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How to Create Effective Online Course Ads

Oct 11, 2024

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Online course ads which grab the attention of and resonate with your intended audience is an excellent way to increase the conversion rate and stand out an increasingly crowded elearning market

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With thousands of different courses all competing for the same pool of potential students, the right ad will make all the important difference to ensure that your program is noticed by students.

If you've not yet considered advertising in your courses as a possibility to promote your online courses yet, we're here to convince you with solid reasons to consider it.

By the end of this blog post, you'll've gained practical strategies to create captivating copy and images, and optimizing your ads to maximize performance.

What are the reasons online course ads are Essential

Online Course Ads Benefits Infographic

The primary advantage is exposure. By paying for advertisements, you're making sure that your company's name is seen by your targeted public.

Contrary to other techniques, like organic content search, there is a guarantee that your course's ad will be noticed.

This can be a huge perk for instructors and Academies that are just beginning to start out. It will take a significant amount of time and effort to build an audience organically.

Paid advertising, on the other hand they can help get your material visible to those most likely to want be a part of your program faster.

The increased visibility can also lead to the credibility. Repetition builds awareness and confidence among students making conversions more likely.

Additionally, you can precisely target the exact demographic that will see your ad. It is also possible to make use of the retargeting technique to engage people who are interested in your online course ads even without having to sign up.

However, how much your course ads can achieve depends on your planning and overall strategy including:

  • Where you publish your ads
  • The format of your advertisement you select
  • The efficacy of your copy and messaging

We'll go over these points as well as additional points in the sections below.

How to publish your ads

The first thing to do is choose which platforms are best suited to your company's image. Also what is the location where your intended group most likely to come across the online course advertisement?

If the product that you're advertising is centered around international cuisine, then the social media sites like Instagram and Facebook would be much preferable as that's where your intended customers would likely to be.

For the best results of your advertisements The most important feature of selecting an online platform for your ads is you must know what you can do to take advantage of the options available

Below is a listing of the platforms they use and what capabilities they offer to help make sure your ads are posted in the best way possible:

Instagram

  • Reels Let's do 90-second commercial videos
  • Stories let you set up engaging and creative advertising for courses within 24 hours
  • Instagram Feed lets you design a solid visual course ad using the correct captions to draw the attention of your audience when they scroll

Facebook

  • Stories: For short and engaging video ads with a visual appeal which lasts 24 hours
  • Video Ads: For long-form video ad content
  • Messenger Advertisements: Users who see your advertisements on Messenger are asked to start a conversation with your online business

YouTube

  • Skippable In-Stream Advertisements: Ads are included in videos of users, and users can skip
  • Non-skippable in-stream ads: Ads are included in user videos, which users have to watch from beginning to finish
  • Discover Ads : These ads appear in YouTube search results, related videos and on the homepage.
  • Bumper Ads: Six-second non-skippable ads perfect for delivering a quick, impactful message

LinkedIn

  • sponsored content ads could be sponsored content that are directly displayed in the LinkedIn feed, thus making it a native ad format
  • Video Ads The advanced targeting capabilities of LinkedIn guarantees that your ads reach the right audience
  • Text Ads Text ads are easy and direct advertisements that show on the sidebar of the LinkedIn interface and are cost-effective in driving people to the landing page of your course.
  • Sponsored Messaging (InMail): These ads come in the form of personalised messages that are directly delivered to LinkedIn users' inboxes

Search Engines (Google)

  • Google Search Ads: Allows you to target those who are currently searching for online courses or similar issues.
  • Google Display Network: The Google Display Network lets you to use advertisements that use video or image to target users across hundreds of thousands of applications, sites as well as Google-owned properties such YouTube
  • Discovery Advertisements: Discovery ads allow the user to be reached in the moments they are open to discovering new content, offering broad visibility across multiple platforms
  • ads retargeting lets you engage users who've visited your site or engaged with your ads but haven't enrolled in your course

Bonus Point! Your Existing WordPress website

You can also add your course ads to your website.

This is an excellent solution if you have a website that already attracts a good number of your target audience. In any case you can increase the value of your course for existing customers.

If you're using WordPress You can quickly build an ad with the reusable Gutenberg block. It is free to create any kind of advert you'd like to including images, video texts, images, etc.

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

It is recommended to utilize the combination of these formats, especially if you're catering to diverse audiences across multiple platforms.

However, if you have a limited ad budget or want to convey the message in a specific way, you'll need to consider the pros and cons for each option to help to decide on the most effective.

Here are the pros and cons of every advertising format so that you choose the best format for the needs of your business:

Long-Form Video

 Pros

  • Tell a compelling tale that captivates your audience.
  • Great for explaining difficult product or service
  • Allows for more creativity and allows for a variety of storytelling strategies
  • Offers increased viewer retention for interested audiences
  • Builds stronger emotional connections between your target
     the audience as well as your brand

 Cons

  • Higher production costs and time
  • Some platforms are not compatible like Instagram
  • You demand a longer attention time than the majority of people can commit to

Short-Form Video

 Pros

  • It's easy and entertaining.
  • Great for boosting the brand's visibility in a brief duration of time
  • Requires less production time and resources
  • It's easy to share, which makes it ideal for organic reach

 Cons

  • Limited message depth
  • The product may not have an emotional impact

Images

 Pros

  • It is easy to design for speedy messages
  • It has a striking visual appeal.
  • Totally adaptable to many platforms
  • This is the most economical method for manufacturing
  • Suitable on static platforms and has less impact on the environment

 Cons

  • It's easy to forget about it.
  • Low engagement compared to videos

When you have considered the pros and cons of each of the ad designs above, you'll be aware of where you can use these formats, and what not to use and what one you should choose based on your perception of most appropriate for your intended audience.

Writing a strong message and Effective Copy

Whatever format you pick which platform or format you select, the messaging on your online course ad is paramount.

Whether your copy is delivered via script on a web-based video or written in a PPC advertisement the message should be clear, impactful and straight to the point.

The people you want to reach must see your ad and say "Wow! I must go through this ASAP!"

It's exactly what an online class advertisement with an eye-catching headline, concise and persuasive body text, and an action-oriented call to action (CTA) will do.

How to create each component effectively:

Headlines are: Clear, Attention-Grabbing and Benefit-Driven

Your headline will be the first thing your targeted viewers will see. Make sure you make a great impression that'll linger in their minds.

Create a headline that is clear, concise and clearly describes what you can gain from the offer.

Do not try to appear too witty by using vague terms instead, opt for a simple approach and focus on a specific value proposition that resonates with your target audience.

Tips for Online Course Ad Headlines

Here are some other things to think about:

  • Use power words that invoke emotion and excitement, such as "free," "proven," "easy," "guaranteed"
  • Highlight the benefits that are real and relevant. Be clear about what your audience is going to get
  • Make sure to add the number. Based on our experiences, ads with numbers lead to more rates of conversion. E.g. "Voted the #1 Class", "Get Fluent in 30 days"
  • It should be practical. Give an example of an action for the public to be able to achieve.

Examples of Headlines That Work

  1.   Learn Spanish Fast - Fluent in 3 Months!
  • Power words: Fast, Fluent.
  • The benefit is that you can learn Spanish in a short period.
  1.   Make more sales with proven Marketing Strategies
  • Power words: Double, Proven.
  • Benefit: Increased sales.
  1.   Learn the Secrets to Unparalleled Weight Loss
  • Power words: Secret, Effortless.
  • Benefit: Weight loss is easy.
  1.   Learn to harness the power of Mindfulness for just 10 minutes per Day
  • Power words: Power, Unlock.
  • Benefit: Achieving mindfulness with little time commitment.
  1.   Fitness at home - There is no equipment required!
  • Power words: No Equipment, Get Fit.
  • Benefit: Fitness is achievable even without any special equipment.

Remember to optimize your headlines for the specific platform on which your course ads will be posted. For instance, brief and sharp headlines are ideal for social media sites like Instagram in order to allow users to effortlessly read them given their limited attention spans.

Overall, the key is to ensure that your headlines are benefit-driven and explains why your readership should pay attention about it and the benefit they'll receive from engaging them more.

Body Text: Short persuasive and aligned to the needs of the audience

Once you've come up with an eye-catching headline Next step is to create the body copy using an appealing tone using an easy and simple language.

Make sure you highlight your intended audience's problem issues and explain how your training can easily address them, with other irresistible benefits.

You could, for instance, say that the course you're offering will help them advance in their profession or provide them with unique ideas to boost their hobby they're passionate about.

Be concise and keep an eye on the limited space for ads and people's short attention spans.

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

Your CTA must include action words like "Enroll now," "Get Started Today," or "Download Free Guide," as they're clear and inform your customers precisely what they need to do.

Also, you need to create a sense of urgency by using your CTA to increase conversions.

In other words, employing phrases like "Limited Time Offer" or "Join by the time registration closes" your target audience will be enticed to decide quickly or be denied access to the class.

If the audience you want to reach has already been enthralled by your program, you can ensure that they'll hit the sign-up button faster than light speed!

Finally, strategically place your CTA within your advertisements whether it's a button on your website's landing page, or a link on your social media ad so that it can be noticed and to easily generate clicks.

Example of Successful Online Course Ads

The last article discussed the process of creating effective online course advertisements to promote your online course business. It's now time to give you an example of online course advertisements that have been successful and the factors which make them stick out.

Below are the details:

Google Search Course Ad

Here's a simple and impactful Google ad for Amazon's AWS available on the results of Google's search when you enter the phrase "online courses."

If you look at the picture above you can see that the advert clearly features an appealing headline that is attractive and benefits-driven. The words used are also straightforward and clear, with none of the ambiguity and confusion.

The CTA advises that people take action through two key action verbs "Become" in addition to "Learn," encouraging learners to follow their next steps for success.

Instagram Course Ad

Screenshot of instagram online course ad

This Instagram course ad from CFS Health is another great instance of an effective online course ad. The man in the real is promoting a 4-week course designed to assist people with chronic fatigue syndrome manage the symptoms.

He starts with an opening hook that speaks directly to the audience he intends to appeal to "What I'd like to know regarding chronic the fatigue disorder".

He then proceeds to share his own experience of struggling through the healthcare system and explains how his program can increase the chances of recovery.

YouTube Course Ad

Example of an online course ad on YouTube.

Its video provides an excellent illustration of a pre-roll YouTube advertisement for courses that advertises programming courses offered by Devslopes.com.

The speaker starts with an original story before diving into details of the program and how long it will take for you to begin earning more money with the information you've accumulated.

The language used is straightforward and simple to comprehend with an effective CTA as a hyperlink at the bottom in the movie is provided to direct viewers to the site for the course.

Surprise Your Visitors With Your Landing Page

Optimize course landing page

You've created an online course advertisement that is getting attention and is attracting interest. However, it doesn't end with this.

Consider what happens next after you've captivated your target audience's attention, which is where creating a well-designed landing page comes into.

If someone is interested in your course clicks the link on your course ad and is taken to your landing page the landing page should maintain the momentum to make them sign up.

Your landing page must be designed with clear and clean layouts with compelling headlines and compelling body text that speaks to your audience.

In this way by doing this, you'll reap benefits, including increased conversions, decreased percentage of bounces and competitive advantages, and more.

It covers essential strategies like writing compelling headlines, generating clear calls to action, as well as ensuring an easy user experience. It's all created to assist you in turning people who visit your site into students.

Use Your Website to Cross-Sell Other Courses

After your customers are already visiting your website, you should consider advertising to increase sales or cross sell courses to drive more revenue.

In the case of example, if the student enrolls in a class on "Beginner Web Development,"" recommend related courses such as "Advanced JavaScript" or "UI/UX Design" for them to further improve their abilities.

If, for instance, a customer is enrolling for a photography class an order bump could include a downloadable guide on advanced techniques for editing photos.

The best part is that it's incredibly simple to set up! Simply select the items or services you'd like to showcase, and set your pricing options. Additionally, you can add an additional message that is optimized to inspire your customers to purchase. And then your checkout page is ready!

Conclusion

Ads are a great method to provide your online course an increase in visibility particularly while you're establishing your own brand.

Remember to:

  •   Select the appropriate platform to increase return on investment  
  •   Utilize a mixture of formats for ads to reach different segments of your audience.  
  •   Create a powerful message that resonates, and motivate to take action  
  •   Keep the momentum going with websites that can be converted  

Take a look at the blogs included in this blog for tips on how to maximize the effectiveness of your advertisements, drive more conversions, and increase your course's value.

What strategies have you come across as to be effective when creating advertisements for online courses? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

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Henry       Henry is an accomplished wordsmith at Caseproof and  is dedicated to offering unique insights on diverse topics ranging from WordPress plugins to digital goods and technical support services using the might of his pen. He brings words to life and finds delight in delivering helpful information which meet the requirements of the target audience, pushing them closer to their goals. Aside from his craft, Henry loves to watch films, play video games, and also play chess. He is also a people enthusiast who is passionate about building and maintaining relationships. Stay tuned for his posts Your one-stop source for WordPress, , and the success of content marketing.