Why you probably already know how to market your online course

By Jeff Cobb.  Last Updated on September 20, 2021

Woman at flip chart pointing at viewer - marketing teaching similarities

There’s a great old song by the band America with a line that goes “Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man, that he didn’t already have.”

The Tin Man, you may remember, was the Wizard of Oz character who wanted a heart. He didn’t have one – or so he thought – because he was not a real man. The Wizard helps the Tin Man understand that he already has plenty of heart, he just needs to open his eyes a bit and appreciate his own best qualities.

The situation is similar for many edupreneurs.

No, edupreneurs usually aren’t seeking a heart – the better ones tend to have plenty – but large numbers of them write to me seeking marketing help. Usually they are asking for help because they feel they are not – and cannot become – real marketers.

But I think they are wrong.

You see, they already possess the key advantage the the best marketers have: the ability to teach.

To teach is to exercise influence and share knowledge in a way that will change behavior.

To market is the same.

For edupreneurs, marketing effectively means sharing much of the same knowledge with your prospects as you will with your customers (i.e., your students).

You may use somewhat different methods – a blog or social media for marketing purposes, for example, versus an online course platform for actually teaching. And, the recipient will be at a different point in their journey with you – prospects will be learning about the value you offer while students will getting full access to that value.

But the desired outcome is the same: to lead each person you touch toward positive change.

There are, of course, technical and tactical aspects of marketing that it may be desirable to outsource, but you really can’t – and probably don’t want to – outsource the heart of marketing.

The heart of marketing is teaching, and it’s already in you.

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