Knowing how to get students online at full speed is the main concern of those who embark on the world of online training.
Of course, once you have 10, 50, or even hundreds of interested parties, everything will be much easier, but what a challenge it is to attract the first ones!
Indeed, starting from scratch is something that not only scares away potential enrollees but is also demoralizing.
Therefore, in this post, we tell you specific tips and strategies on how to get students successfully and as quickly as possible.
How to attract students to distance learning
First of all, the first thing you should do is put yourself in the student’s shoes.
What do you think he will think of a course in which there is zero enrollment?
You are likely to assume that you are not good enough, that you are not worth it for some reason, or that the institution in question lacks maturity or credibility.
But it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. You can have the best course in the world, but not the strategies to attract new students.
Strategies to attract students may indeed vary depending on your training center, niche, resources, and other factors. However, there are a series of actions that you could take immediately which we will see below.
How to attract students if they don’t know you exist?
Do the exercise of visualizing your new course as if it were a store on a quiet street. Even if you offer quality products, if you do not show your attractiveness, you will likely go unnoticed and no one will enter.
How to get students online if you are not visible?
You know how important social networks are today and that many of your license plates are there. Indeed, the networks are not going to bring you, online students, just like that, and growing on them is slow, but why, apart from having a presence, not advertise on them?
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn… You can create attractive ads and segment them according to the interests and other variables of your target group.
Then, the web. No matter how much you have a fabulous website, if no one sees you or enters, you don’t have much to do.
In short, you need to optimize it for search engines. Come on, what we would do in the entrance analogy to attract passers-by: put a visible sign on the street or an eye-catching window display.
In other words, you need to get your website optimized so that when a student does a Google search, your course appears among the first results. This is what is called SEO… and it comes true.
Therefore, if you do not have the knowledge or professionals to do so, it would be best to go for a specialized agency that can teach you how to get online students working on organic positioning.
How to get online students without a website to match?
As we mentioned, your site has to be visible… and attractive. It must collect the information that the student is looking for, without complications in navigation and be super intuitive.
Therefore, make sure to project an image and structure related to your audience, and to enrich it with content that arouses their interest and attacks their pain points.
Likewise, there are certain actions that you can carry out on it to make it more attractive and generate trust.
Let’s see how to get online students through the web.
The welcome video
Integrating a welcome video of the course on the home page can be a good idea, since it can be friendly and close to users, and appeals directly to them through a format that is currently widely consumed.
In particular, in the video, it is necessary to explain briefly and without hesitation the main particularities of the course, the contents, the assistance offered, and the forms of evaluation, among other aspects.
Remember: clarity and effectiveness in the presentation of the course can be decisive in capturing the attention of potential students and generating interest in it.
Visual presentation and branding
At this point, we not only refer to the organized structure and quality content, as we mentioned before but also to the visual presentation of the course itself.
We mean showing the study plan, and clear objectives, highlighting the benefits or added value it offers, such as certifications, access to exclusive material, personalized tutoring, etc.
Regarding the latter, if the target student assumes that they are going to take their course on an e-learning platform that will not give them problems, will be easy to use, and will bring together interesting tools for online training, they will have more ballots to enroll.
Also, just like any other organization, your brand plays a vital role in how to get students online. And it speaks volumes about who you are. Try to communicate a consistent and coherent image and visual identity. And that, both on the web and on any other platform on which you appear.
As an illustration, your brand must convey a professional, updated image and take care of details such as the logo design, corporate color palette, images, and writing style. Everything must be by the topic of the course.
The registration process
Naturally, web navigation must be simple and fluid so that they can find the course information at a glance. This includes the way to register.
How to recruit students for your online academy or center if it is not within reach? Do everything possible to simplify and streamline the enrollment process for your courses, avoiding free blocks and optimizing the purchasing flow for convenience.
Good contact with interested parties
No matter how much you openly show the content, requirements, schedule, duration, evaluation system, or prices on your website, when a student consults a course, doubts usually arise.
Consequently, the correct thing is that you provide several means of communication, such as telephone, email, or chat, with which to resolve any question they want to ask you.
Proximity will earn you points… and students!
The frequently asked questions (FAQ) section
Likewise, displaying FAQs is a way to increase conversions, as it is a great way to resolve doubts and objections that potential students may have and provide clear and convincing answers.
The follow-up strategy
Finally, implement a strategy of actively monitoring those interested in your course so that they enroll.
You can use email or other communication channels to cultivate that first contact, give them more information, and build a close relationship.
Collaborations and incentives: other strategies to attract students to your online course
Now let’s talk about fashionable influencers and bloggers.
An influencer or blogger who has a considerable niche for your training center can influence the opinions and behaviors of their followers and send you followers at the sound of a bugle.
All you have to do is review or promote your course on social media to have a better chance of breaking down the barrier of mistrust in one fell swoop.
On the other hand, there are sales proposals to generate interest. Let it be noted that at no time did we enter into the issue of price, since it is a complex aspect and based on a figure, it can be critical in the purchase decision.
We are talking about discounts for a limited or exclusive time, additional gifts, flexible payments, etc. At the same time, there are guarantees, such as money back in case of dissatisfaction, to provide extra confidence and reduce the risk of enrolling in your courses.
And of course, move your cards. Who better than you to verbalize the image you want them to perceive of your course?! In this sense, you can participate in online forums and communities related to your training niche and make them aware of its benefits.
