So in this article I’m going to share some tips on how to make the most of your online course. From choosing a marketing course that delivers to conquering an adaptable approach. So let’s dive in!
Anyone who has spent more than 10 minutes in the online marketing scene will quickly realize that there is no end to the number of infoproducts (training, courses, ebooks, etc.) that can be purchased.
If I only had a dollar for every sales page that promised me thousands of dollars in profits with only 10 minutes of work, I could of bought Twitter from Elon Musk by now.
What’s strange is that, despite the abundance of information available, the vast majority of newcomers to the online marketing world fail miserably.
They end up depressed, jaded, and poorer than when they got started after wasting time and money on products that were litterally garbage.
Which brings us to this critical truth…
Information products are not created equal
Unfortunately, low quality products can be the norm as a result of low standards and unethical behavior by degenerate marketers.
The market is flooded with get-rich-quick infoproducts that are nothing more than untested theory.
Although the vendors may offer money-back guarantees, many of them can mysteriously vanish when you request a refund.
Navigating this minefield of dubious infoproducts can be difficult even for the most careful of mystery shoppers – and yes, you are a mystery shopper because you never know what digital pile of garbage you’ll receive until after your purchase.
The first important point to remember is that just because a product is for sale and has a convincing sales page doesn’t mean it’s ethical or been proven to work.
Even the worst product can sell thousands of copies with enough hype, lies and trickery tied to it.
Choose a marketing course that delivers
In general, the best marketing courses are comprehensive and costly.
You really do get what you pay for.
Examples would be Matt Diggity’s Affiliate Lab or the niche site course by Authority Hacker.
When deciding to purchase an online course, the vendor should be able to back up what they teach.
This is absolutely essential.
The person selling you a graphic design course should be able to create visually appealing images.
The marketer teaching you about Kindle publishing should be making thousands of dollars per month from the platform.
These experts should be able to put their money where their mouth is.
If someone is attempting to sell you a video marketing course?
Demand proof that their channel has thousands of subscribers, or that they are receiving substantial payouts from YouTube.
Anyone with a little research can create a course.
However, very few can demonstrate real-world results. If they can, you’ll be much better off purchasing their training.
You should also read customer reviews and ask around places such as marketing Facebook groups, and see what other people think of the course you’re about to purchase.
Everyone loves giving their opinions online.
The second important part to remember is you can profit from any marketing course you purchase, only if it is legitimate, proven to work, and detailed enough for you to follow.
Once you feel comfortable with that, proceed to the next steps below.
Determine the business model
Most of the reputable online marketing courses you purchase will give you an overview of the business model.
For example, if you’re building a niche site, you’ll need to learn:
- Website building
- How to spot a niche
- Keyword research
- Content creation
- SEO
- Linking and outreach
These are just a few of the skills you’ll need to master if you want to be successful with the online business model.
Similarly, if you want to do dropshipping, you’ll need to know how to identify a winning product, create a Shopify store, run paid ads, design ad creatives, fulfill orders, and so on.
Whatever business model you choose, you will need to learn new skills. And you will have to learn each skill as you progress through the course.
This will require not only time, but also effort and patience as you explore the learning curve.
It will be common for you to fail repeatedly… However, you will fail your way to success.
You’ll understand what’s in store for you once you understand how much work is involved and how many skills you will need to master.
There will be no quick profits.
So before you begin, get a lay of the land.
Take an adaptable approach
Many beginners make a huge mistake by attempting to watch or consume an entire course before taking action.
This not only slows their progress, but also tends to overwhelm them.
Typically, they abandon the course halfway through and never return.
It is not necessary to view the entire staircase before taking the first step.
You must learn through practice. Do… do… do. Then keep doing.
You’ll have to do it in stages because you can’t do it all at once.
That is the best course of action.
For example, if the course instructor demonstrates how to conduct keyword research, you’re going to want to get started right away after watching the video.
That could require signing up for SEMrush and experimenting with the tool’s interface as you figure it all out.
It may take a few days or even weeks to truly grasp the concept of keyword research.
That is why you must concentrate on the task at hand.
There’s no need to be concerned about backlinks or other details just yet.
What matters right now is mastering keyword research. That is the current module.
Once you’ve mastered keyword research, you’ll be ready to return to the course and begin working on the next module… and then repeat these same steps again.
You’ll learn by doing… and save time doing in the process.
By watching and doing in stages, you will better understand the process and be building a business rather than simply learning one.
Inspire a desire for struggle.
Here’s the hard truth: No matter how expensive or comprehensive a course is, it will never contain all the information you’ll need to become an expert on the subject.
For the most part you’ll have enough knowledge to start a business… However, involvement is a critical component in your journey of learning if you want to truly take it to the next level.
So, what exactly is involvement?
Simple. It entails learning everything you can about each aspect of your business.
If we follow the keyword research example earlier, while you’re figuring out how to use the keyword research tool, you may also be looking to read and understand the product’s documentation.
You should also search YouTube for tutorials on how to use the tool.
While the course may have tutorials for you to follow, it is inevitable that you can pick up other tips and tricks from searching out other various sources on the subject at hand.
Repetition will also help to cement the concepts and practices in your mind.
Take the adaptable approach once again.
Go deep while remaining narrow. Learn each component to the best of your ability, then put it all to the test.
The more you learn and practice, the better you’ll understand the process and its nuances.
“The difference between good and great is attention to detail” – Charles R. Swindoll
A word of caution: Immersing yourself while learning and doing is huge, but don’t spend too much time on any one module. That could lead you into analysis paralysis.
When you’ve mastered one task, move on to the next module and master that as well.
Track your achievements
Tracking your achievements will mean writing down:
- What you’ve learned
- What you’re doing
- What your results are
- What new tips and tricks are working
Any ideas you want to try out? And so forth.
This could become a very useful reference in the future.
Attempt to compartmentalize your results so that you can document it in’sections.’
For example, one section might be about finding niches, and you’ll document everything you can about it.
Other sections could be about keyword research, link building, and so on.
To make things easier for yourself, use notepad or a notebook with tabs.
If you learn new techniques about any topic in the future, you can add them to the relevant sections.
This will keep your results or accomplisments from being scattered and unorganized.
Don’t start too many projects at once
It’s common to want to launch multiple websites or write and publish several books all at once.
This is possible if you use outsourcing, but it is not recommended.
It is counterproductive to try to accelerate your progress by replicating methods across multiple projects at the same time.
When learning, you’re bound to make mistakes.
You’ll discover better ways to do things as you gain more experience.
If you were to replicate your efforts at the same time, you’d have to correct the same mistakes over and over again.
For example, if you are building three websites at the same time, you may discover halfway through that using a different WordPress theme makes your site load faster.
Now you’re going to need to change all three sites. This will be a hassle and more time consuming.
So, start working on your first project and make it your main focus at first.
Once you’re done, you can start the next few projects simultaneously because you’ve armed yourself with know and how experience.
To move faster in the future, you must first slow down in the present.
Spend time in the trenches
It is nearly impossible to build an online business in one month by working on it for only 20 minutes per day.
You must do more. Much more.
Give your business as much attention as you can.
Continue to watch the training and practice your skills until they become second nature.
The importance of consistency cannot be overstated.
If you can only spare 30 minutes per day, that’s fine – but spend that time daily… and don’t expect fast results.
Someone who devotes two hours of concentrated effort to their business will make far more progress than someone who can only devote half an hour per day.
Base your time on what you have, not necessarily what you would like.
If your life and work commitments only allow you 30 minutes per day, make the most of the time you have.
Overcome all obstacles
When starting a business, you will undoubtedly face challenges.
Maybe you don’t know how to install Google Analytics or how to integrate your Shopify store with Oberlo.
Such technological issues are common. Nothing to panic about.
Do not give up and attempt to build a new website or store without first resolving the issue.
It will rear its ugly head once again! Repeatedly.
Regardless of how many sites or stores you start. Starting from scratch does not guarantee a different outcome or that the problem will go away.
You must overcome it in order to move forward with your business.
If you can’t do it yourself, find a freelancer on Fiverr and pay them to do it for you.
It’s sometimes easier and faster to tap into the expertise of another person who is an expert at the task than to use up all your time on the task at hand.
Never quit because something in your business is causing you problems.
That’s like hitting the snooze button on your business.
Every online business has it’s stumbling blocks.
The difficult truth is that starting and running an online business is like getting repeatedly kicked in the stomach… It will happen even if your business is successful.
The kicking continues, but your pain threshold just goes up.
So, prepare to be kicked and keep going despite the discomfort.
Constantly repeat
Continue to improve your techniques, performance and output as you gain expertise in what you do.
You will fail numerous times.
However, if you continue to make adjustments and put in the consistent effort, you will achieve the goals you put forth.
Conclusion
Your success in business is not dependent on any one course.
It will depend solely on you.
If a course is legitimate and others are succeeding with it, you can, too.
It all comes down to staying focused and putting your nose to the grindstone until you succeed.
Too many beginners blame the courses and ignore the power of taking action.
In reality, you create your own success.
You can have the steps laid out for you in the course, but only with the time and effort will you discover a blueprint that works for you.
That’s truly how you profit with every good online marketing course you buy.
“Overnight success stories take a long time.” – Steve Jobs
