How Do I Market a Free Course?
February 12, 2008 6:21 AM Subscribe
OK, now my Course is free. How do I tell people?
I wrote a complete Course on creating GREAT User Documents. Originally I planned to sell the Course for $650. Sales were slow, and I don't need to depend on that source of income, so I made the Course a no-nag, no-strings-attached free download.
I am advertising on Google's Adwords but that seems silly for a free item.
How do I publicize it so people can use my work?
I wrote a complete Course on creating GREAT User Documents. Originally I planned to sell the Course for $650. Sales were slow, and I don't need to depend on that source of income, so I made the Course a no-nag, no-strings-attached free download.
I am advertising on Google's Adwords but that seems silly for a free item.
How do I publicize it so people can use my work?
Blogs.
Find the blogs that would be read by people who would be interested in the course. Send the blogger a note/press release about the course. Don't capitalize "course" in the note/press release.
posted by veggieboy at 6:38 AM on February 12, 2008
Find the blogs that would be read by people who would be interested in the course. Send the blogger a note/press release about the course. Don't capitalize "course" in the note/press release.
posted by veggieboy at 6:38 AM on February 12, 2008
Pineapple left a pretty thorough answer the last time you asked this.
posted by loiseau at 6:42 AM on February 12, 2008
posted by loiseau at 6:42 AM on February 12, 2008
It depends on who are the people who would be interested in your course.
posted by winston at 8:24 AM on February 12, 2008
posted by winston at 8:24 AM on February 12, 2008
Response by poster: Thanks for the responses.
To loiseau: I implemented many of Pineapple's suggestions...they were excellent. However, now the course is free and I do not want to put that heavy marketing into it. I am hoping for something viral.
To all: thank you for your suggestions, I will implement them.
To winston: I focused the course for new writers...perhaps an engineer who was forced to write the user documentation for a new product.
Another target audience is humanities/arts grads. These people know how to research & write; the course gets them into the user documentation area.
Finally there are the existing Technical Writers who want to learn about creating better user documentation more easily.
posted by mbarryf at 8:39 AM on February 12, 2008
To loiseau: I implemented many of Pineapple's suggestions...they were excellent. However, now the course is free and I do not want to put that heavy marketing into it. I am hoping for something viral.
To all: thank you for your suggestions, I will implement them.
To winston: I focused the course for new writers...perhaps an engineer who was forced to write the user documentation for a new product.
Another target audience is humanities/arts grads. These people know how to research & write; the course gets them into the user documentation area.
Finally there are the existing Technical Writers who want to learn about creating better user documentation more easily.
posted by mbarryf at 8:39 AM on February 12, 2008
Or you could just copy it to Wikiversity and not worry about maintaining or marketing it.
posted by WestCoaster at 10:22 AM on February 12, 2008
posted by WestCoaster at 10:22 AM on February 12, 2008
you could post it on this free moodle: http://owli.org/moodle/
(they get lots of readership, especially from Asia.)
i'd just post it anywhere there are free places to do so.
posted by RedEmma at 11:01 AM on February 12, 2008
(they get lots of readership, especially from Asia.)
i'd just post it anywhere there are free places to do so.
posted by RedEmma at 11:01 AM on February 12, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by penguin pie at 6:28 AM on February 12, 2008