13 Marketing Strategies to Attract Students to Online Classes

In a world where education and learning new skills are a top priority, there is no better time to monetize your expertise than now. But, being an expert in your field is not enough for profits. 

You also need to be an expert marketer or at least know a thing or two about how they get things done. 

So, in this article, I will walk you through a few marketing strategies and how they help attract students and expand your online course business. 

Let me mention that the tips and recommendations in the article are based on course creator experts' advice we have interviewed and even more extensive research across the industry.

Attract students with your online course website

The first category we will explore today is attracting students via your website. This is an extremely good way to generate leads, display professionalism, and use organic marketing to make sales. 

So, let’s take a look at the tactics under this category and how to compete with each of them successfully. 

Optimize your website course pages 

If you want to attract your students via a website, then number one needs to be visible. You can hide a dead body on the second page of Google, and believe me, no one would be looking for it. Just to make sure, try 3rd. 

“So, of course, there are ways to present yourself online, choose the right words when you present yourself. So when you type in this or that word, you can be easily found.” 

Uwe Jens Gemba, School Creation and Operational Expert

Your goal is to rank high and get visibility, and well-optimized pages are key to doing so. 

So, the question is, how do you create well-optimized course pages? Here is how: 

• Stick to a clear structure. Use clear and compelling headlines, highlight benefits, and ensure good visual hierarchy. 
• Share information about the course. Make sure to include information about the course, including description, benefits, and learning outcomes. 
• Use visuals. Add visuals like course preview videos, testimonials, and professional graphics.
• Make your website mobile-friendly. Ensure mobile responsiveness and fast page loading times.

For instance, the founder of The Futur - Chris Do, offers courses on design and business.

His course pages are simply excellent. Each page is designed FOR THE USER. It features clear headlines, details about the course, engaging visuals, and straightforward navigation. 

While doing my research, I even wanted to purchase one of his courses… Now, think how well it can work for you.  

Learn more: 101 SEO Guide For Online Course Creators WIth 5 Steps

Create and share blog posts 

Blogging helps to attract organic traffic, showcases expertise, and provides multiple opportunities for business expansion. So, do not be lazy when it comes to content. Turn on your inner storyteller and start writing those posts. 

If you do not have much love for writing or expertise in storytelling, you can always invest in a content writer expert, even on a freelance basis. It is a great way to generate organic traffic and increase enrollments while building trust. 

So, if you decide to do it yourself after all, here are a few recommendations: 

• Create a content plan. Choose the topics for the first 10 blog posts and make sure they resonate with your target audience. 
• Learn the basics of SEO, such as keywords, meta descriptions, and integral and external linking strategies, and incorporate this knowledge into practice. 
• To increase your reach, you can share links to your blogs on social media platforms. 

How does this work? For instance, a blog titled "10 Tips for Learning Python Faster" could link to your detailed "Python for Beginners" course. 

“You need to tell a story about yourself, or a story about the content. Why is it important... You attach, you connect to something that everybody understands and knows how it feels.”

Uwe Jens Gemba, School Creation and Operational Expert 

Do you know who does this, and most importantly, does it well? 

Molly Mahon. She is a craft educator specializing in block printing. 

Molly has an expert blog where she shares insights into her craft, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes content. This blog not only helps her showcase her expertise but also helps her connect with the audience, driving organic traffic. 

Learn more: How To Create a Blog For Promoting an Online Course Business

Use testimonials 

Let’s think of this scenario. You want to take a marketing course and find two very attractive offers. Both seem to be experts in their field, and both have great course pages, but there is one difference that does not sit with you quite well. That difference is customer testimonials. 

One of the courses displays multiple testimonials, and the other does not. Naturally, you are more inclined to trust the one that has testimonials. But what if the other one is better? To avoid this thought process in your potential clients and boost enrollments, simply display testimonials of your past clients on your course pages. 

Start by collecting feedback from past students via surveys or email. Then, highlight success stories and measurable outcomes they have reached. Place testimonials on your home page and dedicated course pages. 

A good example of how to use testimonials to build trust is displayed by Ryan Deiss.     
 

Ryan is the CEO of DigitalMarketer, which features testimonials and case studies on his course pages. This approach helps him build trust and credibility by encouraging new enrollments. 

Learn more: 5 ways To Use Social Proof To Sell More Online Courses

Create lead magnets 

Lead magnets provide value upfront and for free. Doesn’t this sound delicious? It does, and that is why it works. Lead magnets can be anything from free webinars to eBooks that students can download in exchange for their emails. 

By providing audiences with value, you, in exchange, get leads for further nurturing. These leads are your “most likely to purchase” portion of the audience. So, chances are quite high that with a few more pushes, they will enroll in the course. 

So, here are a few tips on creating good lead magnets: 

• Offer free resources like infographics, eBooks, templates, checklists, or even mini-courses/ SImply make sure your offerings’ content aligns with your niche. 
• Promote lead magnets on social media, in blogs, and even via ads. 
• Display lead magnets on course pages and homepages to make sure they are visible no matter which page of your website the visitor goes to. 

If anyone can teach you about lead magnets (besides me), then it is definitely Annie Leibovitz. 

She is a renowned photographer who offers an excellent free introductory lesson as a lead magnet for her photography course. 

In fact, you can learn from her and offer free introductory lessons for each of your courses on dedicated course pages. Or stick to traditional free guides, infographics, and eBooks. Either way, it focuses on providing value. 

Attract students through social media platforms 

The next category of our marketing strategies falls under social media. Leverage the power of social networks to attract and retain users, ultimately boosting sales. 

Be active on your chosen social media platform 

Choose social media platforms and stay active on those. Social media allows you to display your expertise, attract users, and foster trust with the audience. 

One of the main benefits of social media is that you do not have to share professional content all the time. 

In fact, it is better if you also share other forms of content, such as humorous videos. The main types you should incorporate include the following: 

• Educational content. This will help to build credibility. 
• Amusing content. Humorous videos will help you be relatable to your audience and keep them engaged. 
• Inspiring content. Inspiring posts motivate your audience to take action, such as enrolling in your courses.
• Persuasive content. Persuasive content directly drives conversions by emphasizing the value of your courses. 

For each of the types, create short informative posts and videos. Address niche topics that are related to your industry and courses. Also, you can go to Q&A sessions live or on stories on Instagram. 

Use social media advertising and retargeting 

Have you ever talked about getting sushi with your friend and bumped into a sponsored sushi ad? I did… and yes, I ordered. 

Paid ads on social media work like magic. The magic you pay for, but every magic has a price (fantasy readers will understand). Paid ads allow you to reach a broader audience, and retargeting ensures you stay visible to potential students who show initial interest. 

To make sure your social media ads work: 

• Leverage audience segmentation using Facebook, Google Ads, and Instagram’s advanced targeting options. 
• Develop targeted ad campaigns that promote your courses to specific demographics or interests.
• Conduct A/B testing using different ad creatives, copy, and calls to action to determine which performs the best. 
• Implement retargeting strategies to show ads to users who have visited your website or engaged with your content but haven't enrolled yet.

Learn more: What is Social Media Retargeting? A Guide to Personalization

Collaborate with other educators 

Collaborations are perfect to tap into new audiences, share expertise, and add value to your offerings through diverse perspectives. 

You can start by partnering with educators who offer courses in complementary niches. For instance, if you are offering courses on photography, partner up with someone in the digital marketing or photo editing niche. 

You can co-create educational content, including blog posts, webinars, and eBooks. Moreover, if you see that collaboration brings the anticipated results, you can also co-create a course. 

Run a podcast 

When it comes to social media marketing strategies, we can not ignore podcasts. Podcasts allow you to share in-depth knowledge about your area of expertise in a chill manner. 

“It needs to become of value for the people that you are trying to teach. And that is important whether you write a book or create a podcast, whether you do whatever you do, like what you are doing... It creates value.” 

Uwe Jens Gemba, School Creation and Operational Expert

One of the main benefits of podcast episodes is that these can be long, and you do not necessarily have to do lots of editing and cutting. In fact, conversational and storytelling styles work best. 

You can start podcasts by using platforms such as YouTube, social media, and your own website. 

The long episodes should be uploaded on YouTube and featured on your website. From these episodes, you can create captivating reels and TikToks to upload to Instagram and TikTok to expand your reach. 

Try to feature either the most fun parts or the most informative ones that leave the audience wanting to know more (which will encourage them to click on the link and watch the full episode). 

Make sure your podcast episodes delve deeper into topics related to your courses. You can also feature expert interviews on your episodes to provide actionable insights and collaborate with others. 

For instance, Pat Flynn hosts the “Smart Passive Income” podcast. 

On the episodes of that podcast, he shares business insights and interviews with industry experts. By doing so, he builds more interest in his online courses and other resources. 

There is a lot to learn from Pat, starting from the way he hosts the episodes and ending with the dedicated podcast page he features on his website. Pat makes sure everything is well displayed. His website page features a short description, headline, and featured episodes of the podcast. So, make sure to visit and skim through it. 

Promote your affiliate program 

I am sure many of you have heard about affiliate marketing. 

Affiliate program encourages others to promote your courses in exchange for a certain % from each sale made through their affiliate links. It contributes to expanded reach and increased enrollments. 

Start by creating a good affiliate program with competitive commissions and bonuses for top performers. By introducing a system of bonuses and rewards, you will encourage participants to promote your courses more actively.  

Then, start promotional efforts. Reach out to influencers and course creators, offering them a partnership through the affiliate program. 

Make sure the content of people you reach out to aligns with your niche and audience’s interests. For instance, if you are selling courses on creative writing, then reaching out to influencers who have BookTok accounts or social media pages dedicated to talking about books can be quite relevant.  

Post in relevant communities

Do not underestimate the power of relevant communities. In fact, get the most out of it.

In the era where a lot of content is created by AI, people are seeking more opinions from their peers, and human stance has never been more evaluated in the digital world as it is today. Use this to your advantage. 

Engaging in online communities will allow you to share expertise and provide value. In exchange, you can build relationships and attract students interested in your niche. 

For example, as a marketing course creator, you can visit Reddit and answer questions people have in regard to marketing. Also, you can share a link to your course, which will allow you to expand on the question even more. 

Also, do not write simple responses just to gain attention. Actually, spend some time and give valuable insights that will help the users to learn what they are interested in.

Graham Stephan is a real estate investor and educator. He actively participates in Reddit discussions, sharing expert insights and links to his courses and simultaneously promoting his offerings. 

Attract students through email marketing 

The last category we will explore today is email marketing. So, let’s dive into the best email marketing strategies you can use to attract students. 

Share newsletters 

The number one thing you can do with email marketing is to share regular email newsletters. Newsletters allow you to build a connection with your audience and deliver them consistent value, fostering trust. 

Also, newsletters are great for nurturing leads and navigating them through different phases of the sales funnel to turn them into clients. In your newsletters, you can share information about: 

• New courses and discounts 
• Industry trends and expert tips 
• Educational content and free downloadables. 

To start an effective newsletter campaign, you need to: 

• Segment your email list. Segment people on your list based on their behavior, interests, and the stage of their buyer journey. This will allow you to make newsletters more relevant and send “most likely to convert” sequences. 
• Include valuable content in your newsletters. Make sure you are not spamming users, just trying to sell something. Provide value, then hint at your sellable offerings. 
• Stay consistent. Create email campaigns and sequences, and then automate it all. Automation will help you ensure that your sequences are regular. You can use built-in email functionality in course creation websites such as Uteach or tools like HubSpot. 

To learn more about quality newsletters, sign up for Neil Patel’s newsletter. He is a digital marketing expert who regularly sends valuable newsletters containing marketing tips and case studies to his audience. 

These newsletters help to keep the audience engaged and encourage them to enroll in his new courses. 

Send special offers 

Emails are your chance to make sales via special offers. Show your audience you value them for their loyalty and provide special discounts or bundle offerings to them. 

This works as special offers provide more value, attracting those who are hesitant to invest at full price. It also creates a sense of urgency that encourages students to enroll sooner. 

To make sure your offers work once again, segment your audience and send custom offers for each segment. 

For example, one segment might be interested in beginner-level materials, while another segment might be interested in advanced content. If you send the same offer, it will not work for both. Thus, you need to create separate offers and send relevant ones to each segment based on their initial interest. 

Promote your free live events 

Finally, the last tip for today (but check us out more because we always have more to offer) is to promote your free live events via email.

Free live events like webinars or workshops are great ways to showcase your teaching style and expertise. Also, these are great lead magnets to attract more new students. 

Promote your free live events through email, offering upfront value and showcasing your credibility. Then, while participants are still engaged and emotional, a special discount will be offered, encouraging them to purchase the course right after the webinar. 

To make sure everything looks professional, you can: 

• Create a landing page for the webinar that includes all the event details. Use engaging headings and talk about benefits as well. 
• Create a dedicated email campaign with a catchy headline (include the word FREE). 
• Send follow-up emails leading up to the event to make sure everyone is well aware of it and joins the webinar. 

For instance, Amy Porterfield, an expert in online marketing and course creation, frequently promotes free live webinars. She offers high-value content throughout her sessions that allow her to convert most participants into clients right after the session ends. 

How to attract new students using Uteach’s tools 

If you are looking for the perfect solution to expand your business and attract new students, then you are in the right place. 

Uteach is an all-in-one platform for coaches and course creators that comes in handy with everything necessary to build your online course business. 

Our platform offers a website & course builder, customizable pre-made templates, live functionality, a seamless payment gateway, and marketing/sales automation capabilities. To learn more about how we can help you grow and attract new users, schedule a free demo with us. Our team will be more than happy to walk you through the platform.