When you were studying to become the health and wellness pro you are today, sales and marketing likely weren't on the syllabus. So it's understandable if the idea of drumming up interest for your online course is new territory.
Promoting your online program shouldn't make you feel like the stereotypical used car salesman. You also don't have to transform into a quirky, TikTok-style influencer to get noticed. (Unless that's your jam, then let fly with the dances and memes.)
But marketing is necessary—people won't magically flock to sign up for your new program just because it exists.
Think of this article as your sales and marketing concierge. It contains tried-and-tested steps to quickly get the first program signups that fuel your passive income engine while you figure the rest out.
A big shout-out to two experts from our past Programs Summit who generously shared the learnings that helped write this article. Michelle Leotta helps certified health coaches build profitable businesses. Deanna Wolfe (aka Dietitian Deanna) is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who has built three programs, each selling over $1 million in revenue.
Let's get right to it.
The first people to sign up for your course will be those you already have access to – most likely current and past clients. Your new online course can be an excellent complement to the work they've already done with you:
If you've been in business for a while, you likely have a list of folks who have shown interest in working with you 1:1 in the past, but it didn't work out. If it was for cost reasons, then the deeply discounted beta program could be of great interest, particularly if your course is closely related to the issue that drove them to consult with you in the first place.
In Practice Better, for example, you can tag people as "prospective clients" and target those folks as a potential audience to receive communications promoting your new program. You can also do this type of promotion and tagging within an email software or CRM.
If you host a private Facebook group for your practice, you can offer them exclusive access at a discounted price. "That makes them feel so special," says Michelle. "Then you can keep promoting your course in that group while you run the beta so anyone who didn't sign up gets a glimpse into what's happening."
If you need qualified contacts to reach out to, a lead magnet strategy can work well to grow your opted-in email list. A lead magnet is a free resource that's closely related to the topic of your online course.
"If your idea is to create a course for salsa dancers to have more energy and stamina on the dance floor, create something for free that's called More Energy and Stamina for Salsa Dancers," says Michelle. "Don't create something like—get more energy in five days—because that doesn't reflect salsa dancing. Create something that is 100% aligned with your program, and then you're going to see if people want it."
"If your idea is to create a course for salsa dancers to have more energy and stamina on the dance floor, create something for free that's called More Energy and Stamina for Salsa Dancers,"
Michelle Leotta
If people are willing to give you their email address in exchange for the lead magnet, they are very interested in the topic. If they don't, you need to go back to validation mode.
Your founding member clients are critical to creating the momentum and cash flow to launch your program into the world. Once you've refined the program to the point where you're ready to charge full price, you must keep attracting new buyers to sign up.
Deanna Wolfe, RD, has extensive experience teaching practitioners how to run thriving online practices. Here are three top tips she shared at our Programs Summit.
Deanna believes that creating a villain around your content gets attention in all the right ways.
"I want you to stop regurgitating what everyone else is saying," she says. "Create a villain and be the hero people want to follow to help vanquish the villain. The people who walk away from you were never going to buy from you anyway."
"Create a villain and be the hero people want to follow to help vanquish the villain. The people who walk away from you were never going to buy from you anyway."
Deanna Wolfe
What does creating a villain look like? It's having a stand-out, or spiky, point of view.
"Gut health professionals will create a villain around doctors who say your labs are normal," says Deanna. "They create a villain that somebody can get on board with. It's a huge marketing tactic that I know tons of business coaches are using to attract people."
Potential clients mindlessly scrolling through their social media feeds need a compelling reason to stop and read or listen to what you're saying. Hooks are like magnets that compel people to pay attention and be curious about what comes next.
Deanna shared ten hook ideas designed to stop the scroll:
Every practitioner would love to post content more people within their niche want to reshare. So why does it feel like every post gets crickets as a reaction? Deanna says relatability is vital.
"Instead of thinking you have to be this perfect professional and an expert, why not release that stress?" she says. "Show up imperfect; show up fun. People will love that you're in your sweats at home. And shares are free marketing for you."
"Show up imperfect; show up fun. People will love that you're in your sweats at home. And shares are free marketing for you."
Deanna Wolfe
You also need to release the mindset to always be selling. It's not always about an offer. Often, it's about openly sharing your expertise and point of view. Being human and relatable makes people like and trust you. And we're more apt to buy things from people we like and trust.
While things can feel uncertain in the beginning, practice makes...better. The framework above can help you kick-start your program, launching it to your list, clients, or followers. Then you can keep improving your offerings and building your passive income engine.
Want to get even more expert advice on running better programs so you can scale your business on your terms? Check out last year's Programs Summit 2023 replays.
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