Selecting & Validating your Online Course Idea

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Selecting & Validating your Online Course Idea by Mind Map: Selecting & Validating your Online Course Idea

1. Review Framework of an Online Course

1.1. Step by Step Framework

1.1.1. Start and end date

1.1.2. Modules and Lessons

1.2. Provides a Transformation for your Student

1.2.1. Solves a problem

1.2.2. Helps achieve a goal

2. Introduction

2.1. In this Mastery Workshop, I am going to teach you how to select your online course idea, and then how to validate it. If you already have an idea for your course, you may be very passionate about it! By the end of this workshop I want you to be sure that there are people out there that will be passionate enough about your course to pull out their credit card!

3. Validate your Online Course Idea

3.1. Research Online and Interview your ICA

3.1.1. Now that you have selected the idea for your online course, identified your ICA, and know that you can find them, it is time to validate it your course idea.

3.1.1.1. This is no time for guessing games or thinking that you "know it all!"

3.1.1.2. You don't want to create your course all by yourself.

3.1.1.2.1. You want to find out if your ideal student will pull out their credit card and purchase your course.

3.1.1.2.2. You want to make sure people are already researching and/or purchasing "help" with their problem, or to achieve their goal.

3.2. Interview your Ideal Student

3.2.1. Reach out directly to people that you think are your ICA and interview them.

3.2.1.1. You are looking to make sure you are on target with your course idea.

3.2.2. Find People to Interview

3.2.2.1. There are a number of places you can go to find people to interview. This will depend on your niche/industry.

3.2.2.1.1. Clients

3.2.2.1.2. Social Media Audience

3.2.2.1.3. Facebook Groups

3.2.2.1.4. Email List

3.2.2.1.5. Industry events

3.2.3. Interview Questions

3.2.3.1. Ask them the questions I shared with you when we were discussing what you need to know about your ICA.

3.2.3.2. Find out what their pain points are and discuss the course you want to create to see what their thoughts are.

3.2.3.3. Find out why other solutions they've tried haven't worked.

3.2.3.4. Tips:

3.2.3.4.1. Record your interviews if possible and listen to them multiple times. Pull out the exact words they used when they are describing pain points, goals, aspirations, etc.

3.2.3.4.2. Use what they tell you in your maketing messages, sales pages, etc.

3.3. Research your Course Idea Online

3.3.1. Competition is a good thing!

3.3.1.1. Your first inclination may be to drop your idea if you see others are already monetizing the same idea online. That is actually a good thing if you find competition as that means that there is a market for what you want to teach.

3.3.2. Thought Leaders in your Niche

3.3.2.1. Are thought leaders in your niche currently selling solutions around the same idea?

3.3.2.1.1. Courses, memberships, speaking engagements, coaching, masterminds, etc

3.3.2.1.2. If you cannot find other thought leaders monetizing on the topic of your online course that may be a red flag.

3.3.3. Online Course Market Places

3.3.3.1. Course market places aggregate and sell courses for subject matter experts.

3.3.3.2. Course Marketplaces are a great place to find courses similar to what you want to create.

3.3.3.2.1. Coursera

3.3.3.2.2. Udemy

3.3.3.2.3. SkillShare

3.3.3.3. Things to look at:

3.3.3.3.1. Number of Students

3.3.3.3.2. Read Reviews

3.3.4. Published Books

3.3.4.1. You can validate your online course idea if you can find books that are selling online, and have verified reviews.

3.3.4.1.1. Amazon

3.3.4.1.2. You can search on Amazon using your keywords to see what books have been written on your topic.

3.3.4.1.3. Things to look at

3.3.5. Facebook

3.3.5.1. Facebook is an excellent place to search for the topic of the online course that you want to teach, as well as figure out if you can find your ideal students.

3.3.5.1.1. Facebook Pages

3.3.5.1.2. Facebook Groups

3.3.5.1.3. Things to look at:

3.3.6. YouTube

3.3.6.1. YouTube is the world's second biggest search engine after Google. There are millions of channels on all kinds of subjects.

3.3.6.1.1. Search using your keywords

3.3.6.1.2. See how many subscribers the channel has

3.3.6.1.3. Check out # of video views

3.3.6.1.4. Read the comments

3.3.6.1.5. If you can't find any YouTube channels about your course topic that could be a red flag.

3.3.7. Google Keywords

3.3.7.1. Type in your keywords for your course idea to see if people are searching for the same words

3.3.7.1.1. Tip: At the very bottom of a Google search you can see some related searches

3.3.7.1.2. If you can't find any searches on your course topic on Google that could be a red flag.

3.3.8. Advanced: Google Keyword Planner

3.3.8.1. Allows you to see if people are searching for solutions via the keywords of your topic

3.3.8.2. Historical statistics such as search volume data for your keywords, and help you find new relevant keywords

4. Select your Online Course Idea

4.1. Your Expertise

4.1.1. In order to create a course that will get people results, I believe you must have extensive experience on a topic and / or have gotten results for yourself or others.

4.1.1.1. Examples

4.1.1.1.1. How to Lose 100 Pounds

4.1.1.1.2. How to Run Profitable Facebook Ads

4.1.1.1.3. How to Run a Dance Studio

4.1.1.1.4. How to Self-Publish a Book

4.1.2. Leading Authority

4.1.2.1. You do NOT need to be a leading authority on a topic to create an online course. You just need to be ahead of your students in the journey are on.

4.2. Your Student

4.2.1. You want to make sure that the course idea that you decide on provides a solution to something that your students are actively looking for.

4.2.1.1. In other words, it is not just something you are passionate about and want to teach.

4.2.2. Your students are looking for a course specific for their needs.

4.2.2.1. If you select a topic that is too broad, your course will drown in a very noisy and competitive market place.

4.2.2.2. If you are specific with your course topic, you will attract more students because they will recognize that your course was created just for them.

4.3. 3 Mega Niche Markets

4.3.1. Your course will have the best chance for success if it is within the 3 Mega Niches

4.3.1.1. Source: Eban Pagan's Digital Product Blueprint

4.3.2. Relationships & Dating

4.3.2.1. Dating Relationships Marriage Sexuality Conflict Divorce Body Language Parenting Education

4.3.3. Business & Money

4.3.3.1. Real Estate Foreign Currency Investing Retirement Debt Starting a Business Making Money Marketing Time Management Getting a Job

4.3.4. Health & Fitness

4.3.4.1. Weight Loss Stress Muscle Gain Exercise Fat Loss Organic Food Raw Food Natural Healing Wellness Specific Health Problems

4.3.5. The Niches are in the Riches

4.3.5.1. Niche Down by ICA

4.3.5.1.1. You can niche down by ICA

4.3.5.1.2. Examples

4.3.5.2. Niche Down by Topic

4.3.5.2.1. You can niche down by topic. (Note: You can start with one topic and once you gain traction you can exand what you teach.)

4.4. Trouble coming up with an idea?

4.4.1. Family and Friends

4.4.1.1. Consider what people in your personal life are constantly coming to you for advice on.

4.4.1.1.1. What are you known for in your personal circles?

4.4.1.1.2. What comes natural to you, that you may be taking for granted?

4.4.1.1.3. Note: It doesn't have to be something people pay you for!

4.4.2. Your Business: Audience or Customer Base

4.4.2.1. If you have an audience or customer base you can ask them what they would like to learn.

4.4.2.2. Review the most common interactions and questions you get on social media, etc.

4.4.2.3. Send a survey to your email list.

4.4.2.4. Review your most popular content marketing efforts- FB Live, Blog Posts, Emails, etc.

5. Your Ideal Client Avatar

5.1. Who is your ICA?

5.1.1. Your ICA is your perfect student. This is the person that is actively looking for and will purchase the course you want to create.

5.1.1.1. Identify your ICA BEFORE you create your course.

5.1.1.2. You should think of your ICA the ENTIRE time you are creating your course.

5.1.2. Your course is NOT for everyone

5.1.2.1. Don't create it for EVERYONE or you are creating it for no one.

5.1.2.2. Your course is only for those actively seeking a solution.

5.2. Know your ICA = More $$$

5.2.1. You WILL make more money when you identify who your ICA is before you create your course:

5.2.1.1. If you know who they are, it is easier to create a course that will get them the results you are promising.

5.2.1.2. It is easier to sell your course because you will do a better job communicating about your course in your marketing and on your sales pages.

5.2.1.2.1. Your ICA will know that you are speaking directly to them.

5.3. About your ICA

5.3.1. Demographics

5.3.1.1. Age, Sex, Marital Status, Children, Occupation, Religion, etc

5.3.2. What are their goals?

5.3.3. What problems do they want to solve?

5.3.4. What are their needs?

5.3.5. What motivates them?

5.3.6. What are they scared about?

5.3.7. What keeps them up at night?

5.3.8. What do they wish their life looked like?

5.4. Knowing WHERE your ICA is = More $$$

5.4.1. "Build it and they will Come"

5.4.1.1. We've all heard this phrase before and it does not work with online courses!

5.4.2. Before you create your online course, make sure that you know how and where to find your ICA that can purchase your program.

5.4.2.1. Paid Traffic

5.4.2.2. Organic Traffic

5.4.2.3. Email List

5.4.2.4. Social Media Audience

5.4.2.5. Clients

5.4.2.6. JV Partners: Affiliates

5.5. Don't skip this!

5.5.1. Don't create your course without knowing who your ICA is and where they are. You may be tempted to skip this but it is so important for you to do the research about your ICA and know where you can find them before you create your course.