Introducing a brilliant way to build communities using online courses
A major part of planning your online course is student engagement. No one wants to feel like they’ve signed up for a course and been left stranded, battling through content on their own and not knowing who to turn to if they have questions.
If there’s one thing that guarantees the success of your online course, it’s building an engaged community.
Not only do students want access to their tutor online, but the most highly rated online courses also offer a community to their students. It’s a place where students can ask questions, share insights, swap stories and connect with like-minded people on the same course.
Many course builders shy away from creating groups on Facebook and the like as they don’t want to spend hours moderating groups online.
But there’s now a much easier way!
Thinkific has launched their new ‘Communities’ feature
If you’ve created your online course using Thinkific – that’s a brilliant first step towards online course success!
Now you can take it one step further and create a branded, online learning community where your audience can connect and build relationships.
Not only will your students love connecting, but their reviews will up the ante over your competition as they reveal all the extra support they receive. And happy students and glowing reviews are what every online course creator wants!
And when you add the words like ‘Exclusive members-only online community’ as an add-on to your course, students will want to stay (and pay) to join.
Hi, lovely!
I’m Alethea & welcome to CloudXS Digital! We help coaches, consultants and service providers grow their impact online with beautiful, conversional, student focused online courses. We share lots of tips and tricks on our blog to help you get started with your online course. You can learn more about working with us to build your online course here.
Online Courses
Websites
Digital Marketing
Automation
How does the Thinkific Communities feature work?
You set the Communities feature up as a bonus to your already amazing online course.
You promote it as an exclusive membership option where students can connect, engage with each other (and you) and access additional content.
Now before you think, ‘Oh no, does that mean I have to keep creating content all the time?’, it doesn’t need to be hard!
For example:
- Save some of your valuable content to share with members only
- Create some quick tip videos you can upload
- Create some extra templates you know they’d love
- Hold occasional Q&A events where students get direct access to you
- Have online networking evenings
- Invite guest speakers to share their knowledge with your students
The amount of work and effort you’ll need to put into your online community will also be based on your price point (just a little note to consider!).
7 ways the Thinkific Communities feature benefits online course creators
- Earn a recurring income
Offer the online community as an add-on to your online course and encourage members to sign up for networking, support and additional content.
- Help your students grow
Create a safe online community where students feel free to connect with you and their peers. Encourage collaboration and promote how everyone can succeed together.
- An easy upsell
When students love what you’ve created in your online course and have joined your online community, you can create easy upsells to other courses, events, products and so on.
- You are in control
When you create a community through Thinkific, you are in control of creating a safe environment branded to you. You won’t need to battle unreliable algorithms, third-party ads, or other distractions.
- Save time on admin
When your online community is run through your Thinkific platform, you won’t need to waste time jumping from one program to another and trying to keep your eyes on more than one platform.
- Keep conversations flowing
You’ll be able to monitor your community through notifications, personal profiles, mentions and threaded replies so you can retain your students by creating meaningful interactions with them.
- Helps you learn more about your audience
You will see their conversations as you interact with your online community (your students). From this, you can create new content and products that your audience wants. It’s like a crystal ball!
Need help setting up your Thinkific Community?
It’s no secret that we live and breathe all things Thinkific. We absolutely love this platform, and we know this new add-on feature will be a game changer for online course creators.
If you’re looking for an easy way to give your students more with your online course, this is it!
We’d love to hear from you for more information or to get help setting this up in your Thinkific platform.
Alethea Tuitahi
Online Course Designer & Founder
Alethea specialises in creating beautiful, conversional, student focusd online courses. Allowing course creators to deliver their course or program to the world… sans tech frustrations and problems. Need help building your online course? As a Thinkific specialist, Alethea is here to help! Book in a free call here.
Disclosure: Some of the links provided in this blog are affiliate links. I only promote services that I personally use and love. I will be paid a small commission if you use this link to make a purchase.
Other blogs you may also like…
Education marketing to grow your online course
Top tips on how to use education marketing to sell your online course When you become an online course creator, you become a teacher. You’re sharing your knowledge with the world and educating your audience on your topic of expertise. That’s precisely what any teacher...
Online Course Success Series: Melanie Miller
Let's learn from a succesful online course creator! This week on the blog I want to introduce you to another Online Course Success Story! Melanie Miller from The Profit Lovers! Melanie Miller is a straight talker and blunt business advice provider with over 20 years...
How to recession-proof your business with a successful online course
How to recession-proof your business with a successful online course It's no secret that the cost of living is absolutely skyrocketing. Interest rates and bills are slowly creeping up, and inflation is steadily rising. If you're like many business owners who are...