How to Build a Brand for Your Online Course Business + Templates

Great course content is just part of the equation for success. What you need on top of it to provide a wholesome customer experience is good course branding. 

Your online course brand has the power to impact how students perceive your course, whether they trust you, and if they will choose your course over others. A strong brand helps you stand out in a crowded market, attract the right students, and build long-lasting relationships with them. 

In this article, I have outlined the key steps and tips you need to brand your online course business at every stage of the customer journey. You will find real examples of how successful creators have done it and how you can apply similar strategies to your own business. 

Before we continue, make sure you download our free guides on

• How to Build Your Personal Brand as an Educator Using Social Media to find your unique focus and grow your community.
• 6 Ways To Name Your Course Brand to come up with a name that speaks volumes. 

The magic behind a strong online course brand

Well-crafted course brand will generate you clients like magic. And remember, branding is about consistency. 

“Success does not come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.” 

 

- Marie Forleo

Why is that happening? Well, first of all, trust and credibility play a role. When you have a brand and reputation, it is easier for new clients to make a purchase decision as they can easily view reviews and testimonials. Also, they can see the solid branding of the website. (e.g., courses and other materials). This indicates professionalism and effort. 

Another reason why a strong course brand works like magic is emotional resonance with the audience. Consistent branding allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper level. 

Also, it is worth mentioning that your branding allows you to stand out in the crowded market. Branding efforts across various touchpoints, (such as websites, social media, materials, etc.,) remind audiences of you and your content instead of reminding them about similar courses competitors offer. 

3 stages of building a defined online course brand  

It is time to dive into the practical tips section of this article. 

#1 Raising awareness: 

The first step is raising awareness about your brand. This is the initial stage of the customer journey when your potential students start to get to know you. Your primary goal during this stage is to capture the attention of your target audience. 

Let’s discover how you can achieve that. 

• Develop a consistent brand voice

Your brand voice is how you talk to your audience. It is the personality behind your words. Think of your favorite brand for a moment. How does it make you feel? Bold? Confident? Inspiring? 

Seth Godin, marketing expert, once said, 

“People do not buy goods and services. They buy stories, relations, and magic.” 

That is exactly what a strong brand voice does. It creates a feeling. It makes people connect with you.

To develop your course's brand voice, start with your audience. Who are they? What do they love? What makes them laugh? What excites them?

Let us say you notice your ideal students follow a page about minimalist living on Instagram. You could assume they like simplicity. They want things to feel easy and stress-free.

Now, if your course is about productivity, instead of a long, complicated post about time management, you create a meme. A simple image of a cluttered desk versus a clean workspace and a caption to connect the simplicity with your messaging.

Here are a few simple questions you can ask yourself to find your brand voice.

• If your brand were a person, how would it talk?
• What three words describe how you want your audience to feel when they read your content?
• How do your students talk? Are they casual? Professional? Playful?
• What do you want to be known for?

Once you understand what your course brand is like, keep the voice consistent in all your communication channels with your students. For example, you do not want to give friendly and bestie vibes on your social media account and send emails that sound strictly professional. 

• Position your course for the right perception 

Your course positioning is how people see it. Is it premium or budget-friendly? Is it for beginners or advanced learners? Is it fun and casual or serious and professional? The way you present your course shapes what people expect from it.

Think about it. A $20 course called "Quick & Easy Instagram Growth" feels totally different from a $500 course called "The Ultimate Instagram Business Blueprint." One sounds like a casual shortcut. The other sounds like a complete system. That is positioning.

So, how do you position your course the right way? It starts with everything we already covered, including your brand voice, USP, and mission. But to take it further, you can use the Brand Essence Wheel.

The Brand Essence Wheel is a simple way to define what your course stands for. It has different layers, starting from the basics and moving deeper into the heart of your brand.

Here is how you can fill it out for your course:

• Attributes – The basic facts. What is your course about? How long is it? What format is it in (videos, PDFs, live sessions)?    
   Example: A 6-week video course with interactive worksheets on public speaking.
• Benefits – What do students gain? How does your course improve their life?    
   Example: They become confident speakers, get better job opportunities, and stop feeling nervous in meetings.
• Values and personality – What does your course stand for? How do you want people to feel?    
  Example: It is supportive, encouraging, and helps people believe in themselves.
• Brand Essence – The core of your course in just a few words.

Once you have this, positioning becomes clear. For example, if your brand essence is all about confidence, your course should not be marketed like a strict corporate training.

You can download the brand essence template here. 

• Discover yourself – establish a USP

Unique selling proposition will help you to stand out among the rest. 

What makes your course unique? Maybe you will cover a niche topic that has not been discussed yet or unveil new market trends. Maybe your USP is that besides pre-recorded classes, you also offer live sessions, etc. 

Let’s suppose you are offering photography courses. And when doing research you find out there are no courses for wildlife photographers. That can be your unique selling point. 

But how should you develop a USP that will actually spark an interest in your audience? Well, first, you must know who you are targeting. Knowing your audience allows you to gain valuable insights into their needs and pain points. Thus, know what solutions you will potentially be interested in. 

So, develop your USP based on the target audience, competitor analysis, and quantifiable benefits your course offers. 

• Develop a compelling brand story 

Besides establishing a USP that sets you apart, you also will need a compelling brand story. People buy emotions, and this is by far the most accurate statement when it comes to today’s clients. 

Carefully craft your story, and unite with your own brand to make it personal. This will allow you to connect with the audience on a deeper level. Many course creators make a brand from their names and not just an online school. So, share your success story or backstory on how you came to X point where you decided to create courses. 

A good example is Mel Robbin’s one. In her About Me, section, Mel tells the story of her life. She shares how she overcame an unproductive life where she was at rock bottom and very close to losing everyone she ever cared for. Such strong wording and the ability to share personal details awaken immediate empathy of the reader. 

•  Create a memorable brand name and logo

If you want to stand out, you must have a memorable brand name and logo. If it is too long and difficult, people won’t be able to memorize it.

Here are a few tips for you:

• Simplicity is key. Make sure your brand name is simple and memorable. E.g., if you are using your name, you can shorten it. 
• Reflect on your content. If you decide to name your business something other than your name/nickname, then make sure it reflects your content. 
• When designing a logo, keep it simple as well. You can use a symbolic element or an icon to represent your brand. Or simply a unique font for the name of your brand. 
• Keep in mind that your logo should also be within your brand’s color palette. 

#2  Affecting the consideration 

Your brand must communicate value and affect purchase decisions. Essentially, it should guide customers from the consideration stage to the buying stage. Your goal at this stage is to nurture the interest and engagement of potential learners. hat can you do to affect their consideration? Here are the main steps to take. 

• Design your user-friendly website 

So, first of all, design a user-friendly website. Good UI contributes to better user experiences. Imagine visiting a website with slow loading speed, lots of content, and unreadable fonts. Do not feel professional, right? Now imagine visiting a website that has a specific color palette, loads fast, has enough white spaces, and follows general design rules. This website will definitely attract and retain visitors for longer. 

Here are a few tips on how to design a user-friendly website. 

• Organize your menu logically to ensure easy user navigation. 
• Create a mobile responsive website. 
• Simplify design, clear clutter, and leave enough white spaces to improve readability and navigation.
• Use readable fonts. 
• Add engaging visuals that enhance the user experience even further. 
• Have an FAQ section on your website.
• Regularly update and test your website. 

• Map out your content marketing strategy 

Content marketing strategy is key in driving organic traffic and improving the brand’s visibility. Besides, it is a great way to affect purchase design. See, if you provide consistent & valuable content across platforms, you gradually build up your reputation. 

Here are a few tips to help you out:

• Define your goals. What is the purpose of your content? Is it brand awareness, customer retention, engagement, or else?
• Know your audience. When crafting content, it is essential to know your audience. For you do not want to use highly technical and niche terminology if you are targeting beginners in the industry. 
• Distribution channels. What are the places your audience hangs out in most? Maybe it is Instagram and TikTok. Then, you must create content on these platforms as well, besides long-form articles on your website. 
• Content plan. Create a content plan for each channel you plan on creating content. A content plan will allow you to stay consistent and achieve results, as you can measure KPIs. 
• Create a precise engagement strategy. Besides static blog and social media posts, you need to create posts and stories that allow for engagement. E.g., you can host giveaways or Q&A sessions. 
• SEO. Basically, optimize the content you post, especially when it comes to blog posts. SEO is that magic your website needs to rank high in search engines. There are on-site and off-site seo strategies you must follow. 
• Metrics and Analytics. If you want to get results, then make sure to track the performance of your content. By getting measurable results, you will understand how your content performs and meets its KPIs, thus being able to improve the content and marketing strategy. You can track website traffic, engagement & conversion rates, etc. 
• Set a promotional budget. Organic traffic is significant. However, for better results, you also need a promotional budget. (e.g., Google Ads, YouTube ads, social media ads, etc.) 
• Stay consistent. With content, it is important to stay consistent and provide value on a regular basis. If you do, then you will definitely see results. 

Content marketing is an essential part of digital marketing and branding, so make sure to invest in it. 

• Demonstrate user testimonials and case studies

One of the most efficient ways to affect purchase decisions and speed up the consideration stage is to display user testimonials and case studies. 

We all want to make sure that we get value for our money. But how can we be sure that we will? Well, we need Social Proof. Testimonials and case studies displayed on your website allow you to showcase that social proof needed to hook the visitors and gain their trust. 

Here is a great structure for displaying testimonials that you should follow. 

As you can see, Marie displays well-structured reviews from her past clients. The first sentence is more of a heading, immediately communicating the result and hooking the reader. The rest of the text is a detailed yet to-the-point review of how Marie’s course helped to achieve the result. 

#3 Fostering retention and advocacy 

Foster trust, retention, and advocacy for your brand through consistent branding efforts. All of these are possible if you stick to a few simple tips. 

At this final stage your learners will not only continue to benefit from your courses but also actively share their positive experience with their own network. This way, the current learners help you to attract new students. 

As a course creator, we advise creating a membership site, running an affiliate program, and collaborating with other creators. 

Well, let’s review everything in a bit more detail. 

• Create a membership site

First of all, create a membership site. Assuming you already have a course creation platform, let’s review how you can offer memberships. 

• Identify the main goals of your membership site. (e.g., customer retention, loyalty, profits, etc.)
• Create membership levels (e.g., basic, business, premium, etc.). Also, each membership level offers unique features and benefits. If you offer just one membership option, then offer benefits. (e.g., get access to 3 courses for the price of X/month) 
• Set up a good payment gateway system to ensure you receive funds safely and customers can easily pay for the membership. Many will get discouraged and won’t try to make a purchase if there are limited payment options. Thus, incorporate popular ones such as debit/credit cards, PayPal, Stripe, etc. 
• Create a community hub. Make sure you have a place, e.g., a forum within your website, where students can communicate and collaborate with one another. Make a QR code to simplify access to your membership site or payment page. A QR code can help potential members quickly scan and visit your site, making the sign-up process seamless.

An example of a course creator who offers a membership model for course purchases is Pat Flynn. As you can see, Flynn offers community-powered courses via an all-access pass. This motivates purchase behavior and creates a sense of community, thus contributing to high client retention rates. 

• Run an affiliate program

Another way to increase client loyalty is to offer an affiliate program. Essentially, you promote your online course with your students. They get unique links, and sales made from their links allow them to earn a percentage of profits as well. 

Such methodology was used by Andrew Tate to sell his online courses. He offered affiliate programs, and his students were promoting the most “scandalous” pieces of podcasts with him all over the internet. Thus, he gained huge visibility and popularity, and his business kept growing. Via an affiliate program, he motivated thousands to promote his courses and also make a profit from sales. 

Even though Andrew is a bit controversial example to bring in, he is an example of a creator who succeeded in affiliate marketing. So, in less controversial ways, you also can do so. Start an affiliate program, and offer rewards (percentage of profit) from each sale made. You can promote affiliate programs among your existing students and via social media posts and ads. 

Another efficient way to promote an affiliate program is through collaborating with YouTubers who make content about “making money online.” You can sponsor part of their video where one of the ways to make money taught by them to their audience will be via your affiliate program.   

• Collaborate with other creators 

Do not forget about the power of collaboration. You can promote your own courses by collaborating with other creators in your industry. 

For instance, you can create a joint course. This will allow both of you to share marketing and promotion budgets, as well as gain visibility among each other’s audiences. 

You can start collaboration via networking. Go to virtual networking events via LinkedIn and Facebook, and get to know other course creators. You can have a pre-made offer template to do a targeted reach out to the ones whose audience matches your target most. After a few regulations, the only thing left is the creation of joint content. 

Nail your branding like Marie Forelo 

Nail your branding like Marie Forelo, nail your branding like a Pro. 

Let’s take a look at Marie’s website and social media platforms. 

First of all, Marie’s website’s home page:

Her course pages are built similarly to stick to the overall branding. However, unlike the home page, the predominant color is pink and fewer beige. This helps her to differentiate pages while sticking to her style. 

Example:

Marie also has a well-built about me page. She connects with the visitors through efficient storytelling and building up an emotional bond. 

A course creator with a good brand never forgets to display user testimonials, so does she. 

As you can see, she displays consistent branding efforts across her website, materials, course sales pages, and even social media platforms. 

On her social media, Marie sticks to her branding colors whenever possible. 

A similar scenario is with her Facebook page. 

Key takeaways: 

• She displays CTAs organically across the page and shortly introduces what she does, including podcasts and online courses. Marie consistently talks about the main focus of her content, “building a business.” She uses the same color palette (beiges, light pinks) and fonts to stand out. 
• Marie created a strong brand from her name. She also utilized her name in a different font for a logo. So, whenever someone hears her name, her course podcasts are what come to mind. Also, when it comes to UI, Marie ensured easy navigation, enough white spaces, and the dynamics of her website. 
• She also displays testimonials to improve the trust factor and offers a dedicated About Me page for credibility. All these contribute to an emotional connection with her potential clients as well. 
• Her USP is built upon her own success story and how she helps others. She writes that she is here to serve. “I'm here to serve. My company is built on a bedrock of love, a passion for what’s possible, and a commitment to be an unstoppable force for good.” - Marie Farleo. 

So, as you can see, she uses almost all the tips mentioned in the article to build a brand for her courses. Thus, take your notes and just start. 

FAQ

Let’s sum up what we have discussed so far with a few questions. 

How do I create a strong brand for my online course?

Creating a strong brand for your online course starts with knowing what makes it unique. What is your course’s big promise? Who is it for? Once you have that, build everything around it, including your course name, visuals, and messaging, which should all reflect your core mission. 

Develop a brand voice that speaks to your audience in a way they connect with, whether that is fun and friendly or expert and authoritative. Also, keep your branding consistent everywhere, including your website, social media, emails, and even the way you deliver lessons. Because a strong brand is not just about a logo or colors. It is about making people instantly recognize and trust your course. 

What are the key elements of a successful course brand?

A successful course brand is built on a few key elements that work together. First, you need a clear mission. Think about what your course promises to achieve for your students.

This mission should be at the heart of everything. Next, your unique selling proposition (USP) sets you apart from others in the market. What makes your course different? Then, create a memorable name and logo that reflect your mission and values. Your brand voice also plays a big role. It should speak directly to your audience and be consistent across all your platforms. Finally, you need visual consistency. Your colors, fonts, and imagery should create a cohesive feel.

What are the 5C’s of Branding?

The 5C’s of branding include: 

• Clarity. Your branding should be clear and easy to understand. Your audience needs to know exactly what your course offers, how it helps them, and why they should choose it.
• Consistency. Maintain a consistent message across all platforms. This includes your website, social media, emails, and course content. Consistency builds trust and recognition.
• Content. Create valuable, relevant, and engaging content that speaks to your audience’s needs. Content helps position your course as the solution to their problems.
• Connection. Build a relationship with your audience. Engage with them through social media, emails, and content. Your goal is to make them feel connected to your course and brand.
• Confidence. Your branding should exude confidence in what you offer. 

Start out small and grow tall with us

It is your perfect time to get started. Stop hesitation and start acting. 

If you are searching for a good course creation and management platform that allows for successful branding, then Uteach is the perfect choice for you. It is a potent platform that comes in handy with the course and website builder, white labeling and branding features, as well as marketing and sales automation. 

With Uteach, you can start your journey and build a strong online course business. Simply stick to the guidelines from this article to ensure you get results. 

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