How to market your training courses

Your second to none training program

Within your training business, you’ve probably experienced the crushing dismay of putting together a comprehensive training course that you know learners will love and failing to fill it.

When you’re sure that you’ve ticked every box from making sure that it’s relevant, practical and inclusive, it’s time to look towards how you are marketing your course and how effective that is.

Of course, when you’ve become immersed in creating a second-to-none training programme, it’s all to easy to get caught up on these details. But how you market it is the most important way to getting it seen, bought and delivered to the largest audience possible. But if you have no background in marketing and communications, how on earth do you go about this?

Think beyond the course itself

You’ve spent so much time making sure your courses cover all of the right material and hits the intended learning objectives, it’s easy to forget about what prospective attendees might be concerned with.

At it’s core, your training course is an experience that your attendees will undertake. So every element of the experience needs to be addressed in your marketing of it. For example, a customer might be concerned that the course doesn’t cover exactly what they need, that it’s not pitched to the right level for them, or even that they’ll be uncomfortable partaking in activities within the training.

These are the concerns that you need to be combatting when it comes to your marketing, and how you will go about filling seats on your next course.

Who are your attendees?

Building on the above, it is crucial to research your intended learner and start to pinpoint their fears and concerns about taking on a course like yours.

First of all, ask yourself these kinds of questions. What is the biggest worry attendees will have? What stops people from signing up? How do you win over people who are unsure about signing up?

By looking to your attendees in this way and highlighting their key concerns, you can pinpoint this in your marketing and promotional materials, so every objection and obstacle can be overcome.

Get Endorsed

When potential attendees hear from other people that there is value to your courses, they will be more inclined to buy. So turn the power of social proof to your advantage.

Ask for testimonials, or record videos showing the thoughts and experiences of previous delegates. Keep control of the perspectives offered by asking compelling questions of them such as “How will this course help you further your career?” or “What new skills have you developed and how will they benefit you?”

From a whole paragraph, or video testimonial, to just a few brief quotes – all of this can be used to speak to the heart of prospective attendees and get them to say YES.

Promote, Promote, Promote

Wherever you’re based and however your course is to be delivered, it is crucial to take advantage of all lines of communication available to you to promote you course. When planning your marketing strategy for your course, make a list of all the channels available to you and how you might use them.

For example, you could use:

• Articles, case studies and testimonials on your website or social media
• Banner ads
• Facebook posts
• Posters on noticeboards
• Leaflets
• Presentations
• Drop-in sessions
• Taster sessions

By going beyond the computer and using all the channels at your disposal, you’ll increase your chances of reaching your dream audience and start to fill up your next course.

Marketing your course is as crucial to its success as ensuring it is comprehensive, relevant and accessible. Taking advantage of every channel at your disposal is the best way to filling up your courses, and consistently talking about the benefits of the course will speak to the deepest fears and concerns of potential attendees. Once you have combatted the objections they may have and detailed exactly how the course is set to benefit the delegates, you’re sure to see your courses filling up much faster with the right attendees.