How to Use Video Marketing to Promote Your Online Courses

Video marketing is one of the best ways to promote your online courses. If you want to gain more audience, win the trust, and make higher profits with your online courses, videos are a great way to build an audience.    

Why is video marketing working best? Because you make it personal by showing who you truly are. However, in this competitive industry, there are certain criteria for making good videos in order for the marketing strategy to truly work. 

So, if you are ready, let’s start!   

Why start video marketing?

Before we start, let’s look at the main reasons we should start video marketing.   

• Statistics. According to some basic statistics, video marketing increases brand awareness by 70%, traffic by 51%, and sales by 34%. 
• More exposure and engagement. Users nowadays prefer videos over text format. Videos, especially short ones, are easier to watch and comprehend. Plus, if a coach knows how to use body language and voice intonations, they will also appeal to more trustworthy and professional. 
• A personal way to engage your audience. When the audience sees your face, they understand that you are a real person who has real expertise in some area and is ready to share it.  

7 steps to create a great video marketing strategy 

You can create a truly good video marketing strategy even though the competition is high. Instead of being afraid of the competitors, learn from them. And develop a unique selling point that will differentiate you from them. Now we are going to take a look at the main 7 steps you have to take if you want to create a good and, most importantly, working video marketing strategy.   

Step 1 - Understand your market and competition

To create a working strategy, you have to know who you are creating it for. Basically, who is your audience? 

If you have been running online courses for a while, you already know much about your audience’s preferences. Now, at this point, you want to learn more about what kind of videos they engage with and like. 

Since you already have a customer base, you can use them as a focus group, carry out interviews, and collect feedback in order to get a clearer vision of further steps. Let’s say you want to start a YouTube channel on becoming more confident in yourself. You can ask your community what they think of the specific ideas you have in mind. 

Another great way to do research is by searching for existing video content on your topic. This will also help you to validate the idea.  If you want to focus on YouTube, for example, here are a few ways to understand if your audience is interested in the specific topics you want to cover. 

• Check the “Popular” of the videos that pop up on the topic you search for. I searched for “How to become better at time management”. From the videos that pop up, you can choose to analyze the channels of at least the first five. Then, check their popular videos. 

• Check the comments on those videos. This way, you can see how your audience talks, what they like to know, what they like most about the videos, and what delivery methods they like.

This kind of research helps you with questions on how you need to appear on the videos, if you need to appear at all, and what kind of visuals you can use to meet your audience's needs better. 

Learn more: YouTube SEO for Business Trainers: Detailed Guide

The same works if you choose to focus on other video platforms like TikTok or Instagram. Here, you can also look for popular creators and check their viral videos.  

There are big players. What do I do? 

The chances that there are video creators with big followings in your niche already are high. This is intimidating for most creators since you start thinking about, “Shall I even get into this?”. 

But you should not be afraid since the high engagement is a great sign that there is demand.

“Big creators are doing you a favor because they are proving your concept. If there are bog channels out there talking about what you want to talk about, that means a lot of people are interested in your content, and you shouldn’t shy away from doing it.” 

 

Jenn Jager

Professional video producer and videographer 

The real question is, how do you differentiate yourself from them? That is why we need to fill in the gap.

Step 2 - Decide on the subtopics you want to cover that fill in the gap 

The videos you will share on those course platforms are obviously related to your online course. Yet, we want content that helps you promote your course, remember? 

And the best way the promotion works is when you are able to establish yourself as a trusted source in your niche. That is why you really want to keep your video content focused. 

This does not mean only making video content on the exact topic you created your course in. For example, if you have several courses on “How to Start Your First Entrepreneurial Venture,” that does not mean your video content should only revolve around it. The key here is to select related topics your entrepreneur students are interested in. So, you can also share content about productivity, time management, or a specific industry your target entrepreneurs work in. 

So, first, open your favorite app like Notion or a spreadsheet and list all the subtopics you want to talk about in your videos. This way

• You will never run out of ideas
• You can serve a very specific audience and have more chances of getting noticed 

It can look as simple as this:

Going back to our initial question of differentiating your video content. As you do your research, find ways that can make your videos unique. For example,

• Speaking about topics for a more specific audience that you cannot find much video content about. And yes, it is still possible.
• Choosing a different format to deliver the videos. Might be you do not want to keep it strictly professional like everyone else, and you choose a more authentic approach to present your content. 
• Bringing in more personality because your personality is the number one factor making your video content unique.  

For example, Maryam Gadery, who is a coach and entrepreneur, often talks about habits, confidence, growth, and building relations with other people. Now, these are topics you can find hundreds of videos on. But she positioned her videos in a way that attracted a very specific audience. This segment is French learners (as she runs her channel in French) who want to improve their language skills and get educated on her topics at the same time.

Learn more: 10 Steps To Use YouTube to Promote Your Online Courses

Step 3 - Plan content ahead 

Having content ready ahead of time and a content plan for the next month is the most critical step you have to take. 

Planned ahead content will help you throughout the way. First of all, you will have topics and will not need to waste any more time coming up with new ones for a while. Secondly, you will be able to post regularly and be consistent, which is one of the main factors of growth. 

How do you plan content ahead?

• Brainstorm ideas

Refer back to the main content ideas you listed and you can find hundreds of ideas on each of your subtopics. 

• If you already have launched a course and interact with your students regularly, they most likely ask common questions. Naturally, you cannot just cover everything in your online course. So, you can create your video content based on their questions and complement the course content. 
• Let the search bar help you as you type and get recommended ideas by the autofill
• Check what is trending at the moment for your niche and get inspired by what others post. 

• Work on your video content 

The reason all of us are consuming video content is that we want to get inspired, educated, or entertained. And if you never want to run out of content ideas, you can choose some of these pays to deliver your video content. 

• Story. What makes us connect with people better than stories? In this type of video, you can start by addressing a particular pain point you solve for your audience. Tell people something intriguing that makes them feel the situation. And then, you can connect that story to the courses you create as a solution and promote it naturally. 
• Observation. This can be something interesting you noticed in your niche that you want to share with your audience. 
• Contrarian take. You can make your content about something people generally believe to be true, but you explain why you believe it is quite the opposite. 
• Listicles, which is a very common content idea. 

• Schedule your videos 

Once you have the ideas, create a schedule on what you should post where. Your schedule will help you be consistent, which is crucial for your growth. 

When it comes to short-length videos, most creators recommend posting more often than usual if you are just starting. There is a strong belief that the quantity at the beginning helps gain exposure. 

Since this is a lot of work to handle, you should also automate the posting process. So, if your video platform allows scheduling, do that in advance. 

Step 4 - Consider your video budget 

Make sure you have enough budget to fulfill your ideas and make wise investments. For example, in order to shoot videos for the courses, you will need:   

• A good quality, high-resolution camera, or one of the latest models of smartphones 
• Good editing software, which is most likely going to be paid 
• Marketing budget if you plan to run video ads 

So, equipment, technicalities, marketing, and even a space where you will shoot the video (probably going to be rented in some loft) will add up to the costs. 

Subsequently, make sure that you did some research and did not just buy the most expensive items because it will arise opportunity costs that may negatively affect your business. Also, remember, while shooting the video, avoid noisy backgrounds.  

Step 5 - Use professional equipment 

To get a video of professional quality, you need to use professional equipment. There are a few types of equipment you may require.   

• Recording equipment 

So, first, you need things to record your video with. That is a camera, of course, and a microphone. You may require a tripod, but really, if you are doing basic angles, you can balance your camera on a pile of books. 

The camera, though, should be a good one, not the professional expensive video camera but the one that has at least a flip-out screen, autofocus, and HD quality to the recording. For example, Panasonic Lumix G100 is a good camera for beginners. When getting a microphone, you have to make sure that it can get integrated with your other equipment. Beginners prefer microphones with USB connectors (e.g., Blue Microphones Yeti USB),and a microphone with a very crisp voice. XLR plug microphones are of better quality, but they require additional equipment.  

• Additional equipment

Professional quality comes in little detail. You must pay attention to aesthetics and to how your audience perceives your videos. They should be non-distracting. Think about what can distract your viewers: the picture and the sound.    

Let’s start with the sound because it is easier. All you need to get (apart from a good microphone) is sound-isolating panels that are quite cheap and easy to install. This simple thing will increase the quality of your creation rapidly. For the picture, you need a non-distracting background. If you have a blank wall in your house and you cannot spare to get a studio, I recommend investing in a green screen.

Step 6 -  Edit the video & publish 

Now once and for all, when your video course is ready piece by piece, it is time to construct the overall product. Take your time, choose the best editing software with enough functionality, and start editing.       
 

Here are some tips for you to edit and publish a successful course:

• Reduce noise if there is any 
• Do not put too many animations. 
• Add additional materials such as e-books, articles, and reading materials in the descriptions of your videos. 

Step 7 - Track & test 

Your final step in creating video content will be to track & test everything. After your course is published, ads are activated, and you are actively generating leads through various marketing campaigns and testing your product's overall performance. 

The analytics of the video platforms help a lot in this regard. For example, if you post on YouTube, the analytics tell who exactly watches your content, the content your videos are recommended after, what were the points in your videos where your audience showed the highest engagement. 

How to promote your courses in your videos 

Do you wish to promote your course in a video but without it sounding like a sales pitch? Here are a few ways you can make it naturally. 

The best way to do this is to start with a real problem your audience is facing. Speak about it in a way that shows you understand their struggles. Then, introduce your course as the natural solution. If you are teaching social media marketing, for example, you could talk about how hard it is to grow on Instagram without a clear strategy. Then, share a tip from your course and mention that you go into more detail in your program. This way, your course feels like the next step rather than a random promotion.

Another approach is to give your audience something valuable while they watch. If you have a free resource like a checklist, a workbook, or a short template that helps them take action you speak about in the video, include that in your description. A free lead magnet like this builds trust and encourages them to check out your full course. Because if they find your free material helpful, they will be more likely to invest in your paid content.

You can also bring your students into the conversation. When you are explaining how to achieve something, share the story of someone who took your course and got great results. You achieve two things at once. You bring a specific example to support your point. And, at the same time, you show you have a course program that works. 

The most important thing is to deliver real value in your videos so that viewers start seeing you as the go-to expert. Because you do not want to sound like you gatekeep information and make people go but your course. 

When they trust you, they will naturally be curious about your course. And if you are genuinely helping people, mentioning your course does not feel like selling. It feels like guiding them to the next step in their journey.

Tools & software for creating videos

As we discussed the features of a good video hosting platform, it is time to talk about how to choose a platform for video creation. There are many different ones, so it’s quite hard to choose. Of course, the choice is always yours because only you know what you need for your unique business scheme. 

Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is a platform that is available on both Windows and Mac. It provides you with professional editing tools and even 3D editing. It is powerful, it is professional, and it gets constantly updated. Needless to say, it’s great for anyone. The only downside is that it is a subscription-based program, although it has a free seven-day trial.

Final Cut Pro

Another industry-standard video editing tool is Final Cut Pro which is sadly only suitable only for Mac users. But, if you are one, you’re lucky. Unlike Premiere Pro, it is not subscription-based and is more intuitive, although it is quite expensive. But, the features it provides are very wide; they include both the basic and advanced features of a video editor.  

iMovie

A Mac program that is more suitable for beginners with thin wallets is iMovie. It has excellent audio editing tools, comes ready with your Mac, and provides you with basic features that a beginner will need. Needless to say, it is user-friendly. iMovie doesn’t have many advanced features, but that’s not a downside since those can distract and intimidate beginners.   

DaVinci Resolve Studio

When you already have built up some experience, you can transition to DaVinci Resolve. It is a very professional platform with many intricate advanced features like GPU rendering acceleration. It’s quite complex, so we advise you to use DaVinci only after you are familiar enough with the process of video editing. 

Corel VideoStudio Ultimate

We discussed a few platforms that are available only for Mac users. Well, this one is only available for Windows users. And, it is great for beginners. Although it is user-friendly and has many basic functions, it also provides you with advanced features. It’s relatively cheap and easy to work with, so we recommend this highly. 

Are you ready to start?

Now it is your time to start selling online courses right away. However, what is the best platform to start with and succeed? Once and for all, I can say that it is - Uteach.   

With Uteach, you will be able to create a professional e-learning website in under 2 minutes. Besides, Uteach is the first-ever platform that allows you to hold end-to-end live sessions and use various video conferencing integrations.   

Why Uteach? Because it is also powerful automation that will automate most of the routine tasks and save an incredible deal of your time, bringing a return on investment. Also, with Uteach, you can have control over every area of your website from one simple, easy-to-use dashboard. When I said every, I meant it - marketing campaign, email notifications, SEO optimization, blog, drag & drop website & page builder, and of course, payments!  

Start your free trial today and grow your online course business.