This article is all about building a learning center and why you should.
So, let’s get why out of the way first. Why create a learning center, you ask?
Well, this is going to be your signature offer until you have one based on social proof. You will eventually develop an offer based on the results you’re getting from people, but until then, your learning center is your offer.
Your learning center could even be your first high ticket offer, and it’s going to be your continuity offer that you will put in your funnel at the $300 level. That’s annually, of course.
If you don’t have a membership or continuity offer, then building a learning center isn’t just a good idea, it’s something you should start working on right now.
Your signature offer will be about $27-29 per month, and you can go lower than $300, but you’ll need a lot of members to justify a cost lower than that level. Even if you start below that level, you need to settle on your first level that you’re going to sell.
In short, a learning center gives people a place to come and get all of your content, and it works best with video. Before you get overwhelmed, don’t worry, you can always purchase rights to video content (PLR or even commissioned on Upwork.com or Fiverr).
You’ll want a decent assortment of related courses, so you can show people that they can either get the single course they’re interested in or, for a discounted annual payment, get access to all of your courses.
Remember, a learning center can smooth out your income, even when you don’t have clients, and it provides monthly income from people who recognize the value that you are providing. It’s also an incredible source of high-value client recruitment.
One of the most valuable benefits of a learning center is that it will almost immediately position you as an authority and expert in your niche.
The Benefits That A Learning Center Will Bring Into Your Business:
- Establishing expertise: Creating and selling access to a learning center can help establish an entrepreneur as an expert in their field, enhancing their brand and reputation.
- Passive income: A learning center can provide a source of passive income for entrepreneurs, as learners can pay for access to the content on an ongoing basis.
- Scalability: With the right technology and infrastructure, a learning center can be scaled up to reach a large audience of learners, potentially leading to increased revenue.
- Value for customers: A learning center can provide value to customers by offering educational resources that can help them improve their skills, knowledge, and understanding of a particular topic or industry.
- Flexibility: Online learning centers can be accessed from anywhere and at any time, making it easy for learners to fit education into their busy schedules.
- Customization: Entrepreneurs can customize the content of a learning center to meet the needs of their target audience, making it more engaging and effective.
- Data collection: A learning center can provide valuable data about the needs and interests of customers, which can inform future product and service offerings.
- Marketing opportunities: Promoting a learning center can provide entrepreneurs with marketing opportunities, as they can leverage their educational resources to attract new customers and build their brand.
- Networking opportunities: Creating a learning center can also provide entrepreneurs with opportunities to connect with other experts in their field, potentially leading to valuable partnerships and collaborations.
Of course, the specific benefits will vary depending on the industry, target audience, and content of the learning center, but these are some potential advantages to consider.
What Goes Into A Successful Learning Center?
A learning center is basically a membership where you have subscribers that pay monthly for the content you provide. But that means you do need to keep adding new content to maintain their interest and engagement and build value for your subscribers. And you’ll want to start up a regular series to grow your brand. This can be done through a weekly workshop for your members only, or by offering regular training sessions to your members.
People generally expect the following in a good online learning center membership:
- Access to high-quality content and resources that are relevant to their interests and goals.
- Clear and organized structure of the courses or programs offered, with easy-to-follow instructions and explanations.
- Interactive and engaging learning experiences, such as quizzes, assessments, and discussions.
- Regular updates and new content to keep the learning fresh and relevant.
- Access to expert instructors or mentors who can provide guidance and support throughout the learning process.
- A supportive community of fellow learners who can offer feedback, share resources, and provide motivation and accountability.
- Flexibility and convenience to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule.
- Affordable pricing and flexible payment options.
- Excellent customer service and responsive support for technical issues or questions.
- Opportunities for certification or recognition of their learning achievements.
Another Way To Leverage Your Learning Center: Upselling
If you’re considering an upsell and your top tier includes coaching, you may want to offer it as an add-on. You could also let your customers know that if they don’t want the one-on-one coaching, they can still benefit from the learning center at $27 a month or $297 per year. I suggest avoiding one-time pricing, as it may not incentivize you to continue adding value to your membership on an ongoing basis.
An annual pricing model may work better for you, but keep in mind that when it comes time for renewal, people may feel differently about it. I recommend avoiding lifetime offers because they may set off the wrong signals in your brain and make you hunt for new buyers instead of focusing on providing value to your existing customers.
Top 5 Most Popular Platforms To Power Your Learning Center
There are several good platforms for learning centers that offer a range of features and customization options.
Here are a few popular options:
- Teachable: Teachable is a popular platform for creating and selling online courses. It offers a range of features such as course creation tools, customization options, and marketing tools.
- Thinkific: Thinkific is another popular platform that allows you to create and sell online courses. It offers a range of features such as course creation tools, customization options, and marketing tools.
- Kajabi: Kajabi is an all-in-one platform that allows you to create and sell online courses, membership sites, and digital products. It offers a range of features such as course creation tools, website builder, email marketing, and more.
- LearnDash: LearnDash is a WordPress plugin that allows you to create and sell online courses on your own website. It offers a range of features such as course creation tools, quizzes, gamification, and more.
- Podia: Podia is an all-in-one platform that allows you to create and sell online courses, digital products, and memberships. It offers a range of features such as course creation tools, website builder, email marketing, and more.
Ultimately, the best platform for your learning center will depend on your specific needs and goals. You’ll want to consider factors such as pricing, features, and customization options when choosing a platform. Think about your budget, and then consider the all-in expenses if you decide to expand in six months or a year. Sometimes, that future thinking can make a difference in your choice.
When choosing a platform, make sure you can bundle your courses and sell subscriptions. You also want to be able to block people out of courses if their subscription stops. If possible, automate the process with a platform that integrates with Zapier.
Remember, your pricing should be tailored to your market and niche, so do what works best for you.
Welcome Sequence Encourages Engagement Right Away
An indoctrination (or onboarding or welcome) sequence should be created to communicate the value of the membership, and it should be included in an autoresponder to trigger a series of emails to be sent to new members. This sequence should help new members understand how to get in touch with you, how to find everything you promised them, and the value of the different parts of the membership.
You want to make sure that you encourage new members to consume the value they are getting as soon as possible, and to ensure they are directed to each part of the membership through the indoctrination sequence.
Now, no matter how well-written your welcome sequence for new members is, it won’t amount to much if your new customer doesn’t receive it. This is why it’s important to offer an incentive if your members double opt-in on your “Thank You” page.
Snagging that double opt-in can make a huge difference in your email deliverability rates!
Encourage customers to write back to you in at least one email of the sequence using specific language like “hit reply” to increase deliverability, or ask them to reply with a single word if they want you to send them an unreleased special checklist or quick video training.
Integrating your support system into your email response is also important, so you don’t miss any replies. Ensure that your email replies go directly to your support by forwarding it to your support email. Remember to exclude customers in your indoctrination sequence from any broadcast email promotions. Otherwise, your indoctrination sequence would be useless. You can send more than one email, but still remove them from your daily emails.
In conclusion, building a learning center can be an excellent way for entrepreneurs to enhance their brand, generate passive income, and make a positive impact on their community.
By providing valuable educational resources and fostering a community of learners, entrepreneurs can establish themselves as thought leaders and create a sustainable source of income.
It is important to keep in mind the key elements of a successful learning center, such as high-quality content, engaging delivery methods, and a user-friendly platform.
With the right combination of these elements and a commitment to continuous improvement, entrepreneurs can build a learning center that not only benefits their business, but also provides real value to their customers.
With the growth of online education and the increasing demand for accessible and engaging learning experiences, now is the perfect time for entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunities offered by building a learning center.
