5 reasons to launch an e-course before you launch an e-book

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that digital products are HOT right now. And as a maker or product creator, digital products can have a fantastic impact on the bottom line. (Hello, higher profit margin!) They can also establish you as an expert, help build raving fans, and energize your own studio practice.

But with all the different types of digital products out there, where should you start?

Most people I talk to (not just makers) seem to think the most logical place to start is with an e-book. It’s small. It seems straight forward. And it seems like the stepping stone to creating an e-course.

But there’s no rule that says you have to have an e-book before you launch an e-course. In fact, there are some pretty compelling reasons to launch an e-course first.

1. You don’t have to have all the content completed before you start selling your course. Once of the misconceptions about e-courses is that they require a lot more content than an e-book. But the reality is that the content is often just presented differently, over a longer period of time, and in a more multi-media and community oriented format. Creating content for an e-course may be more challenging, but there’s one huge upside – that content doesn’t have to be finished before you open registration for the course. Once you have a topic and outline fleshed out, you’re ready to open registration, and you can create all the content when, and only if, people enroll for your class.

2. Instant feedback from course participants means you can tailor the info to what your audience really needs. Often when you write an e-book, you’re shooting in the dark for what your audience really needs from you. But when you run an e-course, you know, because your participants will tell you every step of the way. (And this is another good reason not to complete your content before the course starts.) As you respond to the needs of your students, your course content gets better and better. The result? Your participants get more personalized information than if they were just reading an ebook.

3. Higher perceived value means a higher price point. Lets face it, there’s a pretty established price range for an ebook, and it feels like it keeps getting lower. (Thanks, Amazon.) But with an ecourse, the same content (packaged in a more compelling format) has a much higher perceived value, and that means a higher price point. True, you’ll likely have less people purchasing. But the profit is much greater on a $250 e-course than a $25 e-book.

4. More opportunities for a launch. When you write an e-book, you have one big launch. And while you might try to call attention to it again, most of the time it just sits there. (That’s why it’s called passive income). But with an e-course, every new session means a new chance to launch. Each time you run the course, you get to build anticipation, create buzz, and make a big deal about your launch. And the opportunity to launch again and again means you have more control over when your content brings in money for your business.

5. Greater sense of community, accountability, and fun. Sure, there are plenty of business and financial reasons to run an e-course instead of publishing an e-book. But the biggest reason might just be that an e-course is more fun for your audience. E-courses let you create community, hold participants accountable, connect with your audience, and most importantly, make learning whatever it is you want to share more fun. Your audience will likely get more out of an e-course than an e-book, and that means they’ll be more likely to recommend it to their friends when the next launch rolls around! (I guess that is a financial reason too! Win-win!)

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Want to learn how to develop your own signature e-course? (Or in-person class or workshop?) Registration is now open for my new program, Do-Teach! In six weeks, you’ll develop and launch your signature class. Save $100 when you sign-up by Thursday, June 27th! Click here for more information and to register.