Pre-launch strategies: how to sell online courses before you even create them

We know creating an online course is exciting and daunting. It’s a lot of work and we want to help you make sales before you even start creating! In this blog post, we’ll explore how to leverage Teachable’s features by focusing on collecting email leads even before you have a fully developed course.

Monetizing your social media audience has become a lucrative endeavor, and one of the most effective methods is through selling online courses. With the power of social media platforms at your fingertips, you can  reach a vast audience hungry for knowledge and expertise. Online courses offer a scalable and sustainable revenue stream, allowing you to leverage your passion, and unique perspective to create valuable educational content.

Whether you're an expert in business, technology, fitness, or any other niche, selling online courses allows you to share your expertise with a global audience while generating passive income. Plus, with the flexibility to create courses on your own schedule and the ability to automate sales processes, it's the ultimate way to turn your social media following into a thriving online business.

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Ensure demand for your course

Before you dive into the course creation process, it’s crucial to define your niche and ensure there’s demand for your course. Conduct market research, engage with potential students, and gather feedback to validate your idea. Use social media, forums, and surveys to understand your audience’s pain points and needs.

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Build anticipation with a “coming soon” sales page

Utilizing Teachable’s features, you can create a visually appealing landing page for your course without having to finalize the entire content upfront. Include a deadline, sneak peeks of course content, and a call-to-action encouraging visitors to sign up for updates. Add an Email Leads Form block to collect potential customer information and build an email list.

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Host a webinar or live Q&A session

Engage with your audience by hosting a webinar or live Q&A session, linking it to your 'Coming Soon' page. Use Teachable’s webinar integrations or provide an external link to interact directly with potential students.

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Nurture leads with email marketing tools

For those on paid plans, Teachable provides built-in email marketing tools to nurture leads and keep them engaged. Customize your emails, share behind-the-scenes content, and offer exclusive sneak peeks or early bird discounts. Remember to comply with privacy regulations and marketing laws.

Teachable also allows you to integrate your email leads with third-party services such as Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Webhooks, and Zapier. This opens up opportunities to manage and send emails effectively. Be sure to follow the integration steps outlined in Teachable’s Knowledge Base.

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Offer exclusive early access

Incentivize early adoption by offering exclusive early access or discounted pricing for the initial batch of students. This strategy, combined with the email leads you’ve gathered, creates a sense of urgency and motivates potential customers to take action.

Teachable provides a powerful platform for implementing a pre-launch strategy for your online course. By combining the steps mentioned above with the detailed guidance from Teachable’s Knowledge Base on collecting and managing email leads, you can create a robust foundation for your course, even before the content is fully developed.