\u2019re willing to buy a solution from you. To get that proof, you\u2019ll need an email list.<\/p>\n<p>If you already have 500-1000 subscribers on your email list, you can <a href=\"#h.gm569pf8l8u2\">skip to Step 3<\/a>. But if you have fewer subscribers, or no list, and want to know how\u00a0to grow your list faster, read our post:<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/how-to-build-an-email-list\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to build an <\/a><\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/how-to-build-an-email-list\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">email list<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7964\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31.png\" alt=\"How to Build an Email List: A Proven System for Getting 1,000+ Subscribers\" width=\"1600\" height=\"523\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31-300x98.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31-1024x335.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31-768x251.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31-1536x502.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7964\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31.png\" alt=\"How to Build an Email List: A Proven System for Getting 1,000+ Subscribers\" width=\"1600\" height=\"523\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31-300x98.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31-1024x335.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31-768x251.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-31-1536x502.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>In the post, we dissect the exact method you can use to grow your list to 1,000+ subscribers. It walks you through five steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>How to choose your overall strategy for email list\u00a0growth.<\/li>\n<li>How to pick two to three tactics out of 15 examples to execute as part of that strategy.<\/li>\n<li>How to stay accountable to your goals (so you actually build that list).<\/li>\n<li>How to evaluate and tweak your approach.<\/li>\n<li>How to find shortcuts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>One of the nice parts of building an email list\u00a0is that while you build it, you can find your best (or most likely to buy) prospects because you\u2019re usually offering free, useful content to readers in exchange for their email.<\/p>\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n<p>One of our clients, <a href=\"https:\/\/jacobmcmillen.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jacob McMillen<\/a>, has a website about copywriting and content strategy. He has two audiences: beginners who recently started freelance work (making under $2k\/month), and more seasoned folks who have been making over $2k\/month.<\/p>\n<p>He has a newly-created course for the beginners; the more advanced followers can join his paid-access community. When someone visits his site, they can sign up for an email crash-course on how to become a six-figure freelance writer.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7952\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-22.png\" alt=\"Jacob McMillen: Learn how to hit six-figures as a freelance writer.\" width=\"1234\" height=\"846\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-22.png 1234w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-22-300x206.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-22-1024x702.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-22-768x527.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1234px) 100vw, 1234px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7952\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-22.png\" alt=\"Jacob McMillen: Learn how to hit six-figures as a freelance writer.\" width=\"1234\" height=\"846\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-22.png 1234w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-22-300x206.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-22-1024x702.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-22-768x527.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1234px) 100vw, 1234px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>If someone signs up for the crash-course, that\u2019s a <em>good <\/em>signal\u00a0that they\u2019d either be a good fit for his course or his community. He can then put potential customers\u00a0on a designated welcome email sequence that ends in a pitch to buy his course.<\/p>\n<p>But you don\u2019t have to have an offer lined up to use a method like this (a free mini-course). Giving away free content\u00a0in exchange\u00a0for an email still does two important things:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>It gets more people on your email list.<\/li>\n<li>It tells you they are interested in your topic.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p id=\"presell\">That indication of interest makes them prime targets for the presale offer you\u2019ll create in Step 3. And it lets you use email marketing\u00a0to launch your course when it\u2019s ready.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.gm569pf8l8u2\">Step 3: Pre-Sell\/Validate Your Course<\/h2>\n<p>Pre-selling or validating your course is absolutely one of the most important steps.<\/p>\n<p>This is where you\u2019ll figure out what your audience will pay for.<\/p>\n<p>This is where you\u2019ll make sure that when you launch, you <em>know<\/em>\u00a0people will buy.<\/p>\n<p>Now, pre-selling does <em>not<\/em>\u00a0mean you have to approach your audience with an offer out of the blue and hope for the best.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what it actually involves:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You draft your product description (an early version of your sales page).<\/li>\n<li>You identify your most engaged subscribers (we call them your focus group).<\/li>\n<li>You make a feedback form.<\/li>\n<li>You ask your focus group to A) read the product description and B) fill out the feedback form.<\/li>\n<li>On the feedback form, you ask them if they\u2019d buy the course if it were available now.<\/li>\n<li>If they say yes, respond with a discounted early-access price.<\/li>\n<li>Watch as your course-creation\u00a0process funds itself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s the lowest-pressure way to get someone to buy your stuff. Ever. You can do it even if you\u2019ve never made a sale in your life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Don\u2019t skip this step<\/strong>. I don\u2019t care if you \u201cdon\u2019t feel ready\u201d to make your audience an offer. I don\u2019t care if you\u2019re totally confident you can sell online courses\u00a0like hotcakes.<\/p>\n<p><em>Don\u2019t ever make a product without validating it first.<\/em>\u00a0Presales give you hard proof that your course will sell if you take the time to build it. No one wants to spend hundreds of hours building something that doesn\u2019t pay off.<\/p>\n<p>Even seasoned copywriter Jacob McMillen didn\u2019t skip this step (even though he wanted to). And once he did it, he was glad he did. Not only did it provide $11,000 to justify spending his time on his course, it also gave him the motivation to keep going.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPre-selling put\u00a0the urgency to actually follow through and get it done,\u201d he told us. \u201cThat was instrumental to the process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ready to learn how to do it yourself? Let\u2019s go.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.jmeiaeogfrly\">Step 3a: Write Your Product Description<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t make things complicated at this step. Instead of staring at a blank Google\u00a0Doc (yes, we\u2019ve been there before), use this outline that we provide to <a href=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/growth-university?utm_source=gc&amp;source=createandsellcourse-blogpost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Growth University<\/a>\u00a0clients who go through this exercise:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Give your Course Name.<\/li>\n<li>Briefly describe your course.<\/li>\n<li>Tell a story that illustrates the problem the course addresses.<\/li>\n<li>Quickly recap 3-4 things you\u2019ve attempted (or your audience frequently attempts) to solve the problem.<\/li>\n<li>Describe a picture of what life looks like once the problem is solved.<\/li>\n<li>Give an overview of the product.\n<ul>\n<li>Introduce your product.<\/li>\n<li>Explain how this product does things the right way.<\/li>\n<li>Show how the reader would benefit from this product.<\/li>\n<li>Provide a detailed description of what\u2019s included.<\/li>\n<li>Use a bullet list to summarize what\u2019s included.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Reveal the price.<\/li>\n<li>Answer commonly asked questions (your FAQ section).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You might have noticed that the description we just outlined has a lot of creative writing. That\u2019s because <strong>good marketing isn\u2019t about selling. It\u2019s about storytelling.<\/strong>\u00a0And it\u2019s a lot easier to tell a great story when you have all the comments and insights you gleaned from your target audience\u00a0in <a href=\"#h.7p7eyjk2b30o\">Step 1\u2019s research phase<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you get stuck on creating your course name, you can get inspiration from other courses.<\/p>\n<p>For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/online-course-sell-fb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">when Bryan made the Get 10,000 Subscribers course<\/a>, he wrote down the names of all the courses he\u2019d bought or thought about buying. One of the more effective names served as a basis for the name he finally chose:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7963\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-30.png\" alt=\"Course names: Get 10,000 Fans\" width=\"375\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-30.png 375w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-30-300x287.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7963\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-30.png\" alt=\"Course names: Get 10,000 Fans\" width=\"375\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-30.png 375w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-30-300x287.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Readers should <em>immediately<\/em>\u00a0know what your course is about just by reading the name. Keep it concise and easy to understand.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.exnidzy9zs9q\">Step 3b: Make Your Feedback Form<\/h3>\n<p>This can stay <em>super<\/em>\u00a0simple.<\/p>\n<p>Open up a Google\u00a0form, and ask some variation on the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Name.<\/li>\n<li>Email address.<\/li>\n<li>Do you want to buy? (Yes\/No).<\/li>\n<li>What feature(s) of the course most make(s) you want to buy? Why?<\/li>\n<li>What questions did you think of while reading?<\/li>\n<li>If we added one more thing to the course, what would you like it to be?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7947\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4.png\" alt=\"The Internet's Best Copywriting Course Feedback\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1079\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4-1024x691.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4-768x518.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4-1536x1036.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7947\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4.png\" alt=\"The Internet's Best Copywriting Course Feedback\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1079\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4-1024x691.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4-768x518.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/image-4-1536x1036.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.4jkczgc430zw\">Step 3c: Identify Your Focus Group<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019ve been using a lead magnet\u00a0or some other offer to keep your list segmented, then this step is easy, too. Just pick 50-100 of those people and make them your focus group.<\/p>\n<p>If your list <em>isn\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0segmented, find a guide based on your email service and learn how to segment it. When you\u2019re ready, make a new list with the 50-100 people who interact with you the most. If they:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reply to some of your emails<\/li>\n<li>Open most of your emails<\/li>\n<li>Engage you on social media<\/li>\n<li>Comment on your blogs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8230; and so forth, then they\u2019re worth adding to the list. Go for the most active subscribers and work your way down.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.qnjfxp4yo7ti\">Step 3d: Ask for Feedback + the Sale<\/h3>\n<p>You need to write and send three emails to your focus group:<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"h.eofsjnfsevge\">1. An Email That Asks for Permission<\/h4>\n<p>In this email, send a short note to the subscriber. Explain that you\u2019re working on a project and you\u2019d love feedback on it, if they\u2019re interested. If they say \u201cYes,\u201d respond with the second email.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example from Jacob:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7955\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-24.png\" alt=\"&quot;Can I get your opinion?&quot;\" width=\"1201\" height=\"648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-24.png 1201w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-24-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-24-1024x552.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-24-768x414.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1201px) 100vw, 1201px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7955\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-24.png\" alt=\"&quot;Can I get your opinion?&quot;\" width=\"1201\" height=\"648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-24.png 1201w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-24-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-24-1024x552.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-24-768x414.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1201px) 100vw, 1201px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"h.l0yj2vo0072m\">2. An Email That Asks for Feedback<\/h4>\n<p>Keep this email short as well. Thank them for their time and give them specific instructions on what they need to do: Read the product description and fill out the feedback form. Remember to include links to each. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n<p>When his subscriber, Amit, responded \u201cYes\u201d to the first email, here\u2019s how Jacob followed up:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7958\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-27.png\" alt=\"Sample of a feedback email sent by Jacob McMillen\" width=\"1204\" height=\"776\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-27.png 1204w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-27-300x193.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-27-1024x660.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-27-768x495.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1204px) 100vw, 1204px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7958\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-27.png\" alt=\"Sample of a feedback email sent by Jacob McMillen\" width=\"1204\" height=\"776\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-27.png 1204w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-27-300x193.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-27-1024x660.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-27-768x495.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1204px) 100vw, 1204px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"h.2ho747imuve2\">3. An Email That Asks for the Sale<\/h4>\n<p>If they respond \u201cYes\u201d to the question, \u201cDo you want to buy?\u201d send them the third email. In this email, you\u2019ll answer questions\u00a0from their feedback, then offer them a chance to pre-purchase the course at a discounted price.<\/p>\n<p>Amit bought directly from Jacob\u2019s sales page, so he didn\u2019t get a third email. But for folks who didn\u2019t buy directly from the page, Jacob sent this follow-up email:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7954\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-23.png\" alt=\"An email thanking someone for their feedback on the course\" width=\"1203\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-23.png 1203w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-23-300x101.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-23-1024x346.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-23-768x260.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1203px) 100vw, 1203px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7954\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-23.png\" alt=\"An email thanking someone for their feedback on the course\" width=\"1203\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-23.png 1203w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-23-300x101.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-23-1024x346.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-23-768x260.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1203px) 100vw, 1203px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have an order page, you can even use Paypal\u00a0to collect sales.<\/p>\n<p>Note: If you\u2019re unsure what to charge, make the pre-sale at least half of what you think is a fair price point\u00a0based on your competitor research, the affluence of your audience, how much this problem aggravates them, and what they\u2019ll gain from your course.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Jacob set the beginning cost of his course at $500, so his pre-sale price was $250: a no-brainer price for a beginner copywriter to learn from him.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.xlo0ycqq2zal\">Step 3e: Follow Up\u00a0with Nonrespondents<\/h3>\n<p>After you get the first round of feedback from your focus group, update your product description \u2014 especially the FAQ section. Put their insights to work!<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re done, circle back to the folks who didn\u2019t respond either to the first or second email. If the first, repeat your request for 10 minutes of their time. And if the second, remind them that you\u2019d still love to get their feedback.<\/p>\n<p>You might get a new round of feedback on your improved product description, plus more pre-sales.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.p7wi6j2ucj3l\">Should You Send It to Your Full List?<\/h3>\n<p>Jacob followed this process for his pre-sale with a focus group of 60 people. Out of that group, 21 people ended up filling out the survey, and nine of those preordered the course.<\/p>\n<p>He then reached out to his LinkedIn audience as well and had 52 people volunteer to review the sales page and fill out the survey. Out of that group, 33 actually filled out the survey, and four ended up preordering the course.<\/p>\n<p>At that point, he opened up the pre-sale to his full list of around 4,000 subscribers and nabbed another 32 preorders, bringing his total presale launch to 45 orders and $11,205 in revenue.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you open up the pre-sale to your full list is up to you. That said, we typically don\u2019t recommend it for two reasons:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>It\u2019s not necessary once you\u2019ve validated your course with a small group of people.<\/li>\n<li>Many of the people on your list who would buy a pre-sale offer might just buy the full-price course later.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>So it\u2019s dependent on how quickly you need the funds and how seriously you take your pricing.<\/p>\n<p>Jacob felt that, for him, getting the motivation early on and collecting extra testimonials was worth leaving some money on the table. And it hasn\u2019t stopped him from having good sales since: In mid-August, he announced that course pricing was rising from $499 to $699 and he raked in a cool <strong>$18,000 in revenue<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"build\"><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">Want help hitting $10,000+\/month?\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/skyrocket?utm_source=gc&amp;source=createandsellcourse-blogpost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/mastermind?utm_source=gc&amp;source=createandsellcourse-blogpost\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">You can book a complimentary strategy session<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">\u00a0where we\u2019ll audit your business strategy and talk through a 90-day plan to skyrocket revenue.<\/i><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.ai8rtdh0nwv\">Step 4: Build the Course Your Audience Wants<\/h2>\n<p>In <a href=\"#h.lkyrwygrdwji\">Step 1<\/a>, you researched the heck out of your topic to make sure you understand exactly what problem your audience is facing. In <a href=\"#h.mi2ljjfdy8cp\">Step 2<\/a>, you grew your email list\u00a0so you\u2019d have existing followers ready and waiting for your product. In <a href=\"#h.gm569pf8l8u2\">Step 3<\/a>, you leveraged that email list\u00a0to validate your course by collecting pre-sale moolah.<\/p>\n<p>After all those steps, it\u2019s finally time to start building\u00a0your first course.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you need to do:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Pick your course style (Reference or Specific Path).<\/li>\n<li>Storyboard it.<\/li>\n<li>Write it in Google\u00a0Docs.<\/li>\n<li>Pick a platform and finalize the content.<\/li>\n<li>Use the 80% rule to know when it\u2019s launch time.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>You can read what this looked like in full for Bryan\u2019s Get 10,000 Subscribers course in <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/online-course-sell-fb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this article<\/a>, but here\u2019s a summary of steps and learnings.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.kgakk7kae7bz\">Step 4a: Pick Your Course Style<\/h3>\n<p>There are two types of courses: a reference course and a specific-path course.<\/p>\n<p>In a <strong>reference course<\/strong>, students can jump around and do modules in whatever order they want. They might skip content they think is unimportant. Most courses are built this way.<\/p>\n<p>In a <strong>specific-path course<\/strong>, students <em>have<\/em>\u00a0to complete lessons in order. The later content simply isn\u2019t unlocked until they\u2019ve done each lesson before it. It forces you to do what you set out to do.<\/p>\n<p>They each have pros and cons.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7949\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21.png\" alt=\"Reference vs Specific-Path\" width=\"1600\" height=\"664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21-300x125.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21-1024x425.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21-768x319.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21-1536x637.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7949\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21.png\" alt=\"Reference vs Specific-Path\" width=\"1600\" height=\"664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21-300x125.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21-1024x425.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21-768x319.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/21-1536x637.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Choose the style that\u2019s right for you and your audience.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.ok9qr44x1754\">Step 4b: Storyboard the Course Workflow<\/h3>\n<p>By this step, you already know what you\u2019ll cover in the course. Heck, you should even have it named.<\/p>\n<p>Now it\u2019s time to decide how you\u2019ll approach those learnings.<\/p>\n<p>Write down all your topics. Write down the specific strategies you\u2019ll teach your students. Break it up into groups. It helps to use sticky notes or a Trello board \u2014 something that lets you easily move around the pieces until the flow is just right.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what it looked like when Bryan built his Get 10,000 Subscribers course:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7956\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-25.png\" alt=\"Primary Milestones: Action Items for Each Milestone\" width=\"923\" height=\"868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-25.png 923w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-25-300x282.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-25-768x722.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7956\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-25.png\" alt=\"Primary Milestones: Action Items for Each Milestone\" width=\"923\" height=\"868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-25.png 923w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-25-300x282.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-25-768x722.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>As you work, ask yourself these three questions:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What is the goal of your course?<\/li>\n<li>What are the three to four major milestones your students will go through as they work towards that goal?<\/li>\n<li>What action plan should they follow to work through each milestone?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3 id=\"h.cwhgbrtnwgv2\">Step 4c: Create the Course Content<\/h3>\n<p>The work you did in Step 4b gave you an outline. Next, it\u2019s time to start writing.<\/p>\n<p>Turn your milestones into modules. Make your action items lessons. And write your buns off.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s some advice for the process:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep each lesson tight. If you try to cover too many ideas or \u201clearning objectives\u201d in one lesson, your students will get confused and distracted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Draft everything in Google\u00a0Docs (or a similar word processing program). Changes are easier to make here than in a course-building platform.<\/li>\n<li>Build in small wins. Give your students chances to feel accomplished so they can use that momentum and excitement to keep going.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This step will feel like it takes forever. But when you\u2019re ready to quit, remember the pre-sales you made. Think of the people you\u2019re helping. And imagine life when you\u2019re pulling in five- to six-figure launches or thousands in steady, evergreen income.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.gfhtlfkxadcc\">Step 4d: Get Techy with It<\/h3>\n<p>Once your video scripts are finalized, your student worksheets are polished, and the thought of looking it over one more time makes you want to cry:<\/p>\n<p>Take a deep breath.<\/p>\n<p>Get the cameras rolling.<\/p>\n<p>Finish that course.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re done filming and editing (reminder: you can hire people to help you with this), there\u2019s another decision to make: Where will your course live?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7946\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7946\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7946\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20.png\" alt=\"Jacob McMillen: Lesson 1.1- The Fundamentals of Copywriting\" width=\"1600\" height=\"986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20-1024x631.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20-768x473.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20-1536x947.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7946\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20.png\" alt=\"Jacob McMillen: Lesson 1.1- The Fundamentals of Copywriting\" width=\"1600\" height=\"986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20-1024x631.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20-768x473.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-20-1536x947.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7946\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Jacob built his course from scratch via Divi and Membermouse. He likes how he has complete control over presentation, but he spent way more time building it than he expected.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Should you put everything on your own website? Or should you use one of the many available platforms to keep things simple?<\/p>\n<p>The answer depends on your skillset and available time. It\u2019s always great to host a course on your own website: that\u2019s just one more thing under your direct control. But if you aren&#8217;t already experienced at maintaining your own site, it\u2019s a good idea to pick a platform instead.<\/p>\n<p>By doing so, you\u2019ll save yourself the headache of installing any complex integrations or plugins. And there are plenty of great course marketplaces\u00a0to choose from, like&#8230;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinkific.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thinkific<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/kajabi.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kajabi<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/teachable.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Teachable<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.udemy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Udemy<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.skillshare.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Skillshare<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All of these online course platforms\u00a0have tutorials you can follow to get your course live. A few years down the road, it could make sense to host your course on your own site, WordPress\u00a0or otherwise. But when you\u2019re a first-time course creator, it\u2019s a lot to manage, even with help.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.r6qk7ojt4t57\">Step 4e: Use the 80% Rule<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t let perfectionism keep you from launching. Use the 80% rule of thumb to call it good enough. It goes like this:<\/p>\n<p><em>If you can get your course to a place where it\u2019s 80% of the way finished, don\u2019t linger on that final 20%. Ship what you\u2019ve got instead.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Your first try won\u2019t be perfect. It\u2019s better to get it in front of your students (including the early access crowd who pre-paid for the course) and collect feedback. Then, improve your course in between launches.<\/p>\n<p id=\"launch\"><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">Want help hitting $10,000+\/month?\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/skyrocket?utm_source=gc&amp;source=createandsellcourse-blogpost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/mastermind?utm_source=gc&amp;source=createandsellcourse-blogpost\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">You can book a complimentary strategy session<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">\u00a0where we\u2019ll audit your business strategy and talk through a 90-day plan to skyrocket revenue.<\/i><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.uhag8rrs32mo\">Step 5: Launch Your Course<\/h2>\n<p>There are many exciting launch plans out there, and we\u2019ve written about more than one:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/online-course-sell-fb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bryan\u2019s six-figure Get 10,000 Subscribers launch<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/one-month-launch-sequence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The \u201cDouble-Reverse\u201d Launch<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/nathan-barry-launch-sequence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nathan Barry\u2019s Upsell Launch Sequence<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>An <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/launch-plan-affiliate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">affiliate launch plan<\/a>\u00a0that 2x\u2019d our income from Get 10k Subs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You get the idea.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to try all of them. You just need one, simple, proven process to start selling your course. Once you have this process down, you can add in extra steps (like a seven-day challenge). But your first launch is not the place for that.<\/p>\n<p>KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid.<\/p>\n<p>These steps are all you need for the launch:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Line up your special offers (an early bird discount, bonuses, and a down-sell).<\/li>\n<li>Write your sales page.<\/li>\n<li>Plan and draft your email sequence.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>After that, it\u2019s go time.<\/p>\n<p>But before you go all typing-cat on those emails &#8230;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/uzglgIsyY1Cgg\" width=\"480\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span>\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; remember something important: Your course is built. And pre-sale customers get first access. So get them working through your shiny new content while you\u2019re planning the launch.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.xidcyqrn4y3l\">Step 5a: Line Up Your Special Offers<\/h3>\n<p>Launches need a sense of urgency. If you want someone to make a purchase, they need a motive to do it <em>right now<\/em>\u00a0and not <em>sometime soon, maybe<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>In this step, you\u2019ll decide how to make that happen.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll cover three offers you can make:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The early-bird discount.<\/li>\n<li>The exclusive, expiring bonus(es).<\/li>\n<li>The downsell.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"h.sgnjgies70d0\">Offer #1: The Early-Bird Discount<\/h4>\n<p>For a first-time course launch, the early-bird discount is a foolproof\u00a0plan (assuming you\u2019ve actually done Steps 1-4).<\/p>\n<p>Some of your students just can\u2019t resist a good deal. So if you run a discount for the first 24 hours of a five-day launch, some of them will buy. Guaranteed.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t make the discount so steep that you wince every time a sale rolls in. But don\u2019t make it so small that no one cares.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you\u2019re selling a $500 course, offer it for $420. $80 bucks off for pulling the trigger right away? Heck yeah. Those students will go to bed feeling good about themselves and their deal-finding-savvy.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"h.l3zmgkm6uzxo\">Offer #2: The Exclusive, Expiring Bonus(es)<\/h4>\n<p>A good bonus helps your customers overcome their objections or roadblocks and implement what they learn in your course more quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some examples<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7944\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23.png\" alt=\"Type of bonus: Done-for-you shortcuts, Additional access; Additional resources\" width=\"1600\" height=\"852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23-1024x545.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23-768x409.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23-1536x818.png 1536w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23-1500x800.png 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7944\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23.png\" alt=\"Type of bonus: Done-for-you shortcuts, Additional access; Additional resources\" width=\"1600\" height=\"852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23-1024x545.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23-768x409.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23-1536x818.png 1536w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/23-1500x800.png 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Brainstorm a list of ten, then pick and make your two favorites.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll offer them partway through the week, but before the launch formally ends. <strong>Do not offer these bonuses anywhere else<\/strong>. They need to be unique so that your customers are motivated to get them while the getting\u2019s good.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"h.6fj7gmply02m\">Offer #3: The Down-Sell<\/h4>\n<p>No matter how amazing your course is and how convincing copy is, you will not have a 100% conversion rate. In fact, the majority of your subscribers will <em>not<\/em>\u00a0make a purchase during your launch.<\/p>\n<p>The down-sell is designed to capture some of them.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s something small you could pitch to them? Can you make one of your course modules a stand-alone offering at a more affordable price? Do you have extra resources on the same topic that you could sell for a fraction of the course cost?<\/p>\n<p>Pick one to sell to all the people who <em>didn\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0buy your course. You\u2019ll pull in additional revenue and all the work you did to get your subscribers excited will roll over neatly into your final sales call.<\/p>\n<p>Note: The down-sell is optional. It\u2019s great if you can set it up. But if you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed, stick to the 24-hour discount and the bonuses.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.3f64my79en8m\">Step 5b: Write Your Sales Page<\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s the good news: You don\u2019t have to write this page from scratch. Remember the product description you made while pre-selling? Yeah. Copy and paste that sucker.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the bad news: Your sales page\u00a0isn\u2019t <em>quite<\/em>\u00a0finished yet. Sorry.<\/p>\n<p>You need to make some adjustments for the launch, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Adding a section about your limited-time bonuses.<\/li>\n<li>Adding a refund policy\/guarantee.<\/li>\n<li>Adding testimonials\u00a0or social proof.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s also a good idea to pretty things up with some photos and videos to break up the text. Maybe a little graphic design. It\u2019s good to make your <em>customers<\/em>\u00a0feel like you\u2019re a professional, even if <em>you<\/em>\u00a0feel like you\u2019re totally winging it.<\/p>\n<p>Remember that focus group? If you\u2019ve been taking good care of them, they should be more than happy to talk about how your course helped them. You can use their faces and words to sway more customers to buy.<\/p>\n<p>So what should it look like when it all comes together? <a href=\"https:\/\/10ksubs.com\/sp10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Here\u2019s an example of the Get 10k Subs <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/10ksubs.com\/sp10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sales page<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/10ksubs.com\/sp10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">.<\/a>\u00a0You know, the one that brought in over $220k on its first launch.<\/p>\n<p>This stuff works, folks.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.i4hsg7v5zwyk\">Step 5c: Plan and Write Your Launch Email Sequence<\/h3>\n<p>Each email in this list follows a tried-and-true formula.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll start with a 3-day warm-up sequence that follows the PAS formula: Problem, Agitate, Solve.<\/p>\n<p>Then, you\u2019ll sequence the launch emails, working in your early-bird discount and your bonuses. Finally, after the launch ends, you\u2019ll target the people who didn\u2019t buy with a down-sell.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"h.4kok1iykl472\">Hold Up. How Do I Use \u2018Problem, Agitate, Solve\u2019?<\/h4>\n<p>Bryan likes to use <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/online-course-sell-fb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the example of a marriage counselor<\/a>\u00a0to illustrate why PAS is so awesome:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>Let\u2019s apply the PAS framework to marriage counseling.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Most any (honest) married couple knows that if they went to marriage counseling on a regular basis, their marriage would improve.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>But how many actually do it?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>NO ONE!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Why not?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>It\u2019s not because they don\u2019t believe in it. It\u2019s because no one wakes up in the morning thinking, \u201cMan I really want to go talk to a marriage counselor today.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>How many of us, though, wish we had a better marriage? Better communication with our partner? On the same page about money? Sex? Kids?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>EVERYONE I KNOW.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>So, if you were a marriage counselor, the last thing on the planet you want to sell is \u201cmarriage counseling.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>What you want to sell is a solution to your clients\u2019 problems.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>You want to sell NOT fighting with your spouse, NOT arguing about money, NOT being frustrated about sex.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>You can use the PAS framework to do exactly that.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>So here\u2019s how that works:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Email #1<\/strong>\u00a0introduces the problem your audience suffers from.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Email #2<\/strong>\u00a0agitates that problem \u2014 really rubs in their face how annoying it is and how much they\u2019re losing because of it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Email #3<\/strong>\u00a0presents the solution to that problem. Or more specifically, <em>your<\/em>\u00a0solution.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few examples:<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7962\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24.png\" alt=\"Course topic: problem, agitate, solve\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24-300x284.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24-1024x968.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24-768x726.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24-1536x1452.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7962\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24.png\" alt=\"Course topic: problem, agitate, solve\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24-300x284.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24-1024x968.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24-768x726.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/24-1536x1452.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Now for the launch emails. Your actual launch sequence should look like this:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7960\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28.png\" alt=\"Creating and selling an online course ends with a good launch sequence.\" width=\"1349\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28.png 1349w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28-253x300.png 253w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28-863x1024.png 863w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28-768x911.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28-1295x1536.png 1295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1349px) 100vw, 1349px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7960\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28.png\" alt=\"Creating and selling an online course ends with a good launch sequence.\" width=\"1349\" height=\"1600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28.png 1349w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28-253x300.png 253w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28-863x1024.png 863w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28-768x911.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pasted-image-0-28-1295x1536.png 1295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1349px) 100vw, 1349px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Once you have those drafted, you\u2019re ready to go.<\/p>\n<p>It completes a very simple sales funnel: leads \u2192 email list\u00a0\u2192 launch \u2192 customer.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.iq2ey2sb6629\">These Folks Used This Plan and Killed It<\/h2>\n<p>I get it. This post is a lot to take in. But that\u2019s because it\u2019s meant to guide you through the <em>entire<\/em>\u00a0course creation\u00a0process through your first launch. That\u2019s a ton of work. But it can be life changing.<\/p>\n<p>Just ask some of the folks in Growth University. Like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ywamfm.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cindy Anderson<\/a>, who got 100 students in her launch in May. Or <a href=\"https:\/\/gracefilledplate.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandice Lardner<\/a>, who made $4,000 on her course launch in July.<\/p>\n<p>I could go on.<\/p>\n<p>The point is, if they can do it? You can too.<\/p>\n<p><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">Want help hitting $10,000+\/month?\u00a0<\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/skyrocket?utm_source=gc&amp;source=createandsellcourse-blogpost\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/mastermind?utm_source=gc&amp;source=createandsellcourse-blogpost\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">You can book a complimentary strategy session<\/a><\/i><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">\u00a0where we\u2019ll audit your business strategy and talk through a 90-day plan to skyrocket revenue.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This post is a step-by-step guide\u00a0for the\u00a0system we\u2019ve used to create, validate, and sell\u00a0more than $1M ARR in online courses\u00a0ourselves&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":702,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marketing-coaching"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/702"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7968\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}