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Writing e-Courses: Is Yours Really Working?

The lure of choice to get visitors to websites these days is
to offer e-courses.  After reading and analyzing 253
e-courses over a six-month period for my teleprogram:
"e-Courses:  Writing Them so they Attract," I came away with
what can make or break the success of an e-Course as well as
templates that didn't work and those that did.

The results are in:  Ninety-five percent of the ecourses
were a lot of hype with no substance.  They ranged from four
to nine emails, with seven being the average.

The first two emails told me what they were going to share
with me and got me excited about what was still to come.
The third was usually a free ebook, written by someone else
who had already given it out free on the Internet.  More
often than not telling the reader how much the ebook is
"supposedly" worth.  About 80% were already available free
on the Internet sometimes a year or more earlier. Sixteen
percent of these had the same content with a title change to
make it seem new.  A whopping 28% of them had material as
old as ten years and they didn't even change their copyright
date.  Talk about recycling -- give me a break.

When I was reading them, I felt like the old ladies on the
burger advertisement ten years ago staring at the hamburger
bun asking, "Where's the beef?" The worse part was I could
envision the mistrust it was creating in the marketplace for
future ecourses that "had the beef."

My patience fizzled around the third or fourth e-mail.  I
suspect most of their readers did as well.  For analysis and
learning, I pushed ahead to emails four, five, six and
seven.  Seventy-one percent of all the emails had a poor
value/advertising mix.  The average had a 60/40 formula (60%
advertising or marketing and 40% value).

Many ask the reader to buy the "full" ecourse on that topic.
Since the first ecourse didn't offer anything I found myself
wondering if zero multiplied by zero would add up to more
than zero?  It only took me one hand too!

If you want people to buy more of something you need to
offer, "double beef patties with special sauce, lettuce,
tomato on a sesame bun" and a choice of fries.

Here's how to beef-up your ecourses with a side of fries:

Write them in a conversational style that lets the reader
get to know you.  Readers want to understand what they are
reading.  Write them at an 8th grade level, just like any
newspaper.  Omit the hypnotic phrases and subtle commands
the sales copy gurus recommend.

Include new and innovative ideas -- thinking that is
"outside the box."  It isn't necessary to give away the
store, but you do want to let readers know that you know
your stuff.

If you material is six months or older, take time out and
review it.  Add new thoughts and rejuvenate it.  Show how
you have evolved.  If you don't, there will be a disconnect
between the ecourse and other material you have written
currently or if they call you.  The material will be the old
you and the other will be the new you.

Create visualizations of your concepts so that the reader
will understand how to use them in business.  If you write
the visual out and there are directions on how to do
something, first test those directions out.

Include resources that are specific and inclusive -- not
just limited to your affiliations.  The reader is not
daffish; they can see when something you recommend is also
listed in the resource area as an affiliate link.  One or
two affiliates' links, offered after building trust, are
fine, but let the reader know the truth.  If the link is
helpful, your clients will not mind it if you are splitting
the fee.  You just gave them the beef with a side of fries.

e-Courses are designed to build relationships, to give
value, and not to make a quick sale.

Ask for feedback from the reader in the third or fourth e-
mail and again at the end.  Always allow them the option to
submit anonymously.   Make their feedback as comfortable and
easy to submit to you.  More importantly, listen to it when
it comes.  One feedback is worth ten future subscribers.

Offer inspirational dialogue to keep your reader moving
along and feeling empowered about spending the time reading
the ecourse.

At the end of each e-mail, explain what's coming up and how
it will move them toward what they are trying to accomplish.

e-Courses are designed to build a relationship, build value,
and not make a quick sale.  Until someone takes out their
credit card and buy something from you, the words are just
like air.

Statistics say that the two main reasons people come to the
Internet is to communication quickly and to research
information.  If you give those seekers solid, valuable
information, they will come back.  The telephone and the
reception desk are not the only places where "moments of
truth" occur.  Your ecourse is your moment to make a first
and lasting impression.  Don't dangle a carrot on a stick
-- give them the "beef."

Catherine Franz, a Business Coach, specialized in writing,
marketing and product development.  Newsletters and
additional articles:  http://www.abundancecenter.com
blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

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