Easy creative tips

How to Design Effective Online Course Ads

Oct 11, 2024

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Online course advertisements that grab attention and resonate with your intended audience is an effective way to improve conversions and stand out in the increasingly competitive e-learning market

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There are thousands of classes all competing for the same pool of potential students, an effective ad campaign could make a huge important difference to ensure that your program is noticed by students.

If you've not yet considered the possibility of advertising on courses to promote your online courses but, we're here to convince you with solid reasons to consider it.

At the conclusion of this article, you'll have discovered actionable ways to craft compelling visuals and copy as well as optimizing your advertisements to maximize effectiveness.

The reason why online course advertisements are Essential

Online Course Ads Benefits Infographic

The main benefit is the visibility. By paying for advertising, you'll ensure that your business is noticed to your intended audience.

Unlike other methods such as organic search results it is guaranteed that your course ad will be noticed.

It is an important perk for instructors and academies who are just starting to establish themselves. It will take a significant amount of time and energy to create an audience naturally.

Paid advertisements, on the other hand, can get your content visible to those likely be a part of your course faster.

This increased exposure also increases the credibility. Repetition builds awareness and confidence among students, which makes conversions more likely.

Furthermore, you are able to pinpoint precisely the demographics that is exposed to your ad. You can also employ the retargeting technique to engage people that have expressed interest in your online course ad but without registering.

The amount of campaign's success will depend on the strategy you choose and the overall strategy that includes:

  • In which place do you post your ad
  • The format of your advertisement you select
  • The efficacy of your copy and messaging

We'll go over these points as well as additional points in the sections below.

How to publish your ads

The first thing to do is decide which channels are the most appropriate for your brand. That is, where is your target audience most likely to find your online course ad?

If the product you're promoting is about international cuisine, then the social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook are a great choice as that's where your intended customers would likely to be.

For the best results of your advertisements The most important aspect of choosing the platform on which to run your ads is that you need to understand how to make the most of all options available

This is a brief list of platforms and the features they have to get your ads published in the best possible way

Instagram

  • Reels Let's make 90-second commercial videos
  • Stories lets you set up engaging and creative advertisements for your courses in just 24 hours
  • Instagram Feed allows you to create a solid visual course ad with the right caption to attract your users while they scroll

Facebook

  • Stories for short and attractive video ads which lasts up to 24 hours
  • Video Ads: For long-form video ad content
  • Messenger Ads customers who see your ads on Messenger are prompted to initiate an online conversation with you. course business

YouTube

  • Skippable In-Stream Ads ads are embedded in user videos, which users are able to skip.
  • Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads: Ads are included in user videos, which users must watch from start until the end.
  • Discovery Ads  The ads are displayed on YouTube search results, as well as in related videos, and the homepage
  • Bumper Ads: Six-second non-skippable ads perfect for delivering a quick, impactful message

LinkedIn

  • sponsored content: Ads can be sponsored content that can be directly shown on the LinkedIn feed, making it an ad format that is native to LinkedIn.
  • Video ads The advanced targeting capabilities of LinkedIn ensures that your video ads reach the right people
  • Text Ads: These are simple and targeted ads that are displayed in the sidebar on the LinkedIn interface. They're cost-effective in driving people to the landing page of your course.
  • Sponsored Messaging (InMail): These ads are delivered in the form of personalized messages sent directly in LinkedIn users' email inboxes

Search Engines (Google)

  • Google Search Ads lets you target people who are actively looking for online courses or related issues.
  • Google Display Network The Google Display Network allows the use of videos or images to reach users across millions of websites, apps, and Google-owned properties like YouTube
  • Discovery Advertisements: Discovery ads allow the user to be reached in times when they're interested in discovering new content, offering broad visibility across multiple platforms
  • Ads Retargeting: Lets you re-engage users who've visited your site or clicked on your advertisements but haven't enrolled in your program

Bonus Point! Your Current WordPress website

It is also possible to add course ads to your website.

This is a great solution if you have a website that is already attracting a large portion of the people you want to reach. In any case, it doesn't hurt to increase the value of your course for existing customers.

If you're on WordPress it is easy to build an ad with the reused Gutenberg block. The user is free to create any kind of ad you want such as images, videos texts, images, etc.

Ad Formats: Long/Short-Form Videos vs. Images

The best approach is to employ a combination of these forms, especially if you're catering to a diverse audience across different formats.

However, if you have the budget for a small ad or you want to send the message in a specific way it is important to weigh the pros and cons of each type of format before determine which one is the best.

These are the pros and cons of every advertisement format, to let you choose the best format for the needs of your business:

Long-Form Video

 Pros

  • You can tell a rich story that engages your audience
  • Great for explaining difficult items or services.
  • Provides more room for creativity allows for the mixing of storytelling methods
  • Offers increased viewer retention for those who are interested in the subject.
  • Builds stronger emotional connections between your targets
     the audience as well as your brand

 Cons

  • Production costs are more expensive and take longer.
  • Some platforms are not compatible such as Instagram
  • Attention span is required to be longer time than the majority of people are able to commit to

Short-Form Video

 Pros

  • It's fast and fun.
  • Ideal for raising the brand's visibility in a brief amount of time
  • Requires less production time and less resources
  • It's easily shareable, making it ideal for organic reach

 Cons

  • Limited message depth
  • The product may not have any emotional value

Pictures

 Pros

  • Easy to create for quick messages
  • Offers high visual appeal
  • Incredibly versatile for various platforms
  • This is the most economical method for manufacturing
  • It is suitable for static platforms and less disruptive

 Cons

  • It is easy to overlook
  • Low engagement compared to videos

If you've considered the benefits and drawbacks of each of the ad styles above, you'll be aware of where you can use the formats and when not and which of them you will choose according to what you believe is most appropriate for your target audience.

Making a powerful message, and writing effective copy

Whichever format you choose, whichever platform you choose the message on your online course ad is vital.

Whether your copy is delivered as a script in an online video, or written as an PPC advertisement, it mist be strong, impactful and to the point.

The audience you are targeting must view the ad and then say "Wow! I need to go through this as soon as possible!"

This is what an online course ad with an attention-grabbing headline, concise and persuasive body of text, as well as an action-oriented call to action (CTA) could do.

Here's how to craft the components effectively:

Headlines that grab attention, clear, and Benefit-Driven

Your headline will be the first thing your target audience will notice. It is important to make a great impression that'll remain in their minds.

Create a headline that is clear, concise, and directly conveys the benefit of the offer.

Try not to get overly clever by using a variety of words instead opt for simplicity and stick to a particular value proposition that resonates with the target market.

Tips for Online Course Ad Headlines

There are other aspects to think about:

  • Use power words that evoke emotion and excitement, such as "free," "proven," "easy," "guaranteed"
  • Highlight the benefits that are tangible and relatable. Define what audience members can expect to gain
  • You should try to use the number. In our experience, advertisements with numbers result in higher results. E.g. "Voted the #1 Course", "Get Fluent in 30 Days"
  • Create an practical. Provide an outcome or action that the audience can be able to achieve.

Examples of Headlines That Work

  1.   Learn Spanish Rapidly and fluently within 3 months!
  • Power words: Fast, Fluent.
  • The benefit is that you can learn Spanish within a brief time.
  1.   Make more sales with proven Marketing Strategies
  • Power words: Double, Proven.
  • Benefit: Increased sales.
  1.   Discover the Secret to Effortless Weight Loss
  • Power words: Secret, Effortless.
  • Benefit: Weight loss is easy.
  1.   Learn to harness the power of Mindfulness in Just 10 Minutes a Day
  • Power words: Power, Unlock.
  • Benefit: Developing mindfulness using little time commitment.
  1.   Fitness at home - No Equipment Needed!
  • Power words: No Equipment, Get Fit.
  • Benefit: Fitness is achievable even with no special equipment.

Make sure to tailor your headlines for the platform where your course ads will be posted. For instance, brief and enticing headlines work best on platforms such as Instagram in order to allow users to quickly grab them due to their short attention spans.

In the end, it's important to ensure your headline is benefit-driven, clarifying why your target readership should pay attention about it and the benefit they'll receive by engaging further.

Body Text: Short persuasive and aligned with the requirements of the reader.

After you've created an attention-grabbing headline Next step is to write the body copy using a persuasive tone with simple and clear words.

Make sure you highlight your intended audience's problem points and how your course is able to address these issues, with the other benefits that are irresistible.

You could, for instance, say that the course you're offering can help them grow in their career or offer them exclusive insights to improve a hobby that they are enthusiastic about.

Be concise and keep the fact that you have a limited amount of advertising space and people's short attention spans.

Call-to-Action: Clear and immediate, and Action-Oriented

Your CTA must include action words such as "Enroll Today," "Get Started Today," or "Download Free Guide," as they're clear and inform your customers exactly what's next.

Also, you need to establish a sense that you are in a hurry with your CTA for a better conversion rate.

For example, by employing phrases like "Limited Time Offer" or "Join Before Registration Closes," you persuade your audience to make a quick decision or forfeit access to the course.

And if your target audience is already hooked on your course, you can guarantee that they'll click the sign-up button faster than light speed!

In the end, be sure to strategically put your CTA within your advertisements whether it's a button on your landing page or a link on your social media ad so that it can be noticed and to easily generate clicks.

Examples of Successful Online Course ads

In the past, we've talked about how to make impactful online course ads to promote your online course business. The next step is to show you examples of online course advertisements that have been successful and the factors which make them shine.

Here they are below:

Google Search Course Ad

Here's a simple and impactful Google ad for Amazon's AWS available on Google's search results when you enter the phrase "online classes."

As you can see from the above image you can see that the advert clearly features an attractive headline that's both at-tractive and compelling. The language used is straightforward and clear, with none of the ambiguity and confusion.

The CTA advises that people take action with two crucial actions verbs "Become" and "Learn," encouraging learners to make the next step towards achievement.

Instagram Course Ad

Screenshot of instagram online course ad

This Instagram course advertisement by @cfshealth is another fantastic example of a successful online course advertisement. The person in the picture advertises a course of four weeks designed to assist people with chronic fatigue syndrome to manage the symptoms.

He starts with an opening catchy hook that addresses the people he is targeting "What I would have known regarding chronic the fatigue disorder".

He then proceeds to share the personal struggles he has faced with healthcare systems and then explains how his program can increase the chances of recovery.

YouTube Course Ad

Example of an online course ad on YouTube.

Its video provides a great illustration of a pre-roll YouTube course ad that promotes coding courses from Devslopes.com.

The instructor begins by telling a story that is an original story before diving into the subject and establishing the timeline in which you'll be able to earn more money with the information you've accumulated.

The language used is straightforward and easy to understand, and an effective CTA that is in the form of a button at the end of the film can be found to lead people to the course site.

Impress them with your landing Page

Optimize course landing page

You've created an online course ad that's successful and attracting attention. But, the story doesn't stop here.

Consider what you'll do next once you've captured your audience's attention This is why creating a landing page that is well-designed comes in.

If someone is interested in your course clicks the link on your ad about your course, and gets taken to your landing page, it should carry on the momentum that will make them sign up.

Your landing page must be created with clean and crisp designs captivating headlines, as well as an engaging body of content which speaks directly to your target audience.

By doing this, you'll enjoy certain advantages like increased conversions, decreased bounce rates, competitive advantages as well as many more.

It provides essential tips for making compelling headlines, writing clearly defined calls to action and ensuring a smooth user experience, all made to turn people who visit your site into students.

Make use of your website to cross-sell Other Courses

After your customers are already visiting your website, you should consider adding ads to upsell or cross sell other programs to generate more income.

For example, if students are enrolled in a course titled "Beginner Web Development"" suggest courses that are related to it, such as "Advanced JavaScript" or "UI/UX Design" to assist them in continuing to enhance their skills.

For example, if the customer has enrolled for a photography class The order bump may be an offer for the ability to download a guide for advanced photo editing techniques.

The fun part is that it's incredibly simple to set up! Simply select the items or services you wish to highlight, and then choose the price options. It is also possible to add a message designed to motivate your customers to purchase. And then your checkout page is now ready!

Conclusion

Ads are a great way to give your online course more recognition, especially when you're building your reputation.

Make sure you:

  •   Pick the best platform to increase ROI  
  •   Utilize a mixture of different ad formats in order to appeal to various segments of your target audience.  
  •   Make a compelling message that resonates and drive the user to action  
  •   Maintain the momentum by launching websites that can be converted  

Check out the blog posts that are mentioned in this blog post to optimize the effectiveness of your advertisements, drive more conversions, and improve the value of your course.

What tactics have you found successful in the creation of advertisements for online courses? Comment on your experiences in the comments below.

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Thank you for your time and have a great time teaching!

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Henry       Henry is an accomplished wordsmith for Caseproof and  is committed to offering unique insights on various topics, from WordPress plugins to digital goods and technical services with the force of his pen. Henry brings words to life and finds satisfaction in providing useful guides that cater to the needs of the target audience and help them reach their goals. Aside from his craft, Henry loves to watch films, play video games, as well as play Chess. Henry is also a social enthusiast who is passionate about creating and keeping relations. Stay tuned for his posts the ultimate resource for WordPress as well as successful content marketing.