Competing with FREE
As you think about or build your online training, you have probably considered how hard it will be to compete against all the FREE resources out there. For example, when I googled, “how to build an online course,” 1,840,000,000 options came up. The first page was filled with articles, videos, blogs — ALL FREE.
That number could make anyone give up, but here are the reasons why people are still willing to pay.
FREE does not equal quality. Anyone can make a Youtube video, but that does not mean they are an expert, have the same experience as you, or know anything about the topic. Also, there’s just a lot of bad content out there!
FREE is not always enough. By the time people join the Learn By Design School, they have watched a million webinars, read all the blogs, and talked to other people that have online training, but they still haven’t started. Why? Because they need structure, more info, and support. I have learned that accountability and direction are the number one reasons people build their first online course.
To learn more about this, watch Marie Forleo’s 7-minute video on FREE vs. paid. 80% of her content is free, but she also has a $2,000 online training with a WAITLIST.
P.S: Oprah loves her business.
To play this video, view this post from your live site.
Why do people pay for online training?
Credibility — they want to learn from someone with a proven track record.
We don’t value FREE — It’s a little psychology, but we associate value with price. Let’s learn from this entrepreneur who offered his $2,000 course for free and no one logged in.
Big fans — We love supporting people we admire and appreciate. This is why the average A-list celebrity gets over $100k in FREE stuff annually.
We need more than FREE. If people know that your training will help them change some aspect in their life (lose weight, change careers, find a man), then they are willing to pay for it.
So, as you work on your training, don’t get discouraged. There are plenty of people out there that are willing to pay for your expertise.
Our Favorite Tool of the Week
Want to add a caption to this image? Click the Settings icon.
I’m a big fan of infographics. They are more visually appealing and easier than writing in some cases. Also, infographics generate more clicks than text or images. We tried many different tools, but Venngage is the easiest to learn and is affordable for startups.
