When it comes to information marketing, I’m practically ancient. I’ve been in this business for over 20 years.
Heck, I was doing funnels before funnels were a thing.
So, how is it that I sell over $100,000 worth of digital products per day? That’s more than most people make in a year.
It’s CRAZY.
That’s what we’re going to explore today.
If you’re in the coaching business, consulting, or online courses and have been wondering how to increase online course sales, this article is for you.
I’ll share proven strategies I’ve been using in my own business to generate millions in online sales.
Alright, let’s get to it.
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Why Your Online Course Isn’t Selling
In the last few years, Iiformation marketing and digital education have gone through the roof, with the global online education market predicted to reach $475 billion by 2030. The demand for online knowledge is insatiable.
So you’d think, given this backdrop, selling an online course would be a walk in the park. Yet, despite this massive shift, I see many course creators still grapple with subpar sales. I often get asked, “Anik, how can I sell my online courses?”
The problem with an online course not selling is not a lack of demand; it’s about strategy and positioning.
Here’s where you need to look to solve your course sales woes.
Not Knowing Your Audience
If your course isn’t selling, there’s a high probability that your content isn’t aligning with what your intended audience or ideal customer avatar genuinely needs or desires.
It’s like trying to hit a bullseye while blindfolded.
I mean, you wouldn’t sell high-end cosmetics in a sports gear shop, right?
It’s all about understanding WHO needs WHAT you’re offering and WHY. Spend time creating your customer avatar so you know who to market to.
I’ve learned that one of the best ways to know my audience is to just engage with them. That’s the whole idea behind creating our Expert Scale Facebook group.
It’s a goldmine for ideas, strategies, and what challenges course creators are facing. I love hearing from the community—their wins and their struggles.
Their stories inspire me to develop or tweak my offers to a particular group and solve their problems. It’s a win-win for all!
Content is Not Engaging
Don’t kid yourself and think that superb content is enough.
No matter how mind-blowing your course content is, if it’s a snooze fest, no one’s going to care.
You need to design your content to be interactive and easily digestible.
WHY?
Because you’re selling to people with attention spans shorter than a goldfish! Our average attention span today is 8.25 seconds.
Here’s a “Course Revamp Checklist” to help you deliver more dynamic course content:
- Interactive elements every 10-15 minutes
- Visual support for complex topics
- Stories and case studies that hit home > I like using the success stories of people who’ve taken our programs and grown their online business.
- User-friendly design and navigation > Prioritize UX and ease of navigation
- Clear, tangible benefits front and center > Clearly outline what they’ll learn and the practical benefits they’ll experience.
Remember, you have to break the monotony and jolt your student back to focus. Create excitement around your content by highlighting the TRANSFORMATION that your audience can achieve after finishing your course.
Wrong Pricing Strategy
I should tell you right off the bat—a lot of psychology goes into pricing a coaching service or online course. I discuss this in more detail under pricing elasticity and price resistance.
If your price is too high, it may drive customers away. They’ll just turn to your competitors.
Price it too low, and people question the quality of your course.
So, how do you find the optimal price for your online course?
You have to test it at different pricing points.
I wish I could give you a simple answer, but there’s just no one-size-fits-all in pricing.
When I do price testing, I look at these three key metrics:
- Conversion rate: The number of people who buy your product or service.
- Revenue: The total amount of money you earn from sales.
- Profit: The difference between revenue and costs.
So, the idea is to track how your online course performs at different pricing points. Then, choose the price point that maximizes your revenue or profit (depending on your priority) while keeping a strong conversion rate.
Not Promoting Enough
There’s just no excuse for not promoting your online course.
Unless you live under a rock and you don’t know, there are many ways to get your stuff out there, thanks to the Internet.
Here are some of my favorite ways of and what I use in promoting our courses:
- Paid ads
- Email marketing
- Webinars and workshops
- Facebook groups
- Content marketing
- Affiliate marketing
If you’re not promoting enough, I’m pretty sure it’s not the tools preventing you from doing so. Marketing tools have become so easy to use that you can set them up in minutes.
In my experience, and from talking to a LOT of business owners, the time commitment is often the culprit.
So, how do you promote online course offerings without losing your social life?
Pick your platform. You don’t need to post on ALL platforms.
Identify two where your target audience is most active. Consistently share VALUE, ENGAGE with the audience, and tease your course content to build anticipation and demand.
How to Sell More Online Courses
I have sold over $300 million worth of information products since I started.
And that ranges from my lowest ticket product priced $5 up to my mastermind that’s 5-figures..
And now, I’m handing over the EXACT strategies to you so you can increase your sales online!
I’m not saying you’ll be able to hit the same numbers I do—I have years of experience and a big team behind me. But this is all about education.
If you can implement even ONE of the things here, you’re already ahead of the thousands of online course creators scratching their heads.
Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak
If you’ve been following me and have participated in my webinars, you’ve probably heard this one before.
“Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak” – What do I mean?
Well, it means selling your customers what they want. Sell them the dream or the goal they want to achieve.
I’ve seen too many people market online courses as if they’re selling the individual steps in the course.
They discuss each module, the key pillars, the features, and the price points—too much focus is on the deliverables—not the outcome.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t deliver on what you’ll provide – it just means you need to frame your offer in terms of what they want.
Remember, dive deep into the exact TRANSFORMATION your course can provide. That’s how you sell the sizzle!
Use Scientific Pricing Strategies
You’ve probably seen many online offers ending in 7 or 9.
That’s not a coincidence. That’s SCIENCE!
Our brains respond better to odd numbers. We remember odd numbers more than even ones.
Why do you think there were “Three Little Pigs” and “Goldilocks and the Three Bears?”
In marketing, you often see a pricing tier with three options: Basic, Standard, and Premium.
So, how do we sell more online courses with this pricing strategy?
Don’t just give your customers a price. Give them a deal.
Offer discounts, bundles, packages, loyalty programs, and other psychological pricing strategies to increase your offer’s perceived value and reduce its perceived risk.
Demonstrate Your Expertise
Your prospects won’t purchase from just anyone online.
People want to buy from experts.
Demonstrate you have real experience and know-how to teach people in your industry.
For example, I talk about my 20+ year career as an information marketer, the biggest product launches I’ve done, books I’ve written—all that good stuff.
But aside from that, don’t forget to highlight your clients’ success stories. Show how individuals or businesses have experienced the transformation you promised through your courses or one-on-one coaching.
Show off awards, media features, and reviews that validate your reputation and expertise.
The more tangible proof you can provide that you’re highly qualified to teach your course, the more credibility you’ll build with prospective students.
Don’t be afraid to shine a spotlight on your achievements – you’ve earned them!
Increase Perceived Value
This strategy works on a simple idea: Make your customers feel they’re getting more than they are paying for. And that they are making a smart decision by buying from you.
Let’s take this model:
Break your course into multiple modules and price each in the $97-$197 range.
You can do a Main course + Advanced Tactics module + Implementation Blueprint module.
Then bundle everything into downloadable bonuses like workbooks, cheat sheets, and audio lessons. All this content adds tangible value to your program.
But don’t just throw in a low-quality add-on. That will only ruin your reputation.
I always teach my clients to structure their bonuses around possible objections of prospects.
Think of it this way: the point of bundles is to elevate your core offer with compelling bonuses that are not just fillers but help further facilitate the transformation your course promises.
Sell an Experience
I’ve got news for you—nobody buys a course to watch the videos you make. There’s more entertaining content on Netflix for that.
What customers are looking for is the EXPERIENCE.
Listen, when I bought a Porsche, do you think I bought a Porsche because it’s a Porsche?
I mean, I paid a lot of money. If I was looking for transportation, which is a product, I could buy a car that’s 90% cheaper, and it will do that.
Why did I buy a Porsche? Why do people buy Lamborghinis? Why do I buy these nice cars?
Because you buy the experience—the way the product makes you feel! I bought performance—the fact that it’s one of the fastest electric cars.
If we all bought based on logic, no luxury brand would be in business today.
So, when marketing your course, tell the story behind the specialized experiences your audience will go through when they buy your course. That can reach your prospects in a whole new way.
Include a Community Component
Communities are the best! I see it every day in our own Expert Scale Facebook Group.
Creating a community within your online courses can get more prospects into your funnel and enhance your students’ learning experience. Discussions within the community can inspire content for future courses or additional modules.
Another way your community can help you sell more is through upselling and cross-selling. Your community can help you build excitement around new courses, services, or products. Promoting becomes effortless!
Activate Your Email List
If any part of your business is a “hidden profit center” right now, I’m willing to bet it’s your email list.
I’ve been running an email list for 20+ years now. If you asked me what one of my superpowers as an entrepreneur is, I’d say “Email Marketing.” I’ve collected MILLIONS of email leads.
Did you know that the ROI for email marketing is as high as $36 for every $1 spent?
That’s 36 times the earnings from a dollar invested!
Funny thing is I still see so many businesses not using their list.
I’m AMAZED how people can just let FREE money get away like that.
If you don’t have a list, drop everything now and create one.
If you do have one, then start emailing regularly!
So, what kind of emails should you write?
Here’s what I use regularly in email marketing, and they work like magic when it comes to engagement and conversion:
- Story emails – emails that share YOUR story.
- Content emails – emails that deliver VALUABLE content.
- Pitch emails – emails that SELL your offer.
- Hybrid emails – Content + Pitch email/Story + Pitch emails
Check out my profitable email marketing post for the nitty-gritty on these email types. But to tell you in a nutshell, mix and match these four types of emails to maximize your open rates.
Incorporate Urgency
By now, you know how much I love using psychology to my advantage in marketing strategies. This one is no different.
People tend to procrastinate when they feel no need to act NOW.
For a course creator like you, that translates to delayed enrollments or not enrolling at all.
So, you need to create urgency because it introduces scarcity and FOMO. People hate missing out on deals or bonuses.
The more you can make prospects feel like they’ll miss out by waiting, the faster they’ll whip out their credit card. They’ll buy now rather than later.
I use the countdown timer to create urgency for my offers.
Seriously, guys. Put a 10, 15, or 7-minute timer—I don’t care how many minutes, but put a timer and say your discount or your promo will expire, and it’s only for action takers.
Incorporate tight deadlines, limited spot warnings, and other urgency signals, and watch your sales soar.
But, make sure the scarcity is real. Not only will false scarcity erode your audience’s trust in you, but it can land you in hot water with the FTC.
Create an Affiliate Program
We’ve sold over a hundred million dollars worth of products on the Internet thanks to
warm traffic by great affiliates in multiple niches.
The RIGHT affiliates can be your secret sales force, promoting your courses to their engaged audiences without you lifting a finger.
Unless you didn’t know, co-created content is killing it!
92% of consumers turn to people they know for referrals above any other source, and almost half of customers (48%) claim that co-created content is an excellent method for discovering new products.
The BEST part? You don’t even have to invest any cash upfront!
You just need to sit down and do your research.
Start by searching out individuals whose followers align with your target audience.
Then, develop mutually beneficial partnerships. This partnership might involve creating content together or promoting each other’s products and services.
Another way to create an affiliate marketing program is to have a sign-up link on your website. You can have people apply as affiliates. They’ll happily promote you to their networks for a cut of each sale.
What’s Next
Bookmark this post and go back to it whenever you have questions on how to sell more online courses.
If I have to sum up the key takeaway, it’d be: Don’t just market to everyone. Market to your ideal customers willing to pay more for your product or service.
Segment your market and target your ideal customers with the characteristics, preferences, behaviors, motivations, etc., that match your product or service.
Tailor your marketing message and offer accordingly.
These are some of the most effective ways to overcome price resistance and sell at a higher price without losing customers.
Applying them to your business can increase your sales and profits.
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