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🙌🏾 Course Creators Weekly #68 🗓 October 11th, 2021 - How To Build An Audience Without Being An Expert

Andrew Barry and Nathan Barry(!) talk about building an audience and being an "expert", Wes Kao writes about the future of education with CBCs, and Chris Ducker writes about happy customers!

Nathan Barry on How To Build An Audience Without Being An Expert Nathan Barry on How To Build An Audience Without Being An Expert
🎙 Podcast 🙌 Building an Audience

Nathan Barry on How To Build An Audience Without Being An Expert

“The people we think of as experts don't teach because they're experts. We think of them as experts, because they teach.”—Nathan Barry

On becoming an "expert" and building an audience:

  • 🤩
    Start by writing whatever interests you—let your "niche" emerge through feedback
  • 🧑🏽‍🏫
    Teach everything you know—being an "expert" comes after you start teaching
  • 🔬
    Learn in public—bring people on a journey, teaching them what you learn, as you learn
  • 🤸🏻‍♀️
    Put in the reps—create every day, teach everything you know, work in public
  • 😫
    Ask: “What's frustrating about learning X”, and “Where do you go to learn right now?”
  • 🔁
    Write as frequently as it suits you—weekly, monthly, or anything in between (or not)
  • 📋
    Offer worksheets, detailed plans, templates—super actionable stuff
  • 📧
    Offer a free email course—the entry barrier is super low
  • 🙌🏿
    Think of your email list as a big group of friends who'll root for you when it gets tough

On pricing:

  • 🧪
    Experiment with pricing at the same time as you iterate on your content
  • 🧮
    Offer multiple packages at different price points to maximise revenue

On selling:

  • 🗣
    Take a casual approach—e.g. ask people to show interest by replying to your email
  • 👀
    Build anticipation by sharing everything people need to know, before the cart opens
  • 😒
    Don't surprise people with a sales offer, i.e. no prolonged silence before a launch

In the last 15 minutes of the episode, Nathan drops a series of knowledge bombs on selling and launch strategies. If you don't have time to listen to the full episode, at least listen to the last 15 minutes! 👇🏻

🔗 Andrew Barry + Nathan Barry via curiouslionlearning.com

🎰 Random Picks from past editions

In Online Ed, Content Is No Longer King—Cohorts Are In Online Ed, Content Is No Longer King—Cohorts Are
✏️ Article ✊ Cohort-Based Courses

In Online Ed, Content Is No Longer King—Cohorts Are

Wes Kao's article on a16z made lots of waves earlier this year. This was picked from the archives randomly, which is funny because I'm working with Maven as a pedagogy coach right now, and their community has been on FIRE! 🔥

Anyway, here are my key takeaways from the article:

  • 🆓
    Cheap or free educational content is abundant today—people don't pay for content
  • 🥱
    Few people find the willpower + motivation to get results from such abundant content
  • 🙇🏽‍♂️
    Community-driven, active learning in real time beats passive content consumption
  • 💰
    Online learning communities are scarce—in today's world, that's what people pay for

On the shortfalls of MOOCs

  • 📉
    The async, self-paced nature of MOOCs results in low completion rates + poor results
  • 🧻
    MOOCs lack quality filters due to their low/no-cost, degrading their brand + reputation
  • 🧠
    MOOCs convey knowledge, but lack enough feedback loop for learning high-level skills

The case for cohort-based courses (CBCs)

  • 🧑🏿‍💻
    CBCs focus on active, hands-on learning—less theory, more practice + feedback
  • 👀
    Live, bi-directional learning keeps everyone accountable, including the instructors
  • 🥊
    The shared experience within the community challenges students + improves learning

On monetisation

  • 🤑
    CBCs allow creators to make a healthy living, even with a relatively small audience
  • 🛁
    Creators can free up their time and energy by building a reusable, productised offering

Check out the article for more details, examples of CBCs, helpful infographics, and references to other relevant information! 👇🏻

🔗 Wes Kao via future.a16z.com
The Importance of Happy Customers The Importance of Happy Customers
✏️ Article 💰 Sales & Marketing

The Importance of Happy Customers

  • ⬆️
    Prioritise keeping your customers happy over getting new customers
  • 🙂
    If you have a team, focus on their happiness first—it will cascade to your customers
  • ✅
    It's easier to keep getting "yes"-es from existing customers, than to get a "first yes"
  • 💬
    Make it easy for customers to contact you, via multiple channels
  • 🤙🏾
    Reach out yourself—make sure they're happy + offer an opportunity for questions
  • 🟢
    Communicate your availability + set clear expectations
🔗 chrisducker.com

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CCW is no longer published, but you can check out the past editions—see what you can dig up!

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Hey, I'm Merott 👋🏻

I'm an indie maker and freelance web developer from London.

I'm building my own business, because I'm terrible at following other people, and because I want my work to matter. I hope it will, to you and to your students.

Making progress, slowly and steadily, I'm also documenting and tweeting my journey every Monday @merott .

Thanks for visiting!

Merott