How to Add an Online Course to Your Freelance Portfolio
As a freelancer, you’ve probably had people who would like to work with you, but they aren’t quite ready yet. So, how do you reduce reliance on your freelance work while still having something to offer your clients who can’t afford your services or aren’t quite ready to work with you? What if you could show them a few steps to get them started with an online course so they will be prepared to work with you in the future?
Freelancers Who Are Ready to Add an Online Course to their Portfolio
Freelance Web Designer Example
Let's assume you're a freelance web designer. You've been doing freelance web design work for a few years, helping other business owners with their Squarespace websites. You first got started on Fiverr and Upwork, and now you find your clients from customer referrals and people searching for a Squarespace website designer from Google.
Your business has evolved over the years, and you charge $5K to build someone's website. Over the past few months, you had at least five potential clients that couldn't afford your $5K fee. You hate to lose business, and you sometimes worry that you may not have enough work, but you don't want to reduce your fee to take them on as a client.
You've also had some business owners approach you and ask if you could teach them how to set up a basic site; they said at some point in the future they wanted to come back and hire you to build them a "fancy" website, but at this point, they need a small, basic site so they can get started.
An online course teaching these business owners how to set up their "starter" Squarespace website would fulfill this need and allow you to help more people. It would also decrease your reliance on your one-on-one services.
Social Media Manager Freelance Example
Let's assume that in your business, you offer social media management services. Your days are spent working one-on-one with clients. In addition, you may have some contractors that work for you, helping you manage your client's social media accounts. You're stressed managing 15+ client accounts and your contractors. You feel that you're working 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
When you add a digital product, such as an online course or membership, to your offer portfolio, this allows you to say "no" to select one-on-one work or let a client go.
You can also offer your online course or membership to clients who want to work with you but can't afford your monthly retainer social media management fee.
How to Position Your Freelance Services Versus Your Online Course on Your Website
One of the best ways to sell your digital products like an online course or membership without stress is through an automated or evergreen sales funnel. Here's what this looks like:
A potential client comes to your website and is interested in your social media management services. On your website, you can show them two ways they can work with you:
1) Your done for you social media management services - click here to set up a consult which leads to a calendar where they can set up a time to meet with you to learn more.
2) Learn with me - Click here to learn more, leading them to sign up for a recorded webinar. At the end of the webinar, you promote your online course or membership.
They have until a specific date to sign up at a reduced rate (there are multiple ways to create urgency and promote action). A sales email sequence is delivered to them until they sign up for your online program or the deadline has ended for the discounted rate. You can then promote your online program to them in the future, even if they didn't buy right away.
Do any of these examples sound like you? If so, keep reading.
How to Add an Online Course to Your Freelance Portfolio
One of the best ways to get started in online course creation is through a mini-course, also known as a tiny product or starter course.
Here are several reasons why I love mini-courses for new online course creators:
With a mini-course, you can use it as a tripwire to gain an instant customer, and it can help fund or even cover your ad costs. Or, you can sell it directly from your website.
It can serve as a starting point for your clients and give them a taste of what it’s like to work with you so you can upsell your services or future courses.
I’ll take you through the steps and give you some examples of how to get started. Remember, you are not creating a high-end premium offer where you may spend months creating the content and making sure you have the perfect signature offer.
The mini-course is just a tiny offer to get them started. In the website designer example above, one possible option for a mini-course teaches them how to set up their starter Squarespace website.
Now, let’s walk through the exact steps on how you can add an online course to your freelance portfolio in the next seven days.
Day 1: Discover Your Profitable (Mini) Course Idea
In my own business, I focus on helping online course business owners sell their online course using online sales funnels and Facebook and Instagram ads.
However, I found that many people who were coming to me to create a list-building ad campaign needed help creating a lead magnet worthy of a Facebook ad.
So, I decided to create a mini-course to help them with this step.
Another example in my business is my Ad Starter Kit.
This mini-course (I also use it as a tripwire) walks you through creating your first ad campaign with some templates to help you get started.
To discover your profitable mini-course idea, think about what you could offer to kickstart your students’ momentum. What is keeping them from moving forward?
In the two examples I provided above, because my clients wanted to run a list-building Facebook ad but didn’t have a lead magnet that would be great for an ad campaign, my Magic Attraction mini-course was a perfect tiny offer.
In my other example, my students want to dip their toes in Facebook ads, but didn’t know where to start. My Ad Starter Kit is perfect for them to walk through exactly how to create their first ad campaign.
If you’re stuck on your topic for your mini-course, answer this question:
WHAT’S KEEPING MY STUDENTS FROM MOVING FORWARD?
Once you’ve determined this, you have your course idea for your mini-course.
Day 2: Create your Course Outline
This step is action oriented so get a piece of paper and a pen or a Google docs before you start!
At the top of your paper, outline your promised transformation. This is the result that your students will accomplish after completing your course.
For example, in my Magic Attraction course, the promised transformation is that my students will create a lead magnet that’s worthy of a Facebook ad so they can attract action takers and not freebie seekers.
Next, I want you to brainstorm content ideas for your course.
It’s important to keep in mind that this is a mini-course. You should be laser focused on one topic and your promised transformation.
This is not the time to teach them everything you know. It’ll overwhelm your students and affect their success.
For instance, most of my mini-courses are only three to five lessons.
In addition to the lessons, I have supplemental resources like workbooks, checklists or cheat sheets.
I may also have sections that include a tech library or how to resources.
I also recommend you brainstorm what bonus material you can include to help sell your mini-course.
Bonuses are great selling features, but keep in mind bonuses should not be required to achieve your promised transformation. They are above and beyond resources that helps your audience take their learning to the next level.
For example, in my Magic Attraction mini-course, I have two main bonuses.
How to Create a Tripwire (so you can gain instant customers and fund your Facebook ads)
7 Proven Ways to Grow Your Email List (without spending a dime)
Both bonuses help my students achieve some awesome results, but if I didn’t include this content in the mini-course, they would still achieve the transformation I promised them.
A simple way to create your course outline for a mini-course looks like this:
Promised Transformation: List your promised transformation here
Course Outline
Lesson 1: Topic
Supplemental resource (e.g. workbook, cheat sheet or checklist)
Lesson 2: Topic
Supplemental resource (e.g. workbook, cheat sheet or checklist)
Lesson 3: Topic
Supplemental resource (e.g. workbook, cheat sheet or checklist)
Lesson 4: Topic
Supplemental resource (e.g. workbook, cheat sheet or checklist)
Lesson 5: Topic
Supplemental resource (e.g. workbook, cheat sheet or checklist)
Additional Resources (if applicable)
List any additional resources here
List any additional resources here
Bonuses!
List Bonus #1 here
List Bonus #2 here
List Bonus #3 here
Day 3: Build Your Online Course Teaching Slides
If you’re teaching how to use a software or app, in this step, you will outline exactly what you will cover in your screen share when you record.
If you’re new to building presentations, I recommend that you start with Canva. You can make a beautiful and engaging presentation in Canva with their free account. You can create your lesson presentation in Canva and use this to record your course videos with your voice over.
You don’t have to be a designer to use Canva for your course slides. In fact, with the template I’ve provided you can just plug in your content, modify for your branding and you’re good to go!
Here are some tips for creating your slides for your lessons:
When you’re adding text, be short and to the point. You don’t want paragraphs of information on your slides. That’ll make it hard to follow.
On some of my slides, I use bullet points. On others, I include one main point on the slide.
Engaging photos are great to use in your course lessons. It keeps your audience focused on what you’re teaching and they’re visually appealing.
On my slides, I also combine text and images. This is a great way to convey your point and to keep your presentation visually engaging.
Day 4: Record Your Course Videos
When you’re ready to record your course videos, here are the tools you’ll need:
Your presentation slides
Microphone
Webcam (if you want to record a face to camera video)
Zoom
For your microphone, I recommend a Blue Snowball or a Blue Yeti. You can get studio quality audio and I’ve even used both of them for my podcast recordings.
Zoom is my favorite tool for recording my course videos. In fact, I use it for my client meetings, group coaching sessions, and recording my podcast episodes!
Zoom has a free version that you can to record your slides.
Day 5: Host Your Course Content
Before I begin here, I want to mention that the success of your online course is not dependent upon your online course platform.
Now, a lot of entrepreneurs believe this is the most important decision they will make and may get stuck in decision paralysis.
The online course platform market is saturated and there are many providers to choose form so it’s no wonder that someone may get overwhelmed.
Let me keep it simple for you.
You have two main options for delivering your online course content:
Your own website
Course platform
Your Wordpress Site
One option is to host on your own Wordpress site. Some pros of this approach – It’s cheaper and you have more control over the customization (although sometimes this is a bad thing!). However, you need to have some technical expertise or be prepared to outsource.
I would suggest that you use a Wordpress plug-in if you’re a do-it-yourself type of person and you want to save money and have control.
Also, for this option, you’ll need other integration tools such as a place to host your videos (e.g. Vimeo) and course files (e.g. Amazon S3).
Course Platform
There are many benefits to using a course platform. Using their platform, you can simply upload your course content including videos, workbooks, cheat sheets and any supplemental material that you’ve created for your online course.
They also have built in payment processing so once someone purchases your course, they have access immediately or at the date you designate.
Some of them offer affiliate marketing capabilities which makes it super easy to run an affiliate program to sell your online course.
There are also options in the market to host your entire website presence including your blog, sales funnel landing pages, and email marketing. It’s easy to get stuck on this decision and you can get sidetracked by analysis paralysis.
While this is an important decision – it’s not a final decision.
For some reason, if you aren’t happy with your decision or you outgrow your online course platform, you can always migrate to a different platform in the future. I’ve seen major online course owners with thousands of students successfully migrate their courses with ease.
Day 6: Name Your Mini Course
Now it’s time to name your course. You want to give your course a name that sells but know that your sales funnel will be the key driver of selling your online course.
If you're stuck, consider these easy naming conventions:
(your content) Lab/School/University/Academy/Institute
(the result you are promising) in X days
(the content) for (your target market)
(your steps) formula/system/blueprint for (the result)
Rock it With x
How to create X that gets x
Beginners/Advanced Guide to x
DIY X
The Ultimate Guide to x
Let’s assume that your mini course teaches people the basics of how to set up their website with Squarespace using our example here. Based on the naming conventions above, here are some possible names for your course:
Squarespace Lab
Create a Squarespace Website (in a weekend)
Squarespace Website for Wedding Photographers
5 Short Steps to Create Your Beautiful Squarespace Website
Rock it With Squarespace
DIY Squarespace
How to Create a Squarespace Website that Converts Browsers into Clients
Beginner’s Guide to Squarespace
The Ultimate Guide to Squarespace
Day 7: Price Your Mini Course
If you’re having difficulty pricing your online course, then you’re not alone. Pricing your online course can be one of the hardest decisions to make.
The general price points for mini courses (aka tiny offers or starter courses) range from $27 - $47 for the B2B market (when you're marketing to businesses) and around $7 - $27 for the B2C market (when you're targeting consumers).
You can still price a mini course at $97 and it can sell like hotcakes!
Consider the following:
Did you intend on using it more as a lead magnet to gain instant customers?
Did you plan to use it as a tripwire or sell it directly from a Facebook ad?
If so, it needs to be priced accordingly.
So there you go! Good luck with your online course!
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