In a recent survey to our DigitalChalk administrators, we asked a few questions about our LMS and their marketing efforts. The results were surprising. Nearly 40% of respondents say would like to learn more about marketing your online courses and over 25% said they are not currently marketing their course at all.

However, of those that are marketing their online courses, nearly 60% of respondents are using email as their primary form of marketing. Additionally, only 20% of people are using SEO (search engine optimization) and social media to market.

All in all, the majority of eLearning professionals, instructional designers, and LMS administrators are not marketing their courses to their full potential. We’d like to help.

Our eLearning blog is a go-to resource for many administrators and eLearning professionals – so we will be including more articles focusing on the topic of marketing in the future.

First, we’d like to discuss 5 reasons you should be marketing your online course. Obviously, there are more than just 5 reasons, but these are the ones that stuck out to us.

1. To increase sales.

It all comes down to money. More sales mean more company growth. You are marketing your online courses to get people to buy them, aren’t you? Consumers are more likely to make a purchase if they have heard about your business before. Once you start marketing, you’ll likely see an increase in sales right away.

2. To raise awareness.

Many times it takes lots of advertisements and recommendations before a consumer is ready to make a purchase. Don’t get upset if you don’t drive sales right away – raising awareness can be just as important. You are getting your brand name into the mind of your target audience. When they finally are ready to purchase, they might remember you after seeing your ad somewhere.

3. To learn your target consumer and your marketplace.

To market your business and courses successfully, you will have to dive deep into your target consumer, marketplace, and competition. Who is your target consumer? What are they searching for in Google? What key terms are your competitors going after? What trends are big in your marketplace? All of these questions can be answered once you start marketing. The better educated you are, the more accurately you can market your business without wasting so much time and money.

4. To earn trust.

It’s simple: consumers trust brands they know. Whether they’ve seen your logo a thousand times or a friend recommended you, they will trust you more than if they’ve never heard your brand before. Trust takes time, sometimes years. It’s important to start marketing now and start building a relationship with your target consumers.

5. To build your brand.

All of these things work together and ultimately form a successful brand. You want people to come to you, trust you, and buy from you. A brand is made up of your company culture, identity, logo, design, strategy, and marketing. You need to differentiate yourself from your competitors and stand out. How are you going to do this?

Do you have a different reason (we haven’t listed here) to marketing your online courses? Please share in the comments below. Meantime, stay tuned for another post on marketing in the coming weeks.