The Dirty Little Secret of the Online Course Industry...

My 1Password account is (metaphorically) bulging at the seams with logins for online courses and memberships I haven’t finished, haven’t started, or completely forgot I bought.

And I know I’m not alone.

Most of us, at some point, have signed up for a course to learn a new skill, improve an existing one, or finally master something that no matter how much you work shows no sign of improving.

(Looking at you, imposter syndrome)

I’ll admit, I’m mostly to blame for not finishing them.

Mostly—but not entirely.

Because the responsibility of a course creator doesn’t end with the credit card payment and a login email.

Yet, the industry average for course completion rates sits at a woeful 𝟱-𝟭𝟱%.

Here’s the thing: getting customers to actually consume what they’ve bought doesn’t just benefit them—it has huge upsides for you, too.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

Here’s why:

1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Happy, successful students who finish your course become walking, talking testimonials.

Word of mouth is the ultimate persuasion superpower.

2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀

People are far more likely to buy again when they’ve had a great experience and trust you.

Whether it’s a low-ticket tripwire or a high-ticket coaching program, if you deliver on your promise, they’ll be back for your next offer—and the next.

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲

Satisfied students don’t ask for refunds or file complaints. Or at least they shouldn't.

High completion rates reduce churn, protect your earnings, and create fewer customer service headaches.

So, how do you keep your completion rates high?

You need to see your customer journey with fresh eyes:

• Are you overwhelming your customers with too much, too soon?

• Do you have an engaging and effective onboarding process?

• Are you making it easy for them to track progress and celebrate wins?

The good news? It’s all fixable.

If your course completion rates are tanking and you don’t know what to do, send me a message.

I’d love to help you create a course your students can’t wait to finish.

Is your lead magnet building your business—or just your email list?

I’ve been working with a long-term client over the last few months to review and refine her customer journey.

She currently uses a free mini-course that she’s incredibly proud of—rightly so.

It’s jam-packed with value, demonstrates her teaching style, and serves as a great introduction to her brand and what she stands for.

But…

It’s not generating the engagement we’d like from her new subscribers.

The sad truth is that people don't value FREE, so you only have limited time to grab that engagement.

And while her email list generates the majority of her revenue and fills her courses and launches incredibly well, I couldn’t help but notice:

Too many subscribers weren’t taking the leap to become paying customers.

Here’s the new strategy we’re rolling out to fix that:

1️⃣ A New PDF Lead Magnet

We’ve created a downloadable guide that delivers three major breakthroughs for her new subscribers.

It’s bold and direct and takes a stand against some of the ideas in her industry with which she strongly disagrees.

To keep new subscribers connected to her teaching style, we’re adding an embedded video on the confirmation page. It’s personal, welcoming, and sets the tone for what they can expect.

2️⃣. Driving Traffic To Waitlist Pages

Each of the breakthroughs in the lead magnet aligns with one of her signature courses that launch throughout the year.

We’re inviting subscribers to join the waitlists if they want to learn more, giving us a great way to plant the seed for future launches and give revenue a boost, too.

3️⃣ Monetising the Welcome Sequence

After downloading the guide, new subscribers enter a Welcome Sequence that will promote one of her most popular low-ticket evergreen courses.

It’s been a proven winner in the past, so instead of starting from scratch, we’re repurposing an existing promo sequence to keep things streamlined.

This three-pronged approach will:

• Attract her ideal clients while naturally filtering out those who aren’t a good fit.

• Boost future course launches by engaging warm, pre-qualified leads.

• Introduce her new subscribers to a high-value, low-ticket course that teaches essential skills they’re keen to learn.

By rethinking her strategy, we’re boosting revenue, increasing engagement, and positioning her as a trusted expert in her space.

It’s so easy to set up a lead magnet and let it do its thing on autopilot, but sometimes, taking a step back and reviewing the entire customer journey can have a huge impact.

If you’d like me to take a look at your lead-gen strategy, send me a message.

I’d love to help! 👀

Is your business turning away customers without even realising it?

Every business comes with its own terminology and jargon—terms you use day in and day out. But to your potential customers, it can be like you’re speaking another language.

And if this creeps into your marketing, you might as well be saying, this isn’t for you…

But that’s not always a bad thing…

Because it all hinges on knowing who you’re looking to attract.

Appealing to the Unaware

If your ideal client is early in their journey—whether they’re new to your industry, market, or just discovering you—you need to strip as much jargon out of your messaging as possible.

The last thing you want is for confusing terms or insider language to push people away.

Break it down. Spell it out. Give them confidence that *you* understand where they’re starting from.

Clarity builds trust, and trust fosters loyalty.

But sometimes, simplifying too much can be a mistake.

Attracting the More Advanced

People are naturally drawn to those who look, think, and sound like them.

Using jargon and industry terms can mark you out as “one of them” and go a long way towards building a sense of community and connection. 

In this case, jargon isn’t a barrier—it’s a magnet. It signals that you know your stuff and gives your audience confidence that you’re the right guide for them.

After all, you’re an expert who’s speaking their language.

A Guide Showing Them the Way

And then there’s the aspirational audience—those who may not be market-savvy… yet… but want to be.

This is where getting your messaging right becomes a delicate balancing act.

I’m working with a client who’s creating a course that teaches people how to make money through property investment.

The property market is complicated, full of terminology and jargon and legalise that we can’t get rid of.

While we’re simplifying as much as possible, our audience also needs to have confidence that we know what we’re talking about.

After all, we’re guiding them through six- and seven-figure investment decisions.

One idea I suggested to help? 

A new lead magnet: an A-Z of property terms.

It’s perfect for people who don’t know their arrears from their equity—or who thought gazumping was a cold tomato soup.

With it, we acknowledge the complexity of the industry while holding out a hand to people with an offer to show them the way.

Where Does Your Messaging Sit?

Are you unintentionally pushing away leads with confusing jargon?

Are you dumbing down your messaging too much and missing out on more advanced customers?

Are you positioning yourself as an expert your audience can trust?

It all comes down to knowing your ideal customers—who they are, where they are, and what they need from you.

If you’re struggling to find that balance, I help course creators and coaches walk the line every day.

And if you need someone to guide you through creating messaging that connects with the right customers no matter where they are on their journey, send me a DM today, and let’s chat.

Let’s make your business impossible to ignore.

Summarise this email. SIGH

Gmail has jumped on the bandwagon that Apple started a few months ago.

It’s the nuclear option to a very real problem: inboxes are out of control.

Spam pitches.

“Last chance to buy” emails.

Promises to deliver “10 to 20 qualified leads.”

That’s the noise your emails have to rise above or risk the dreaded 1-2-3-click:

• Delete

• Unsubscribe

And now:

• Summarise this email

No matter how much effort you—or your copywriter—put into pouring your heart into your launch sequences or emails, with just one click, it all becomes two or three bullet points that an AI algorithm decides are “important.”

It’s a wake-up call.

Because if you haven’t invested in nurturing the relationship with your subscribers—and if your messaging isn’t cutting through the noise—you’ve had it.

This isn’t anything new. It’s just the Spam folder on steroids.

It’s what Gary Halbert referred to as the A-Pile and the B-Pile.

So, how do you make sure you make the A-cut?

The same way we always did:

1️⃣ Never stop getting to know your customers better

Speak to them. Show an interest in them. Ask them what they’re struggling with, why they bought from you, or why they didn’t. And listen if the topics begin to change—it’s an early warning triage that your messaging is drifting away.

2️⃣ Speak their language

See all that industry jargon and buzzwords creeping into your copy? So do your customers. It’s what everyone else in your industry is saying, and it just washes over them. Be different.

3️⃣ Have something interesting to say

Every email should teach your customers something new—about you, your product, or how it helps them. Or even your opinion on Timothée Chalamet playing Bob Dylan.

(you can guess what I did at the weekend. 10/10 would recommend)

4️⃣ Be unforgettable

Be a real person with opinions and ideas your reader cares about. Make your emails something they look forward to—not something they’d ever want AI to summarise.

5️⃣ Leave them wanting more

I’m not just talking about open loops teasing the next email’s content (though that can help). If you’ve done your job right, your subscribers will trust you to guide them through the chaos life throws their way.

Why would they ever unsubscribe?

The inbox might be noisier than ever, but if you want your subscribers to tune in to you and block out the rest, your emails and social posts need to be ones they can't afford to miss—no matter what new AI-dea threatens to come between you and your fans.

And if you need help to articulate that for your customers, send me a message and let’s chat.

Think of me as your noise-canceling copywriter.

Stuart

The latest marketing phrase doing the rounds

You can’t go five minutes on LinkedIn before hearing the current phrase-de-jour tripping out of the mouths of the latest LinkedIn Influencer with an opinion.

But beneath the buzzword lies one of the most important opportunities—and potential pitfalls—for your course and content. Because it’s just a trendy way to talk about something that marketers have known about for years—knowing your customer is key to your success.

Knowing the challenges they’re facing, the objections that are in their way, and their hopes and dreams for the future.

And the more you know about your customers, the more aligned your messaging can be—and the more likely it is they’ll go on to buy from you.

What Does It Mean to “Meet Your Customer Where They Are?”

Essentially it boils down to:

1. Understanding Their Journey: Knowing what your customer is ​doing, thinking, and feeling​ at every touchpoint and how this changes as they move along their journey with you

2. Adapting Your Messaging: Speaking to their current level of awareness, experience, and willingness to act.

3. Anticipating Their Needs—and then exceeding them: Offering the right solution at the right time so that taking the next step with you—and the next, and the next, is a no-brainer.

Of course, this is nothing new. This is rooted in the work of the late, great, Eugene Schwartz—if you’ve been in marketing for even a minute, chances are you’ve heard his work even if you haven’t heard the name.

The Stages of Awareness A.K.A. “Where They Are”

Unaware: They don’t even know they have a problem.

How to Meet Them Here: Focus on education and intrigue. Share content that sparks curiosity or sheds light on a pain point they might not have recognized.

This is your “top of funnel content” (or the more disgustingly named, TOFU 🤢)

Problem-Aware: They know something’s wrong but have no idea how to fix it

How to Meet Them Here: Address their problem head-on and show that you understand their struggle.

Dangle the carrot of your course, lead magnet, or coaching services as the best next step to take towards a solution. 🥕

Solution-Aware: They want to fix it, and are shopping around

How to Meet Them Here: Testimonials, unique mechanisms, case studies, track records…

It’s time to dig deep - what makes you and your methods so special? 🦄

Product-Aware: They’re familiar with you and your offer but need more details before they’re ready to buy.

How to Meet Them Here: Use (genuine) urgency, FOMO, transformations and outcomes to make hitting buy the only thing on their mind ⏰

Most-Aware: They’ve heard all they need to hear. Now, it all comes down to price.

How to Meet Them Here: It’s time to make an unbeatable offer and seal the deal… but can you help them get bigger, better, faster results?

(Maybe there’s an upsell in this for you… 🤑)

Ok, this all sounds great in theory, but how do you know all of this?

How do you get to know your customers “better than they know themselves?”

There really isn’t a shortcut… you’re going to have to….

🥁🥁🥁

Speak to your customers!

Get them on Zoom. Court them, bribe them if needs be, but talk to them!

Ask them about their fears, what causes them tears, and find out what makes them tick. But not just them.

Speak to your almost customers… the ones that got away.

Why didn’t they buy? What stopped them from taking the plunge?

People will always fall back on price… and time… but those same people will always find the time (and the money) for a transformation they want and so desperately need. So dig deeper. Find out what’s missing in your messaging.

Ask: Other than price, why didn’t you buy?

You’ll be amazed at what will crop up.

And a quick side note - ChatGPT can help you a lot, but… all it’s doing is telling you what everyone else is saying...

and doing...

and selling...

... and if you’re just parroting the same stuff, well, are you going to stand out?

Don’t underestimate the power of getting someone on a call, asking a question or two, and sitting back as they come up with your pre-launch content for your next campaign in a matter of moments.

Why It Matters

How do you know if you’re getting it right?

When you know… well, you’ll know because your customers will tell you.

The words “OMG, it feels like you’re talking right to me” won’t be far away.

By knowing exactly what your customers are ​doing, thinking, and feeling​ when they interact with your launches and campaigns, instead of being “sold to,” your customers feel that they’re being guided towards the outcome they’re hoping for and that you’re invested in them achieving it.

They’ll gladly spend more, buy more, and recommend you even more because of it.

And that’s the outcome we’re all working towards, right?

If I’m meeting you where you are and you’re not quite sure if your current messaging is cutting the mustard, reach out to me and let’s chat about a Customer Journey Conversion Assessment and how it can transform your customer’s experience—and your business—for the better.