I was a crappy eCourse creator. Here’s why.

You guys know I activatefull try-hard mode with my business.

I’m an unapologetic overachieving perfectionist and diabolical creative who needs to have ten things going at once to feel even remotely fulfilled.

Not. Sorry.

And yet, back in the day, my first attempt at eCourse creation was decidedly half-assed.

I KNOW. Surprising, right? But … it kinda worked.

Lemme explain.

I was a full-time graphic designer looking to complement my design biz with a branding course that would teach my clients the importance of branding while educating them on allllll the pieces of the branding puzzle (Repeat it with me: Your brand is more than just a logo #amIright?!)

Now, I didn’t do video content back then, so it was just six modules of basic content with worksheets.

This eCourse was a labour … note there was no “love”. I created it because I felt like it was something I *should* do.

There was zero strategy to back-up my launch. No list-building, no launch plans and my sales emails were all pretty lame.

YET …

It was still somewhat of a success.

Not only did people love the content, but I also made money.
It had a sale price of $299 and I sold 20 spots which meant I made around $6,000.

Not bad considering I was 100% winging it with about 40% effort, hey?

But, lemme be clear: I was a crappy eCourse creator.

Here’s why.

This is how NOT to create, launch and sell an eCourse

1. I created an course on a topic I was not passionate about

I’m passionate about a lot of things. Cake. Art. Gardening. My beautiful family. But even though I was a designer, the topic of branding did not excite me. But it was my zone of genius … right? So I was meant to teach people about it … right? Nope. BIG. NOPE.

When you’ve gotta FORCE shit, it’s the universe’s way of telling you, “STOP. WRONG WAY. GO BACK.”

I realise that now. Which is why every single course I create these days in my business flows easily for me. It feels right because it IS right for me. And you can bet your brownies I’m passionate about it.

Tip: Only teach what you are 100% head over heels in love with. It’ll make you a great teacher and improve the quality of your content.

2. I had no list.

 Nope, I don’t mean a to-do list. I’ve always had one of those (and 99% of the time it never gets completed. Please tell me I’m not alone.)

What I mean is a marketing list.

‘Cause there’s no use creating an eCourse if you’ve got nobody to sell it to. “Build it and they will come,” is NOT a thing.
I was lucky that even though my list was small (fewer than 500 subscribers), they were warmed up and ready to buy.

But it was almost a fluke. I’d spent all my time focusing on my content (which is what a lot of people think you should do), when the priority should be on list-building.

Without a list you will have no buyers.

Tip: Collect email addresses! And make sure you are consistently warming up your subscribers with content that adds value and positions you as a pro.

3. I had no strategy 

You know the saying, “A goal without a plan is just a dream.”

And we ain’t about dreaming, are we? Nope, we’re about doing. Which is why it’s SO important to have a strategy for your biz and creations.

These days when I am selling an eCourse, I have a detailed launch strategy which includes paid advertising, sales emails, challenges, scholarships, videos, testimonials, Facebook lives & more. Nothing is left to chance and everything is intentional and strategic, so my success is guaranteed.

Tip: You need a content, launching & sale strategy otherwise you are just *wishing* for success. 

So what happens when you DON’T make these mistakes? Well …

Fast forward to today and …

I am a full-blown eCourse entrepreneur and, in true Anna fashion, I have used those five years of guessing and testing (and messing up) to learn from all those initial mistakes

These days I am an absolute pro when it comes to courses. I know my shit, I have strategy, I am passionate, and I make ALL my money from eCourses now.