One of the biggest biz problems since the dawn of time has been…
Getting good, qualified leads consistently.
This happens literally everywhere…
Whether you’re a newbie network marketer or freaking Google.
It’s all about: How do I get the people I want to get coming through the doors consistently?
And yes, there are plenty of traditional ways to do that like:
- Facebook ads.
- Collabs with people who have similar audiences to you.
- Paid media buys.
But the hack I wanna share with you today is something you can totally do to stand out from the crowd… AND qualify people better.
And the secret is… a mini-course.
If you’re feeling all dubious, like “mmkay, ya right”…
...you gotta hear me out on this.
Most people think of an online course as some HUGGGGGE project… that you have to charge a lot of money for.
Well, I’m here to tell ya…
The next wave of marketing is coming…
...and it uses mini-courses as a lead generation tool.
So to get you more comfortable with this idea, let’s break this up into three key phases of creating a mini-course.
How to Get More Qualified Leads by Offering a Free Online Mini-course
Phase 1: Come up with your mini-course idea
Maybe you already have an idea of what you’d love to share in your biz.-
If you don’t, think about what problem your ideal customer or client has that you can solve with your product or service.
THIS is the topic of your free mini-course.
Let’s say you have a network marketing biz – like essential oils – and your ideal customer is into DIY solutions for everyday life. Including for her fam and pets.
You could do an online mini-course that you offer for free showing her how to solve common problems she experiences, like:
- How to make all-natural flea repellent using essential oils.
- If she and her kids get eaten alive by mosquitoes, you could show her how to make at-home mosquito lotion or spray.
- DIY skincare and cleaning products to avoid putting harmful chemicals on her (and her kids’) skin.
Once you know what your ideal customer struggles with… or wants to achieve… you can use this as the topic of your mini-course.
Phase #2: Develop your content
This is where perfectionism creeps in for a lot of people.
So I want you to wipe your mind clean of ALLLL the preconceived notions you have about what an online course IS – or has to be.
Instead, start with this question:
What is the simplest way for the information to be consumed?
People often get stuck on what platform to put it on… that it has to be this absolutely perfectly produced video to be valuable.
So let’s bust that myth right now.
The best thing for your ideal customers is that they get the information they need, when they need it – in a simple, effective manner.
Trust me, they don’t expect or even need all the bells and whistles you have in your mind.
Stop comparing yourself to the huge companies with lots of money and employees.
Instead, think about the best method for your ideal customer to learn what you uniquely have to share.
Part 1: Form factor
- Would it be a booklet with screenshots?
- Step-by-step instructions showing them how to do something?
- Is it fully video?
- Would audio be best? Like in the case of a meditation, as an example.
- Would a PowerPoint work best?
Then think about HOW they would consume it.
Part 2: Learning format
- Would it be better to run your mini-course live every now and then?
- Is it better to pre-record it so you can offer it on-demand?
- Should it be multiple lessons?
- Would they learn better to send them education bit-by-bit (known as “drip” content) or give them the whole shebang all at once?
These are just some things to consider when deciding how to create your content. It’s intended to simplify your go-forward plan.
Still overwhelmed by all the options?
Start simply. Plan to iterate. Sit down and do the work.
AKA: Just. Get. It. Done.
What can you do with your existing time and resources that would still add value for your ideal customer?
That’s your go-forward plan.
Don’t wait for things to be perfect.
Every moment you spend on perfectionism is a moment you’re not able to help your ideal customer.
Phase 3: Publish your mini-course
I call it “publishing” but really all that means is getting it out there.
That’s your commitment to yourself…
Finishing your mini-course and putting it out – flaws and all.
Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. See it as practice.
Think about how you are helping someone…
And worry less about mistakes or spending tons of time on it.
One of the hottest ways people are producing mini courses right now is over Zoom.
All ya gotta do is create a simple PowerPoint-style presentation and record it as a mini-course.
Depending upon what your topic is and how long you end up making it, you can do this whole thing in less than 1 day.
Then tell people about it.
People who want to hear what you have to say will hand over their email address, and then receive the recorded Zoom video.
And you know what? They’re generally thrilled with it.
Trust me when I tell you when people sign up for your mini-course, they’re there to learn – not to judge you.
They literally don’t care if your slides aren’t professionally designed or if you stumble over a word.
They want all the delicious knowledge and insight you have inside you.
So yes, give a crap about your work… but don’t spend weeks or months laboring over your free mini-course.
Focus instead on putting it out into the world… and developing a kickass follow-up marketing plan.
Because THAT is how you’ll grow and optimize your biz.
The mini-course is just the carrot to get them into your system.
Once they’re in your list and like what you have to say, then you can nurture that relationship and guide them toward an eventual sale.
But it all starts with creating a super compelling online lead generation hook – in this case, your mini-course.
Ok so let’s say you’re feeling like…”Yes I am IN, Hayley! How do I actually START this?”
I’m an affiliate this year but I’m sharing this with you because it literally changed everything for me.
Back in the day, I was just like you.
I started my online biz… and I needed a way to attract more people in a scalable way.
Online courses weren’t mainstream yet like they are now.
So I actually had to struggle a bit to get people to even understand why the heck they should sign up for my first mini-course.
Fortunately for you, now online learning is super popular and mainstream… so it’s the exact right time to create your own.
- Simple to produce…
- Easy to put out into the market, and…
- Really useful for the people I wanted to serve.
And because it was professional biz training, I was even able to write it off on my taxes.
I mean, it was one of the best business investments I made that year.
Now I have several online courses I sell on the regular… and I apply the same methodologies I learned inside DCA to my free lead generation trainings.
So I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth.
In fact, 5 years later, I still go back and refresh myself on the online course material she offers in Digital Course Academy… because you get lifetime access once you buy it.
I highly recommend you check it out yourself.
But don’t wait… enrollment for 2021 ends on Tuesday, August 28. Then you’ll have to wait a whole year (or longer) to get in.
So truly… if you’re like… heck yeah, this sounds super interesting to me – whether it’s to use as a free lead gen tool or to make money by selling your mini-course – there’s no time to waste.
You’ll definitely learn WAYYYYY more about today’s topic there… AND get the step-by-step instruction of taking your idea and putting it out into the world.
I can’t wait to see what perfectly imperfect online mini-course you come up with!
See ya online.
XO,
Hayley