How do you create efficient online course ads

Oct 17, 2024

     Reader Disclosure

Adverts to promote online classes that draw interest and reach out to your intended audience can be great way to boost conversions and stand out in a crowded e-learning market

What's inside? Toggle

With thousands of classes with the same amount of students right ad can be the difference in ensuring that your course is able to draw interest.

If you're not yet considering the possibility of advertising your course as a possibility to promote your online course but aren't certain why, we'll give you convincing arguments of why you should.

At the conclusion of this post, you'll have learned how to create appealing copy and pictures as well as optimizing ads for performance.

The reason why online course advertisements are Essential

Online Course Ads Benefits Infographic

The most important reason is visibility. By paying for advertising, you'll make sure your company's name is seen by the right people.

Unlike other methods such as organic content searches, there is a 100% promise that the course's advert will be noticed.

This can be a huge gain for the course's owners as well as Academies just starting to get started. It will take a lot of time and energy to build a community of followers.

Paid advertisements On the other hand will get your information visible to people who are most likely to be enrolled in your group more quickly.

The increased exposure also increases the trustworthiness. Repetition builds awareness as well as confidence in prospective students. This makes conversions more likely.

What's more, you can determine the exact demographics of those who will be exposed to the advertisement. Additionally, you can employ the retargeting technique to reach out to those who've shown an interest in your online course ad without enrolling.

The amount of campaign's success will depend on the strategy you select and your total strategy, which comprises:

  • The location where you'll post your advertisements
  • Which format should you choose
  • The effectiveness of your copy and the message you convey

The next aspects will be addressed as well as further in the sections that follow.

How can you make your ads appear

First thing you need to do is to determine which channels are the best suited to the image of your business. Also, what's the place where you want your target audience is most likely to encounter the online course advertisement?

Also, if the program you're promoting is focused around international dishes, social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook will be more appropriate because that's where your target clients are likely to be.

to get the most value out the effectiveness of your advertisements The most important thing about picking an online platform to run ads is that you have to know how to utilize all the options that are available

This is a brief overview of all the different platforms as well as features that they provide to ensure that your advertisements are published the best possible method.

Instagram

  • Reels Let's do 90-second ads.
  • Stories allows you to set up your unique and engaging course ads in just 24 hours
  • Instagram Feed allows you to create an effective visual course advertisement that has the correct caption to grab the attention of your viewers while they scroll.

Facebook

  • Stories for short and appealing videos that last as long as 24 hours
  • Video Ads: For long-form video ad content
  • Messenger Ads customers who see ads on Messenger are invited to begin an exchange with your online business class.

YouTube

  • In-stream advertisements that can be skipped Advertisements are shown in user videos that users can select to ignore them.
  • Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads advertisements are shown as user videos that users must watch from start until the end
  • Discovery ads : These advertisements show up in YouTube search results, related videos, as well as the home page
  • Bumper Ads: Six-second non-skippable ads perfect for delivering a quick, impactful message

LinkedIn

  • Sponsored Content advertisements can be content sponsored by a sponsor that appears directly in the LinkedIn feed. This is a standardized advertising format that is built into LinkedIn.
  • YouTube Videos LinkedIn's targeted targeting is sophisticated and makes sure that your videos will be seen by the most appropriate audience.
  • Text ads Text ads are easy and targeted ads that are shown in the sidebar of LinkedIn's LinkedIn interface. They're cost-effective for driving traffic to your landing pages for your course.
  • sponsored messaging (InMail): These ads are delivered as customized messages directly into LinkedIn users Inboxes

Search Engines (Google)

  • Google Search Ads lets you target those who are searching currently for courses online or similar issues.
  • Google Display Network Google Display Network Google Display Network lets advertisers use images or video advertisements to reach people using thousands of apps, websites as well as Google-owned properties including YouTube
  • Discovery Ads: Discovery ads allow you to connect with users at times when they're curious about new and exciting content. It also gives broad visibility across multiple platforms
  • advertising retargeting lets you re-engage users who've already visited your website or seen your ads but haven't enrolled in your program

Bonus Point! Your Current WordPress site

You can also add your courses' advertisements on your site.

It is a good alternative if you already have a website that attracts a good number of the people you want to connect with. However, you are able to upsell your course to existing customers.

If your site is WordPress it is easy to make an ad using an recycled Gutenberg block. You are free to make any kind of advertisement you like including images, video texts or images.

Ad Formats: Long/Short-Form Videos vs. Images

It's best to use an amalgamation of these formats, particularly when you're serving a diverse audience across different media.

If you're working with a budget for advertising or you want to send the right message to your audience You'll have to think about the pros and cons of every format in order to choose the best.

Here are the pros and cons of every advertisement style so that you can decide what best meets the requirements of your firm:

Long-Form Video

ProsPros

  • Lets you tell a detailed story that engages your audience
  • Perfect for explaining complex product or service
  • Facilitates more creative thinking and permits mixing storytelling techniques.
  • Offers increased viewer retention for people who are looking for entertainment
  • Builds stronger emotional connections between your target and you
         Your brand's name and the people who will be it

 Cons

  • Costs of production and processing are higher as well as time.
  • Certain platforms aren't compatible like Instagram
  • It is essential to give extra attention to the majority of people can be willing to

Short-Form Video

Pros Pros

  • It's fun and fast.
  • It is great for increasing branding awareness within a relatively short period of time
  • It takes less time to make and use less of the resources
  • It's simple to share, making it a better choice to reach organically

Cons

  • Limited message depth
  • The product may not have any emotional value

Images

ProsPros

  • It is easy to design for speedy messages
  • Provides a stunning visual appeal
  • Fully adaptable to a variety of platforms
  • It is also the most cost-effective way to produce.
  • Suitable on static platforms and with less disruption

Cons

  • It can be easily overlooked
  • Video content has a low amount of interaction, when compared with videos.

After you've considered the pros and cons of each of these ad designs above, you'll now be aware of the best ways to utilize these designs, as well as what not to use and what one you should choose based on what you believe best suits your intended audience.

Effective copywriting and Effective Copy

Whichever format you choose and whatever platform you select, the content on the online course advertisement is essential.

If your content is written as a script on web-based videos or within a PPC advertising campaign the copy should be clear compelling, effective and clear to the point.

The people you want to reach must see your advertising and be thinking "Wow! I have to look into this right away!"

It's exactly what an online course ad that has an engaging headline, sharp and convincing body of text, and a compelling call to action (CTA) will accomplish.

How do you create the components efficiently?

Headlines are: Clear attention-grabbing, enticing and benefit-driven

Your headline is probably the first thing that your intended audience will notice. Be sure to create an impeccable first impression that is able to stay in their minds for an extended period of time.

It is important to ensure that the headline you choose to use is brief, concise and clearly states what you'll gain by the opportunity.

Don't try to be too clever with a variety of words instead go for simplicity and focusing on a particular idea that will resonate with the target market.

Tips for Online Course Ad Headlines

These are a few other items you should think about:

  • Use phrases that evoke emotion and excitement like "free," "proven," "easy," "guaranteed"
  • Highlight advantages that are tangible and easy to comprehend. Define what audience members will gain
  • Be sure to include numbers. In our experience, ads using numbers yield better outcomes. E.g. "Voted 1st in the class", "Get Fluent in 30 days"
  • It should be usable. Provide an example of an action that the audience is able to perform.

Examples of Headlines That Work

  1.       Learn Spanish Quickly - fluent within 3 months!
  • Power words: Fast, Fluent.
  • It is a plus that you can learn Spanish in a short amount of time.
  1.       Make more sales with tested Marketing Strategies      
  • Power words: Double, Proven.
  • Advantage: Higher sales.
  1.       Find out the Secrets of unbeatable weight loss      
  • Power words: Secret, Effortless.
  • Benefit: Weight loss is simple.
  1.       You can harness the power of Mindfulness within just 10 minutes a day      
  • Power words: Power, Unlock.
  • Benefit: Learning mindfulness with very little time.
  1.       Training at home is easy - you need no equipment!
  • Power words: No Equipment, Get Fit.
  • Benefit The fitness can be achieved without any special tools.

It is important to create headlines suitable for the platform where your ads for courses will be displayed. In particular, concise and catchy headlines perform most effectively on platforms such as Instagram for ensuring that readers are able to read them easily given the limited attention spans of users.

The most important thing is to ensure that your headline is focussed on benefits and explains why the intended readership should pay attention about it and the benefit that they will gain by engaging your readers more.

Body Text: Short, Persuasive and aligned to the demands of the audience

Once you've come up with the perfect headline, the next thing to do is to create the body copy using a persuasive tone with an easy and simple words.

Be sure to highlight your intended audience's problem issues and explain how your training can solve these problems, along with the other benefits that are irresistible.

It is possible to, for example you could explain how the program will help them advance within their field or give specific ideas for boosting their passions that they are interested in.

Make your message concise, and bear in mind the fact that you have the smallest amount of advertisement space and the short attention spans of the public.

Call-to-Action: Clear and action-oriented, as well as urgent

Your CTA must include action words like "Enroll Today," "Get Started Today," or "Download Free Guide," as they're direct and tell your customers exactly what to do the next time.

It is also crucial to convey the impression of urgency when you use your CTA to increase conversions.

By using phrases like "Limited Period Offer" or "Join before the registration closes" the audience is convinced to make a decision quickly, or risk losing access to the course.

In the event that your intended audience is already captivated by your program, it is likely that they'll hit the register button quicker than the speed of light!

You must then strategically position the CTA in your ads, whether it's a button placed on the website's landing page, or a link within the social media ads, to make it prominent and easy to get clicks.

An Example of a Successful Online Course advertisements

The last article discussed the best way to make efficient online course ads to promote the online courses you teach. It's now time to provide you with an example of effective online course advertisements and the features that help them stand out.

These are listed below:

Google Search Course Ad

It's a brief and powerful Google advertisement for Amazon's AWS available on Google's search results when you search for "online course."

From the image above, you will see that the advert clearly features an attractive headline that's appealing and also benefits-focused. The language used is easy to read and understand without any ambiguity or misinterpretation.

The CTA recommends users take action through two key actions verbs "Become" as well as "Learn," encouraging learners to take the next step toward success.

Instagram Course Ad

Screenshot of instagram online course ad

This Instagram course advertisement by CFS Health is yet another great example of a highly effective online course ad. The individual in the image advertises a course of four weeks designed to assist people with chronic fatigue syndrome manage the signs and symptoms.

The opening hook that speaks directly to the people that he's aiming at "What I would have known about the chronic fatigue syndrome".

In the next segment, he discusses his personal experience struggling with the system of healthcare and shares the course's ability to improve the results of recovery.

YouTube Course Ad

Example of an online course ad on YouTube.

Article was first seen on here