What Not to Do When Pivoting from Services to Courses
Episode 342: Show Notes
Something that we repeatedly get asked about is content, specifically around what should be free and what should come at a cost, which platforms should be used to deliver the content in the best way. This is especially relevant for those of you who want to transition from services to digital offerings where you teach what you know. Truth is, there are so many different ways to approach this and this gets us overwhelmed very quickly. First of all, we’re going to give you permission to do less! So if you feel like you are doing too much and overcomplicating it, you probably are.
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If you’re running a strictly service-based business and you do not have a consistent income in that $5000 to $8000 range yet, then creating content is a massive distraction that is taking your time away from getting more clients. But if you have reached that six-figure goal, there’s really two main ways you can progress from here. One, you create an agency model, take yourself out of the work and hire people to do the work and scale from there by adding more people. Or two, you start doing less of what you’re doing now by transitioning to teaching other people how to do what you do. And this is what we’re talking about today: dos and don’ts when pivoting from services to courses, so stay tuned!
Don’t Pick More Than One Platform for Delivering Your Content
Content is the most effective way of getting your ideas out to the audience you are trying to reach and teach. There are so many different platforms through which to communicate content. Back in the day we tried to do what everybody else was doing such as blog posts and webinars and publishing our courses on various platforms such as Teachable and Udemy. What is really important here is not to pick more than one platform for at least six months to a year, because you’ll just be repeating a lot of the same content across the board and it’s going to divide your focus. As we’ve said before, simpler is better. So honing in on one is going to get you better results. Also remember that these platforms keep changing all the time, so it’s challenging to keep up as it is.
Avoid Getting Distracted and Abandoning Your Niche
In the beginning we got so distracted by wanting to offer other products all the time, partly because we didn’t yet know what would stick and be successful. We had the impulse to try everything to get to that one golden opportunity that truly works. And obviously there is some trial and error involved. But, even if you don’t love the new idea, try to at least stick with it for six months, to see it through before you move on to the next thing. We are still learning this lesson: do not create for the sake of creating and because it feels good. Create because it makes you money and is truly moving the needle. If you have created a following around one topic, you cannot simply abandon it because you are bored. You could easily lose those followers in the process. Always respect what you’ve built, especially when it’s something that has gained you a following and has brought in the bucks.
Choose a Mechanism That Works for You and Your Clients
There really is no wrong answer when it comes to the mechanism you choose to communicate and share content with your fans. The same thing won’t work for everybody out of the gate. As long as you give it your best effort and really commit to the one thing, you can have a breakthrough on any of these platforms. Even though you partially chose a platform based on what will be good for your audience, you absolutely have to also consider which one will gain you the best return on your investment. You have to be able to actually see an increase in your sales and profits. We all need to keep learning how to filter what is fun for us and what we deem valuable and what actual paying customers are going to consider valuable. When thinking about which mechanism to go for, think about what has been most effective in the past. What takes the least amount of time? Where are you getting the most traction from? Optimize what has already proven to be successful.
Don’t Wait for Everything to Be Perfect
The question of when to get going is asked all the time. Do you wait until everything is made before launching? What needs to happen before the next step can be taken? When is the right time to act? Way back when, we launched our products before we had anything made and even got people interested and ordering. You can always tweak things along the way as you see what people are interested in and what works and doesn’t work. There is so much value in everything that you can accomplish before launching your product or service – you can do all the groundwork. You also need to spend way more time asking important questions than actually making the product or getting it all set up beforehand.
Ask Questions That Cut to The Bottom Line
When you hear from your audience what they want from you, think carefully about what they are really asking. This will also require you to read between the lines to get to the deeper thing that they want. So when your fans make suggestions, it’s your job to get through the fluff of what they’re saying and getting to the bottom of what they need from you. It might also involve realizing that what they’re asking is just a distraction that won’t give them the results that they think it would. As the expert, it’s your job to be that filter for your students.
Be Open-Minded About What Success Looks Like for You
You have to make sure that you are following your path of success and not anybody else’s. Success does not look the same for everybody. You have to ask yourself what you are truly aiming for, what your ideal is and then take the steps to get there. Also differentiate between wanting to transition and expand because you want to progress with your business and just being bored and trying to fill that void. Don’t go complicating your life just because you are bored!
Highlights
Don’t pick more than one platform for delivering your content. [0:05:38]
Avoid getting distracted and abandoning your niche. [0:11:30]
Choose a mechanism that works for you and your clients. [0:14:32]
Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. [0:25:23]
Ask questions that cut to the bottom line. [0:29:44]
Be open-minded about what success looks like for you. [0:36:10]
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
