How much content should you include when creating your online course?
The simplest answer to this questions, one I am asked often, is as little as possible to get your customer from point A to point B. Women like to over serve and over deliver. That can actually be a negative thing when you are creating online courses.
I have done this myself, I have created a course and then thought… “will anyone spend $1000 on this?, maybe I need to give them more”. I then start randomly grabbing at stuff to shove into the deal. Big mistake. Huge.
Why is over delivering a bad thing?
Shoving a whole lot of content into your course so you feel like you’re giving super value to your customers can result in them feeling overwhelmed by the content. Your customer wants you to solve a problem for them. How can you solve that problem in as few steps as possible? What is it that they really need to know? How can they reach the solution in as little time as possible?
The filler and fluff can be distracting
The most rewarding part of selling online courses is the gratitude from members who have taken your content and solved a problem. It is elating, to say the least when you receive positive feedback. You won’t get that positive feedback if your customers don’t make it through the content. Results equal value, ship loads of content does not.
Happy customers give great testimonials
Social proof is a great way of building marketing momentum. Your ideal customer wants to see people they can relate to who have achieved success with your amazing content. Testimonials from happy members are powerful. You won’t get those glowing testimonials if your members are never able to achieve an outcome because they’re bogged down in information.
You will confuse people
We all have an expectation of price. If your course is packed full of content for a bargain price potential members will be confused. A confused mind says no! Being much cheaper than competitors or expectation will turn people off really fast!
Your killing your own sales
If you have a LOT of content that you want to share it might be more suitable for a start up course then a “next step”. I have made this mistake of giving too much away. I know that my members get value, I know if I had offered the extra information that I included as an upsell that most would have taken up the offer. I ripped myself off and I overloaded my members. Talk about a lose/lose situation!
Less is more
I remember when I was a young teen let loose in the makeup bag my mum (or mom if you’re in the US) would stand by the bathroom door and say “just remember less is more”. She was right, less is more when it comes to blue eyeshadow and iridescent lipstick, less is more when it comes to course content too. Good advice mum!
When it comes to online course creation remember that value is about an outcome, not the amount of content you include.Â