Want your courses to stand out from the crowd?
The online learning industry is huge. Course creators and freelance educators are popping up everywhere. Competition is getting ridiculous.
Let’s just lay the cards on the table:
Most course creators carelessly throw all their energy into developing awesome courses. Then they completely neglect their personal brand.
Big mistake.
Your brand is what sets you apart from everyone else.
But here’s the secret…
Professional branding:
- Doesn’t have to cost you a dime
- Can be incredibly simple
- Will make you shine amongst your competition
What you’ll discover:
- Why Professional Branding Should Matter To Course Creators
- The Key Components Of A Professional Course Creator Brand
- Building Credibility Through Your Online Presence
- Easy Branding Tricks You Can Do Right Now
Why Professional Branding Should Matter To Course Creators
Did you know the freelance industry is projected to employ 90.1 million Americans by 2028?
Big number, right?
And that’s just in the United States.
Millions of independent contractors hustling to get their hands on anyone who needs a product or service.
Online course creators are part of this exponentially growing trend.
With low entry barriers, almost anyone can upload online courses and start teaching. Because of this, students now have more options than ever.
When you throw that many options at someone, they naturally gravitate to the brands that look the most professional.
It’s no secret that people do business with people they know, like, and trust:
“If someone is going to spend money on an online course, they want to know that the educator is legit.”
When faced with deciding between two nearly identical courses, students will choose the one whose brand looks professional every single time.
Freelance educators who set up an online mailbox service with a virtual address project immediate professionalism. It allows course creators to list a commercial business address while avoiding the costs of a physical office. A professionally designed website and matching email address round everything out.
The Key Components Of A Professional Course Creator Brand
You don’t have to do crazy things to craft a professional brand. Simple things go a long way.
Here are the ingredients of a standout educator brand:
- Narrow Down Your Focus: The best educators don’t try to teach everything. Successful course creators specialise in a niche. By picking a niche, you can better tailor your brand and messaging.
- Align Your Visuals: Your logo, colour palette and fonts should be consistent across platforms. You’d be surprised how powerful simple branding consistency is.
- Set Up Like A Professional: This means having a dedicated website, using a professional email address, and providing a mailing address for your business.
You may be wondering why these things matter so much. As entrepreneur Russel Brunson puts it:
“No one knows you’re a wannabe.”
With over 90% of consumers preferring to purchase from brands they trust, it’s no surprise that online students want to learn from brands that look professional. Students feel more comfortable investing their money with an educator that has established a professional image.
Building Credibility Through Your Online Presence
When students pay for an online course, they’re putting their money where their trust is.
If they don’t think you know your stuff, they’re spending their hard-earned money somewhere else.
That’s why your online presence should exude credibility from every angle.
Here are some things you can do to become a trusted source of information:
Start with your website. Every course creator needs a simple website. Your website should have some courses listed, testimonials from students, your credentials, and a way for students to reach you. While social media is great… your website should be the hub.
Speaking of hubs. Creating content yourself is one of the best ways to become a thought leader in your industry. Whether it’s blog posts, videos, or even free resources. Sharing your knowledge helps potential students understand your level of competence.
Of course, there’s nothing quite like some good ol’ social proof. Having testimonials from students who took your course and became successful is a great idea. If you offer coaching services, showcase some successes!
One last thing that people tend to forget…
Potential students will judge how credible you are based on your website. If you’re using a Gmail address as a contact method, or you’re listing your home address on your website, students will catch that.
Your online presence doesn’t have to be flashy. In fact, some of the best course creators have simple websites. What you do need to have is a professional presence.
Course creators who struggle to be seen as credible or professional are often the ones who miss these details.
Easy Branding Tricks You Can Do Right Now
You don’t have to spend money to look professional.
In fact, there are some things you can do tomorrow to start establishing your brand.
Optimize your social media profiles. Something as simple as making sure each social media platform has a short bio about you, along with your website can help. Adding a professional profile picture in the same pictures across all platforms helps, too.
Create a lead magnet. A lead magnet is a free resource that you can exchange for someone’s email address. Writing a free checklist, worksheet or even a free mini-course are incredible ways to build your list while branding yourself as an expert.
Get yourself listed. This may take a little bit of leg work, but there are tons of directories for educators and courses online. By simply submitting your information, you can gain visibility as well as backlinks to your website.
Earn certifications and share them. Who doesn’t love a bonus certificate? Taking courses to earn certifications not only widens your knowledge, but you can then display those badges on your website and social media.
Remember…
Show up consistently.
The educators who are best at branding show up day in and day out. Whether it’s through posting on social media, developing more courses or bettering their students, they never stop giving value.
Bringing Your Brand Together
Course creators and freelance educators have got to step their branding game up. With new creators launching courses daily, it’s what separates your services from the competition.
Professional branding:
- Starts with establishing your niche
- Requires you to setup your business like a professional
- Is built by being credible
- Increases your visibility through consistency
- Is strongest when you never stop showing up
Students will want to learn from you when you give off the “wow this person looks legit” vibes. Creating a professional brand doesn’t have to be expensive. There are small things you can do tomorrow to start better branding yourself as an expert.
When students think about who they want to learn from… they won’t think about your courses. They’ll think about your brand.