We all know that you can promote your online course leveraging the power of paid ads on Facebook or Instagram to quickly get the word out. In this post, let’s talk about eight no-cost ways that you can promote your online course before you launch.
8 No-Cost Ways to Promote Your Course Before You Launch
1) Promote your online course with a special offer that leads to your course content.
You can create a free lead magnet that relates to the content you will be sharing in your online course. Great news – you can use the content you are already creating for your course. For example, one of our Create 6-Figure Courses members pulled a free planning calendar from her course content and offered this tool as a download in exchange for an email opt-in.
Some effective lead magnet ideas include:
- A quick-start guide
- A checklist or worksheet
- A template or swipe file
- A resource kit or toolkit
Pro-tip: Make sure your lead magnet delivers a quick win that naturally leads into your full course offering.
And, if you’re not sure which tool to use, here are 10 free tools for creating lead magnets.
2) Promote your online course by requesting a course review.
Think about bloggers, podcasters, authors, or speakers that your ideal clients follow online. Make a list and reach out to them to share an invitation to review your course. Essentially, they get free access into your program in exchange for a short review of your online course. This is a great way to get an influencer to give a testimonial about your course content. You can also offer an affiliate link for them to later use when promoting your course.
When reaching out to potential reviewers:
- Personalize your outreach
- Clearly explain the value proposition
- Make it easy by providing review guidelines
- Offer exclusive bonuses or early access
3) Promote your online course when you speak or network.
How many times are you in front of potential students for your course? Conferences, networking meetings, and other events are great opportunities to let people know you are releasing an online course.
When networking, speaking, or writing, let your audience know that you are about to release your online course. You can create a “coming soon” waitlist page. Your audience can share their email address and be notified when you release your course.
Ensure your waitlist page is compelling by:
- Offering a tool or checklist from the course immediately when they opt-in
- Including exclusive content or bonuses for waitlist members
- Sharing behind-the-scenes updates
- Creating anticipation with your pre-launch emails
Another way to promote your course before you launch is to offer to be a guest expert for bloggers or podcasters in your niche. Many influencers are happy to have you on as a guest expert because it provides great content for their audience and enables them to promote an affiliate link for your online course.
4) Promote your online course by sharing long-form posts.
When you post on social media, add longer-form posts into your content mix to promote your course before your launch. Think of these posts as opportunities to dive deeper into the content you will be sharing in your course. Examples topics might include:
- Share the behind-the-scenes of the creation of your course
- Highlight a tool or strategy you will be teaching
- Tackle a question your audience has related to your course focus
- Identify problems, shifts, or changes happening that lead into the work you will be doing in your course
Pro-tip: Create a content calendar that mixes:
- Educational content (teaching key concepts from your course)
- Behind-the-scenes content (building excitement)
- Social proof (sharing success stories)
- Personal stories (building connection)
- Q&A content (addressing questions and objections)
5) Promote your online course with your email signature and social media bios/profiles.
Every time you send an email, you can promote your course. Include a link to your course waitlist or webinar invitation landing page in your email signature and social media bios. You can also create a behind-the-scenes blog post documenting your course creation process and put a link to this that sounds like, “Want to see what I am working on?”
6) Promote your online course in discussion groups
Find relevant online discussion forums and contribute. Answer questions. Add value. The readers will naturally click on your profile to learn more about what you do.
7) Promote your online course through strategic collaborations
Partner with complementary experts and tools in your field to create valuable cross-promotional opportunities. For example, if you’re launching a course on business systems, partner with a marketing expert to create a joint workshop or content series. This collaboration allows you both to reach new audiences without spending money on advertising. Or if you’re a productivity coach, you could collaborate with project management tools or task management apps to create co-branded content or special offers.
Some effective collaboration ideas include:
- Co-host a free workshop or training
- Create a joint lead magnet
- Exchange guest posts on each other’s blogs
- Cross-promote in your email newsletters
- Share each other’s content on social media
The key is to find partners whose audience would benefit from your course but who don’t directly compete with your offering. Tool partnerships can be particularly valuable because they often have large, engaged user bases actively seeking education about how to better use the tool – making them perfect potential students for your course.
8) Promote your course through case studies and success stories
If you’ve previously helped clients achieve results related to your course topic, transform these experiences into compelling case studies. Share these stories on your blog, social media, and in your email newsletters to demonstrate the transformation your course will provide.
For example, one of our course creators documented how she helped a client increase their revenue by 300% using the same system she teaches in her course. She shared this case study through:
- A detailed blog post
- Social media carousel posts highlighting key results
- Video testimonials from the client
- Email sequences featuring different aspects of the transformation
Summary
Consistency is the key to promoting your online course before, during, and after you release it. Pick a few strategies and put them into action.
What are some ways you are promoting your online course before your launch? Share in the comments below.
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