Hey there, future online course creators! If you’re reading this, you probably already know that building an email list is an absolute must for selling your courses successfully. But you might be wondering, is it really worth all the effort? Let me tell you, the answer is a resounding yes!
Here’s the thing – email marketing is hands down one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience and promote your courses. In fact, studies have shown that for every dollar spent on email marketing, businesses see an average return of $42. That’s a pretty sweet ROI if you ask me!
But I get it, building an email list from scratch can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting out. Where do you even begin? Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. In this guide, we’ll dive into 14 proven tactics that will help you grow a loyal subscriber base for your online course in no time.
These aren’t just any old strategies either – they’re designed to attract people who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer and are more likely to become paying students down the line. So buckle up and get ready to take some notes, because by the end of this guide, you’ll have all the tools you need to create an email list that will skyrocket your online course sales!
Choosing an Email Marketing Platform
When it comes to effectively managing and nurturing your email list of prospective course students, investing in a robust email marketing platform is crucial. Free tools like Gmail and Outlook simply won’t cut it as your list grows.
Look for a platform packed with features that will allow you to automate nurture sequences, run promotions, segment your audience, and optimise your campaigns through A/B testing. Having these capabilities from the start will streamline your entire email marketing funnel.
Many course creators find platforms like Moosend ideal. It offers user-friendly subscription form builders, advanced segmentation, drip sequence automation, landing pages, and analytics – everything you need to capture new subscribers and consistently deliver value over time. This nurtures those leads from the initial opt-in towards an eventual course purchase.
Don’t underestimate the power of the right email marketing tool. Trying to manually manage and message your list is incredibly inefficient and limits your growth potential. With a best-in-class platform powering your email marketing from day one, you’ll be primed to build your educational audience and maximise sales when you launch your online courses. The upfront investment will pay dividends down the road.
Offering Incentives to Sign Up
Building an email list of potential course buyers can be a challenging task, but one effective strategy is to offer valuable incentives that entice people to provide their email addresses. Put yourself in your target audience’s shoes and consider what would motivate them to sign up. Free resources that solve a problem or make their lives easier are often the most compelling.
- One popular incentive is a free ebook that dives deep into a topic relevant to your course. For example, if you’re selling a course on healthy eating, you could offer a free ebook with delicious, nutrient-packed recipes. Or if your course teaches a specific skill, your ebook could be a beginner’s guide to getting started. The key is to provide genuine value that showcases your expertise and leaves people wanting more.
- Another option is to create checklists or cheat sheets that summarise key points from your blog posts or course modules. These quick reference guides are easy to digest and can be incredibly handy for your audience. You could also share case studies featuring your past students’ success stories, which provide social proof and inspire others to sign up.
- If your course has a higher price point, consider offering a discount code or coupon to email subscribers. Or you could host a free webinar that teaches a mini-lesson related to your course topic and collect email addresses during the registration process. Lastly, templates and worksheets that help your audience implement what they learn, or even a free mini course delivered via email, can be incredibly effective at attracting signups.
- The most important thing is to choose incentives that are specifically tailored to your unique audience and will leave them feeling excited and eager to learn more from you. Put real effort into creating high-quality, valuable resources and your email list will surely grow.
Utilising Pop-up Forms
Hey there, fellow course creator! Are you looking for a surefire way to capture those elusive leads and grow your email list? Well, I’ve got some fantastic news for you – pop-up forms are here to save the day!
Now, I know what you might be thinking. “Pop-ups? Aren’t those annoying little boxes that disrupt my browsing experience?” And you’re right, poorly executed pop-ups can be a real buzzkill. But when crafted with finesse and purpose, these little gems can work wonders for your lead-generation efforts.
So, how do you create pop-ups that convert? First and foremost, timing is everything. You don’t want to bombard your visitors with a pop-up the moment they land on your site. Give them a chance to explore and engage with your content first. A great strategy is to use exit-intent pop-ups, which appear when a visitor is about to leave your site. It’s like a last-ditch effort to capture their attention and entice them to sign up.
But what’s the secret sauce that makes people want to hand over their precious email addresses? Incentives, baby! Offer your visitors something they can’t resist, like a juicy discount code or an exclusive freebie. Make them feel like they’re part of an exclusive club by joining your email list. Trust me, a little bribery goes a long way.
And don’t forget about the design of your pop-up. Keep it clean, eye-catching, and on-brand. Use a compelling copy that clearly communicates the benefits of signing up, and make that call-to-action button irresistible. A well-designed pop-up can make all the difference in turning a casual visitor into a loyal subscriber.
So there you have it, my friend. Embrace the power of pop-up forms and watch your email list grow like wildfire. Just remember to use them wisely, offer value, and always keep your audience’s experience in mind. Happy list building!
Crafting CTAs for Your Website/Landing Page
When it comes to building an email list of potential course buyers, your website and landing pages are prime real estate for attracting subscribers. It’s crucial to include clear, compelling calls to action (CTAs) throughout these pages to encourage visitors to sign up for your email list.
Think about it from your potential subscriber’s perspective: what’s in it for them? Your CTAs should highlight the benefits of joining your email list. Maybe you offer exclusive content, early access to new courses, or special discounts for subscribers. Make sure these incentives are front and centre in your CTAs.
For example, instead of a generic “Sign up for our newsletter” button, try something more specific and benefit-driven like “Get exclusive course discounts – subscribe now!” or “Join our list for early access to new courses.”
Placement is key, too. Don’t hide your CTAs at the bottom of the page where visitors might miss them. Put them in prominent locations like the header, sidebar, and throughout your content. You can even use pop-ups or slide-ins to grab attention (just don’t overdo it and annoy your visitors!).
Finally, make sure your CTAs stand out visually. Use contrasting colours, bold text, and eye-catching designs to draw the eye and encourage clicks. With compelling, well-placed CTAs, you’ll be well on your way to building a thriving email list of engaged potential course buyers.
Creating High-Converting Landing Pages
When it comes to building an email list of potential course buyers, your landing pages are where the magic happens. Think of them as your virtual sales reps, working 24/7 to capture email addresses from interested prospects.
However, not all landing pages are created equal. To maximise your email list growth, you need to create targeted, high-converting landing pages that are laser-focused on a specific offer.
First things first: your landing page should have a clear, compelling headline that immediately grabs attention and communicates the value of your offer. Follow that up with a benefit-driven copy that explains exactly what subscribers will get by joining your email list.
Visuals are key, too. Use eye-catching images, videos, or graphics to break up the text and make your offer more tangible. Just make sure they’re relevant and high-quality – no generic stock photos here!
Keep the design simple and distraction-free. Your landing page should have one goal and one goal only: to get visitors to enter their email addresses. Remove any unnecessary navigation links, sidebars, or other clutter that could take people away from the main action.
Finally, make sure your opt-in form is prominent and easy to use. Place it above the fold, use contrasting colours to make it stand out, and keep the form fields minimal (just name and email are usually enough).
By creating targeted, visually appealing landing pages with clear messaging and a strong call to action, you’ll be well on your way to building a thriving email list of potential course buyers.
Leveraging Social Media
Hey there, course creators! If you’re not using social media to grow your email list, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. Your potential students are already hanging out on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, so why not meet them where they are?
First things first: make sure you’re promoting your email list sign-up on all your social media profiles. Add a link to your bio, create posts that highlight the benefits of joining your list, and don’t be afraid to sprinkle in some calls to action throughout your content.
But simply asking people to sign up isn’t always enough – sometimes you need to sweeten the deal. That’s where social media contests and giveaways come in. People love free stuff, so offering a prize in exchange for an email address can be a powerful incentive.
You could run a simple giveaway where people enter by providing their email, or get creative with a contest that requires entrants to share your content or tag friends for bonus entries. Not only will this help you grow your list, but it can also boost your social media engagement and reach.
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of targeted social media ads. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to get super specific with your ad targeting, so you can reach people who are most likely to be interested in your courses.
Create ad copy that highlights the value of joining your email list, and use eye-catching visuals to stop people from scrolling. With the right targeting and messaging, social media ads can be a game-changer for your email list growth.
So go ahead and start leveraging the power of social media to build your list of potential course buyers. With a little creativity and consistency, you’ll be well on your way to a thriving email community.
Running Viral Contests
Alright, course creators, let’s talk about one of the most powerful ways to supercharge your email list growth: viral contests. These bad boys can help you reach a ton of new potential subscribers in a short amount of time, and the best part? Your current audience does a lot of the heavy lifting for you!
Here’s how it works: you set up a contest with an irresistible prize (think free course access, coaching sessions, or high-value resources), and then encourage people to share the contest with their friends and followers for extra entries. The more they share, the more chances they have to win.
This is where the magic happens. As your contest starts to spread, you’ll see a snowball effect of new people discovering your brand and opting into your email list for a chance to win. And since the recommendation is coming from someone they know and trust (AKA your current subscribers), they’re much more likely to sign up and engage with your content in the future.
But the benefits don’t stop there. Viral contests are also an awesome way to generate user-generated content (UGC) for your brand. You can ask entrants to submit photos, videos, or testimonials as part of the contest, which you can then feature on your website and social media channels. This not only helps you build a library of authentic content, but it also boosts trust and credibility with your target audience.
So how do you create a viral contest that actually takes off? First, make sure your prize is something your ideal students would be super excited to win. Second, make sharing as easy as possible with pre-written social media posts and eye-catching graphics. And finally, follow up with all entrants (not just the winner!) to keep them engaged and nurture them into becoming loyal subscribers and customers.
With a little creativity and strategic planning, viral contests can be an absolute game-changer for growing your email list and taking your online course business to the next level. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start spreading the word!
Reaching Out to Personal Contacts
Don’t overlook the simple but powerful tactic of inviting your existing contacts to join your email list. Make a list of friends, family members, former colleagues, social connections – anyone who might have an interest in the topic you teach.
Send them a personal email explaining that you’re building an audience for your new online course on [topic]. Outline the benefits and value they’ll receive by subscribing, like exclusive content, tips, insights and eventually special offers on your full course when it launches. Make it clear there’s no obligation, but you’d love for them to follow along.
You can even provide an incentive upfront, like a free mini-course or downloadable guide, just for signing up. Since these are people who already know and trust you to some degree, they’ll likely be very open to joining your list.
Encourage your inner circle to spread the word to their own networks as well. A simple share or two from someone’s contacts can snowball quickly. Don’t sleep on this warm lead source – your personal outreach could yield an influx of highly qualified subscribers ready to nurture your paid offerings.
The key is making people feel like they’re getting early access to your valuable expertise, not just getting blasted by another faceless marketing campaign. A personal invitation can go a long way.
Creating a Referral Programme
One of the most powerful tactics for rapid list growth is implementing a referral programme to incentivize your existing subscribers to spread the word. Why start from scratch when you can leverage happy customers as evangelists?
Design simple rewards like discounts, free content upgrades, or entry into a prize draw for anyone who successfully refers new people to join your list. Make it easy by providing a unique referral link they can share across social media, email, and messaging apps – anywhere their friends and followers congregate online.
You can even gamify it with levels of rewards based on the number of referrals, turning it into a fun viral campaign. The key is to make the rewards enticing enough to get people actively promoting your lead magnet on your behalf.
Thanks to the power of personal recommendations from trusted sources, referral signups will be pre-sold on your credibility from the start. They’ll be receptive to the free value you provide through your nurture sequences, priming them to eventually become paying course students.
Capitalise on insanely effective word-of-mouth marketing by making your loyal fans an integral part of your list-building process from day one. A stellar referral program is an investment that keeps paying dividends.
Hosting Giveaways
Giveaways are a powerful way to rapidly grow your email list, especially when you’re first getting started. People are naturally attracted to the chance to win prizes. The key is to offer giveaway prizes that are truly enticing and relevant to your target audience of potential course buyers.
For example, if you teach photography courses, you could give away a new camera, lens, or accessory kit. If you offer business/marketing training, devices like laptops or software subscriptions would make great giveaway items. The more your prize ties into the topic and interests of your ideal course students, the better.
Be sure to provide an email opt-in to enter the giveaway. Then drive entries by promoting it across your website, social media channels, and any other marketing platforms. You can even run paid ads targeting your specific niche. With the right mouth-watering prize, your giveaway is sure to generate a ton of new email leads.
Just be clear about what they’re signing up for beyond the giveaway – let them know they’ll also receive your free content and future paid course promotions. While giveaway subscribers may be colder than other opt-in sources initially, you can warm them up over time by delivering valuable content. When you do launch your course, you’ll have a prime list of potential buyers ready.
Utilising Scroll Boxes
One effective but often overlooked tactic for capturing email opt-ins is using scroll boxes or triggered pop-ups. As visitors consume your content and scroll down the page, you can set up boxes to appear with a lead magnet offer once they’ve reached a certain point.
The key is timing these scroll box pop-ups for when someone is most engaged and primed to convert. Analyse your website data to pinpoint the average scroll depth where users tend to drop off. Setting the trigger around 60-70% scroll depth can work well to catch their attention before they lose interest.
Within the scroll box, promote a compelling content upgrade or mini-course related to what they’re already reading about. Since they’ve stuck around this far, they’re likely your ideal audience – and therefore hot prospects for your full course offering later on.
Just be sure to make the opt-in copy crisp and the value proposition crystal clear. You want to sign up to be a no-brainer. Implemented thoughtfully, scroll boxes allow you to capitalise on your most qualified website traffic at just the right moment before they move on. Over time, this can yield a steady stream of new email list subscribers.
Experimenting with Different Pop-up Forms
While standard pop-up opt-in forms can be effective, don’t be afraid to get creative and test out different pop-up styles and triggers. Your audience may respond better to certain formats than others.
For example, try exit-intent pop-ups that appear when someone is about to leave your site – this can recover abandoned visitors by giving them one last opportunity to opt in. Or inline forms that seamlessly embed into your content may perform well without being disruptive.
You could also go for a bold, full-page pop-up “takeover” that demands the visitor’s full attention with an unmissable offer. Just be sure the value proposition is clear and compelling.
The key is to experiment and see what resonates most with your particular audience. Track conversion rates for each pop-up style, as well as factors like where they’re placed and what trigger or delay timer is used. Small tweaks can make a big difference.
Don’t simply set it and forget it with your pop-ups. An ongoing process of split-testing and optimising will ensure you’re maximising opt-ins from your website traffic. With the right combination of pop-up formats deployed at the ideal moments, you can steadily grow your list of prospective course buyers.
Encouraging Sign-ups Through Email Signature
One of the easiest and most overlooked methods for capturing new email subscribers is including a call-to-action in your email signature. Think about how many emails you personally send out each day – that’s dozens of chances to get your lead magnet in front of potential customers.
Craft a brief but compelling line like “Get my free [course topic] video course when you join my email list!” followed by a link to your opt-in page. Every email you send, whether one-on-one or to a group, gives recipients a frictionless way to sign up for your list.
The best part is this tactic takes almost no extra effort on your part. Set it and forget it, while passively promoting your free offer with each new email conversation. Of course, you’ll want to make sure your lead magnet genuinely provides value related to the paid course you plan to pitch later.
As your email list grows through this simple signature link, you’re building an audience of people already interested in what you have to teach. So when the time comes to make your course offer, they’ll be primed and eager to join. Don’t let this easy list-building opportunity go to waste – leverage your email signature today!
Complementing List Building with Offline Methods
While online tactics are crucial, don’t overlook the power of good old-fashioned offline methods to grow your email list. If you have a physical product or teach in-person, hand out business cards at every opportunity, like events, conferences, meetups, or even just chatting with people. Encourage recipients to sign up for your email list by making the value proposition clear.
You can also place a fishbowl or signup sheet at any brick-and-mortar location to capture emails. Offer an incentive, like being entered to win a prize related to your course. If you attend any events, have an email sign-up list there as well. Make sure to follow up quickly with a double opt-in to get permission.
The personal touch of face-to-face interaction can go a long way in getting people’s buy-in upfront. Once they’re on your email list, you can start nurturing that relationship by providing value through your content and making course offers down the line. Combining offline and online list building takes more effort but allows you to connect with your audience through multiple channels.
Just be sure any email addresses you collect are freely given with the right expectations set. Don’t buy an opt-in list, as that erodes trust from the start. By ethically building your subscriber base through offline avenues alongside your online efforts, you’ll develop a robust email list primed for your paid course offerings.
So how do we begin?
Building an email list of hot leads for your online course takes persistent effort, but it’s worth it. The key is to combine multiple tactics and continuously test and optimise your approach. Don’t just chase volume – focus on acquiring high-quality subscribers who are truly interested in what you offer.
Provide upfront value with enticing lead magnets like free PDF guides or course previews. Make it easy for interested people to opt-in with unobtrusive opt-in forms and pop-ups on your website and landing pages. Run engaging contests and giveaways related to your course topic to really get your audience’s attention.
Once you start getting subscribers, implement a referral program to capitalise on word-of-mouth marketing from your happiest customers. Stay top-of-mind by sending a regular newsletter packed with helpful content. Be sure to periodically promote your paid course offering to this warm audience.
It takes patience, but gradually your email list will become a powerful asset. By nurturing your subscribers with value first, when it comes time to make an offer, they’ll be primed and eager to buy from you. An email list of qualified leads is one of the most valuable assets for any online course business.