Venturing Into A Different Space
to learn something new about how best to talk about what we actually DO
Yes, I really am still thinking about this whole digital course creation/online teaching thing. I ponder these things and spend a lot of time turning them over in my head because I think there’s value in taking a step back to see what we can do better.
I really do think there are a lot of important insights into how to market breastfeeding and lactation classes to a clearly defined audience - but we have to be willing to venture into the entrepreneurial learning space in order to learn these methods.
We (in our “industry”) really have a tendency to market to wide, broad, huge groups of people. We are driven to do this because we are so passionate about getting good, reliable, evidence-based information about lactation out into the world. Unfortunately, that isn’t what research shows is the most effective way to market to the general public, so much of what we are offering is being overlooked and underutilized. (That goes for courses, classes, and consults.)
We try to do it our way because WE know how much people need the kind of evidence-based info we can provide and we take every opportunity to educate people well and thoroughly, including when we create lead magnets and freebies. The problem is that those types of education don’t necessarily draw people into our courses. They either don’t feel a connection to what we seem to be offering them - it doesn’t speak directly to them - or our courses don’t offer something unique.
That’s the hardest thing for me to see from the outside because here’s the truth: I KNOW you have a unique, valuable, important way of seeing how lactation fits in the world. I really want you to have the skills to get your unique and special perspective out there in front of more people so you can create a bigger impact.
I think that we collectively need to take a hard look at how we in the lactation field are marketing what we do in order to have the impact we want with families and be able to bring them into our services.
We’ve always tried to do it our own way, with logic and common sense and a broad scope (and those are great!) but people actually respond better to things that are customized and focused and that give them bits and pieces of what they need - and spaces that help them feel heard and connected.
That’s the key to building our audiences and our client base. It’s going to take us - members of the lactation workforce - venturing into learning zones that are made for training small business owners and marketers so that we can add in those skills and become better at the business and marketing end of our practices.
So I’ll reiterate: You can be an online course creator. Yes, you. And why would you want to?
Because it can build your business.
Let's reason this out together: if you are an IBCLC and you add an online prenatal course to your practice, you'll be attracting potential future clients to your email list (by offering them something free first, as my business mentor Amy teaches), then by offering them your course (for a fee), and building a relationship with them so that if they encounter problems with lactation when their baby is born, you'll be the first person they think of to ask for help.
<<<<>>>>>>
Remember, an online course is a tremendously scalable revenue stream, and in our specific field, building up our potential client base through teaching them prenatally solves 2 of our objectives:
we KNOW people need MORE prenatal education so that they can have an easier start to breastfeeding and making milk
we can ALSO help them after their baby is born
>>>>>But wait — Of course, you could always teach an online course to support folks who are already breastfeeding or pumping. It could be a back to work class, a class for lactating parents who want to venture into getting fit, a lactation nutrition class, a class on pumping for people who would like to pump occasionally but not rely on a pump, a class for people who are active duty military members or first responders or parents older than 35.
The options are endless.
One thing I have learned is that people are very attracted to courses that are geared toward them specifically. When you use Amy's marketing guidance to ensure you are attracting the exact folks you seek to teach, it really works!
Plus, you only have to create your course once, and then you can sell it over and over again. It becomes a business asset for you.
Meaning the bulk of the work is done up front.
The remainder of the work is making connections with beautiful souls online – like you and I have – and offering them supportive, straightforward, self-guided solutions.
Dropping some hard truth here: Social Media is not enough to build your business. It's cool and fun and flashy, but it's not enough. Hold on, let me say that again: social media is not enough.
Here's what's happening next: Amy is offering a special, limited-time bootcamp called Course Confident. Inside, you can get: What you might teach, what you’d be able to charge (based on examples across TONS of industries), how to structure your course content, how to grow an audience NOW that’s ready to enroll when you’re ready to launch - plus tons of mindset shifts and important knowledge about marketing courses online that you really need to stabilize your lactation business.
If you decide to enroll using my link in this email, I will also be giving you these bonuses:
Amy put together a little audio explanation of what the Bootcamp offers and how it can help you get into action. Listen here:
It's going to be fun to work together on our courses! I've got something new in the works myself, so I will be using the Bootcamp as a refresher as I create content, grow my email list, and build out my course.
I hope you will join me and my cohort of folks from the lactation community
who have ALREADY enrolled! We’ve already been talking about their course ideas and are excited to be working together.
The Bootcamp starts soon so you'll want to jump in as quickly as possible:)
