Janice Wald: How She Uses Instagram Stories to Sell Her Online Course

Welcome to Course Creator Series, where you can learn directly from experienced course creators on how you can monetize and grow your online business.

I’m your host, Dr. Destini Copp and I help entrepreneurs reduce their reliance on 1:1 services or agency type work and scale their digital product revenue. Today, I had the pleasure of interviewing Janice Wald.

Janice Wald is the founder of MostlyBlogging.com. She is an ebook author, blogger, blogging coach, blogging judge, freelance writer, and speaker. She was nominated as the 2021 and 2019 Best Internet Marketer by the Infinity Blog Awards and in 2017 as the Most Informative Blogger by the London Bloggers Bash. She's been featured on Small Business Trends, the Huffington Post, and Lifehack.

Thanks so much for joining us! Before we begin, please tell us about your business.

I have been in business for seven years. My journey as an entrepreneur is an ongoing evolution. Circumstance dictated much of my journey. My daughters left home to go to college, I completed a Master's Degree Program in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, and I saw the movie "Julie and Julia."

The movie, about a blogger, inspired me to start a blog and start writing online since the film showed the joys of blogging through the story of a real-life blogger.

The Master's Program gave me confidence in my writing, and without my daughters in the home, I had time to pursue blogging. Initially, blogging was a hobby. Within six months, I knew blogging was going to continue long-term. I also knew I wanted to monetize my blog.

Start at the beginning of your journey. What were things like for you?

I initially started at Blogger, Google's blog site. Things were rocky. For instance, my mom, who didn't have a Google account, couldn't see my blog. Within a short time, I moved to WordPress.com, where I spent most of my first year as a blogger.

How did you feel? What was keeping you up at night?

At first, I felt disillusioned by the lack of traffic. I believed in my writing ability and had a passion for writing but didn't know how to generate traffic to interest others.

At what point did things change for you? What was the pivotal moment?

Frustrated to the point of heartbreak, I started studying how to be a successful blogger. That was the pivotal moment in early 2015. I blogged about what I learned. I'll never forget the joy I felt when I blogged about how to use Google Analytics, and I got a boatload of traffic. The amount of traffic and my subsequent adrenaline rush were daunting.

I realized if I planned to study blogging, I might also blog about how to be a successful blogger. I've been in the blogging niche ever since. That niche broadened. Today, I blog about all aspects of blogging: marketing, SEO, and social media. I also blog about productivity and business.

What are the top three mistakes you made in your entrepreneurial journey, and what would you do differently?

Initially, I guessed how to get Google traffic, and I was wrong.

I optimized in a way that made sense to me but generated very little Google traffic to my blog. Today, I look back at my mistakes and groan. I advise all bloggers to learn SEO and optimize correctly.

My next mistake was neglecting my family. We can't get time back. I ignored my husband, my pet, and my daughter to work on my blog.

Lastly, I should have outsourced sooner. I was so happy once I started monetizing, I was reluctant to part with the money to pay for help and necessary blogging tools.

Please tell us about your marketing? What has worked for you? What hasn't worked for you?

According to Google Analytics, search engine traffic accounts for more than 77% of my website traffic. Search engine marketing (SEM) is working for me. Many people tell me they find me on Google. However, as a freelancer, people tell me they see me on Instagram and Twitter, so both SEM and SMM (social media marketing) have worked for me.

What hasn't worked for me? I am constantly finding different techniques to monetize my blogging school. Happily, my blogging school co-founder handles much of the responsibilities of the school. For this reason, I ultimately leave the marketing decisions to him.

What is your top traffic source, and why do you think it's working for you?

As mentioned, my leading traffic source is Google. I study SEO, so this works since I know how to optimize. At my blogging school, you learn SEO.

What are some of the best ways you've found students for your online course(s)?

I advertise on my website and in my content. Many of my students find the courses advertised in my sidebar and in my content on my website, Mostly Blogging. I have also received traction from Quora.

What is your entrepreneurial life like today? What pain points have vanished? How have things improved?

All these questions can be answered in one word: family. I pivoted when I involved my family. Today, my husband and daughter help me with my business. My husband is my business manager. He generates business, negotiates prices, and helps me with billing.

My daughter, who is a freelance writer, serves as my consultant. This pivot changed the course of my business. Instead of feeling guilty that I neglect them, I experience joy since they share an essential aspect of my life, my blogging business.

What are your best tips for growing your online course business organically?

I believe in the Shotgun Effect: Try many marketing strategies and repeat what works. For instance, I found students for my courses on Reddit and Quora, so I continue to market there. Students find me on my website, so I continue to do content marketing which has allowed me to promote my courses in my blog articles.

What's your favorite launch strategy? Webinars, Challenges, Video Series, etc. Why do you like this approach?

My favorite launch strategy is using Instagram Stories. Instagram has a Countdown Feature.

First, I announce a launch or a blogging event using the Countdown Sticker. Then, interested Instagrammers turn on the reminder notification.

This action puts them in my marketing funnel. I introduce myself and follow up in the DM. I also answer any questions they may have. This interaction tells Instagram we have a connection, and Instagram boosts my visibility in their feed in the future.

If you had $1,000 to spend on marketing next month, what would you spend it on?

I would buy social media ads. I am interested in Reddit ads, but my partner wants us to buy Quora ads. As far as my evergreen sales funnel, as explained, I use the Instagram Countdown Sticker.

How do you stay focused and productive in your business? What advice do you have for new entrepreneurs?

Use your family members to help you. They may have unique skills you don't have that can be an asset to you and save you time. Plus, you pick up family time and have more in common with your family members.

Also, I am a huge fan of Ahrefs. If you splurge on any blogging tool, you can't get better than Ahrefs. You get many blogging tools rolled into one.

What is your favorite quote or business book?

I recommend Dale Carnegie's, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Carnegie teaches you how to get the income you want. Name your price; the book teaches you how to get the prices you charge.

What are the top three tools you use in your online course business that you can't live without, and why?

Ahrefs is a one-stop for SEO. Every SEO tool you could want you will find at Ahrefs. Ahrefs deserves its top-notch reputation. I also use KWFinder. Keyword research is crucial to my business's success; I use Ahrefs for SEO tools like checking my keyword rankings, finding new content, and competitive analysis. However, when it comes to keyword research, I also use KWFinder. MozBar is a helpful SEO tool.

In contrast to Ahrefs and KWFinder, MozBar gives you unlimited monthly keyword searches for free. MozBar is a Chrome and Firefox extension. Use MozBar to find the Domain Authority Ranking of any site, including your own. MozBar shows you the meta descriptions of your competitors, which allows you to see their keywords. Here is more information about MozBar and a MozBar tutorial: https://mostlyblogging.com/mozbar.

What advice do you have for other online course creators or entrepreneurs out there?

Be patient; Google rewards traffic to older blogs. This longevity comes with time. Also, use the Shotgun effect of marketing: Try different strategies and replicate what works.

How can people find you to learn more?

You can find me at my website, Mostly Blogging: https://mostlyblogging.com and Twitter . You can find my Blogging Academy at https://mostlyblogging.com/academy.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us!