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No Audience for Your Online Course? No Problem, Start Here!

How to Create an Online Audience

One of the most common concerns I hear from course creators is: “I want to create a course… but I don’t have an audience yet.”


I get it. It can feel like a chicken-and-egg situation. You need an audience to sell your course, but you also want to launch your course to build an audience.


So here’s the truth:​You don’t need a massive following to launch a successful course. What you need is the right strategy and a few foundational steps to grow an audience of people who trust you and actually want what you’re creating.


Here’s where to begin:


1. Start Sharing Value Before You Build the Course

People follow those who help them. So before you even film your first lesson, start sharing content that’s genuinely useful for your ideal student.


This could be:

  • A short how-to video or blog post

  • A helpful checklist or downloadable resource

  • A tip or insight related to your course topic


The goal? Get them thinking: “If this free content is this good, the course must be even better.”


As I've mentioned in a previous post, I created my YouTube Channel approx. 6 months before I published my first course. This helped me by creating a small but loyal group of subscribers who enjoyed my free content and could see the real value in what I was sharing.

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2. Create a Lead Magnet to Grow Your Email List

An email list is your best friend as a course creator because it’s personal and direct.

The best way to grow one? Offer a freebie (also called a lead magnet) in exchange for an email address.


Examples:

  • “7 Steps to Online Course Creation” (sound familiar?)

  • “Free 5-Day Mini Training”

  • “Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Building Your Online Course”

You can see how I've developed these lead magnets on my website if that assists: https://www.globalselfpublishing.com/thinkific-course-creation​

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3. Be Consistent, Not Perfect

You don’t need to post every day. But consistency builds trust and trust builds an audience.

Start with just one channel you enjoy (email, LinkedIn, YouTube—whatever feels natural). Post once or twice a week, and keep it simple: share tips, answer common questions, or show behind-the-scenes of your course creation process. You might even recognise that I'm currently in a rhythm of posting once per f/night about online course creation.

The more real and helpful you are, the more people will tune in.

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I'll Show You Exactly How to Build Your Course

Register for my free 2-hour Thinkific course.



And don’t forget, if you sign up to Thinkific using my affiliate link and become a paying customer, I’ll throw in a free 1:1 coaching call (valued at $200 USD) to help you build your audience and course. https://try.thinkific.com/RomneyNelson


You don’t need thousands of followers. You just need to start building trust with the right people, one step at a time.


All the best with your online course creation,


Romney

Founder of Global Self-Publishing

Best-Selling Course Instructor

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