How to Build a High-Converting Course Lead Funnel
Photo by George Dolgikh on Pexels
Attracting leads to your online course through a funnel that works and converts well should be done in such a way that it does not appear to be marketing. It should feel like guidance through each step, ensuring you provide clarity and relevance right from the start.
A good funnel will place contextual information at the beginning of each of your funnel pieces, rather than assuming certain information is true and accurate about the prospective customer.
1. Start With Deep Audience Research
The first thing you will want to do after market research is figure out why someone would search for your course. Examples could include trying to get to the next level in their current job, needing to advance their career through furthering their education, making a change from one industry to another, or wanting to start a new career altogether.
In addition to the reasons for looking for the course you will need to look for what someone may fear when going through a funnel. For example, they may be afraid of investing in the wrong credential, selecting an educational program that has poor outcomes, or committing time and not obtaining the benefits.
Once you have gathered both qualitative and quantitative data regarding your target customer, you will be able to design a funnel that aligns with their buying journey.
2. Segment Leads by Intent, Not Curiosity
Segmenting your leads according to their intent instead of curiosity or potential can help you be more effective in the sales funnel. A common funnel mistake occurs when a company tries to put all users through the same path, regardless of whether they are just dabbling or actively preparing for the application phase.
You must build your funnel based on the intent to apply. For example, if a potential applicant is exploring early on, they will likely need guidance to figure out where they are on the path.
Every area of your funnel will improve once you segment based on intent. This includes the relevance of your follow-up communications, length of your application forms, and likelihood of a lead converting into a customer.
3. Anchor Your Offer in Outcomes
People enroll for the outcome, rather than the content of a course. Therefore, the lead magnet you are using when generating leads should represent the outcome(s) you expect your leads to achieve after successfully completing the program, for example landing a job and making more money. When your lead magnet accurately reflects the outcome achieved from your paid program, you’re going to attract leads that are better fits for your services.
Credibility is another important factor. Referencing accepted programs that articulate the learning and career outcomes of the program such as a global supply chain management MBA can help ground your positioning. It demonstrates a level of seriousness and relevance to the real world.
4. Using Multi-Step Form to Balance Conversion and Insight
Using long single-page forms may not be effective for converting. A multi-step form will enable a flow of questions that creates momentum and allows for information to flow in small increments. Start with simple questions that have a low barrier for entry, and adjust to suit the previous response in the flow of the questions. If someone is casually looking for information on different schools, they will get different types of prompts as compared to someone who is looking to apply within a few months. When you use conditional logic in a multi-step form, you can get more meaningful data without overwhelming respondents.
Make each step purposeful and easy to complete. Show progress indicators, and develop short explanations of why you ask specific questions. Transparency promotes trust and trust leads to higher conversion rates.
5. Examine What Appears to Be an Obvious Conclusion
Testing is an important part of designing funnels, regardless of how well they are designed. A small change can have a larger-than-expected impact on the bottom-line of a funnel, particularly on the top of the funnel.
Examples of things to test include call-to-action language, display/packaging of form steps, and sequence of forms within a funnel. For example, the text ‘Download the Guide!’ may not perform as well as ‘View if this program meets your goals!’ depending on your audience.
You may get better or worse results by asking for intent before asking for their contact information. Allow your data to provide the answer.
6. Build Your CRM Right From The Start
A funnel that is not integrated into your CRM database is a wasted opportunity. Every form completion should be directly connected and tagged with source, intent level, program interest, and funnel stage in your CRM. By doing this, the database allows for follow up with personalized messaging, eliminating duplicate messaging, and quickly identifying qualified leads. Automated processes should handle outreach in a funnel and human follow-up would be necessary when there is a need for contextual or nuanced communication.
7. Provide Nurturing at the Pace of the Decision
Not all course enrollment decisions happen overnight. Nurturing processes should reflect the typical timelines found in the learner's decision-making process.
Nurture processes must educate without overwhelming, address common objections, validate intended outcomes, and provide proof of potential outcomes as measured by their career path.
As intent increases, your nurturing messaging needs to move from an informational content base to that of a directional and engaged base. This will give the potential course enrollee a clear and easy path to follow.
A High-Converting Course Lead Funnel is About Alignment
When potential students feel that you understand their needs, will provide them with substantial value, and can give them a smooth, low-friction pathway to become a student, applying for that course is no longer a push. It becomes the next logical step in their career advancement plan.
About the Author
