How to Create Online Courses That Inspire Action w/Marisa Murgatroyd

TL;DR

Online courses inspire action when they promise a clear transformation and motivate students to pursue it, rather than merely delivering more content. Marisa Murgatroyd recommends defining a specific course mission, creating quick wins, and using point systems plus visual or auditory feedback to sustain engagement. These methods can also strengthen completion, loyalty, and course performance. Read on to see how each element supports student progress.

Transcript

you want people to pay big bucks then you've got to understand how to motivate them to action i'm pulling the secrets from the silicon valley tech bros we've got to fight fire with fire if you want to sell courses if you want to sell education if you want to sell coaching or transformation you've got to understand that the world is hooked to its de... Read More

Key Insights

• The value of online courses lies in the transformation they provide, not just the content delivered. Motivating students to take action is crucial.
• Marisa Murgatroyd uses techniques from Silicon Valley to engage students, focusing on activating dopamine responses similar to addictive apps.
• Courses should be framed around a clear mission or outcome, allowing students to visualize their success and progress.
• The importance of quick wins is emphasized, creating a feedback loop for students to feel rewarded and motivated to continue.
• Gamification techniques, such as point systems and visual/auditory feedback, enhance student engagement and course completion rates.
• Reinforcing wins with a structured system can lead to higher course completion rates and lower refund rates.
• Existing courses can be improved by integrating these gamification and engagement strategies to boost performance.
• Building a cohesive course ecosystem with consistent themes and rewards can increase customer lifetime value and brand loyalty.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can you create online courses that inspire students to take action?

Frame the course around a clear transformation that students want to achieve, not around the amount of information you can provide. Marisa Murgatroyd recommends combining a specific course mission with quick wins, progress rewards, and visual or auditory feedback that motivates students to keep acting.

Q: What is the main value of an online course according to Marisa Murgatroyd?

The value lies in the transformation students achieve, not the volume of content delivered. Students care about what the course helps them do, become, feel, have, overcome, or achieve in their lives.

Q: What is a course mission?

A course mission is the clear, specific outcome the course enables students to reach. Murgatroyd describes it as a finish line with an unmistakable win state that students can visualize and work toward.

Q: Why is simply adding more content ineffective?

A content-heavy course can become little more than a substitute for free material available on YouTube or Google. To justify a paid course, the creator must help students act on the material and produce meaningful results.

Q: How does Marisa Murgatroyd apply ideas from technology apps to course design?

She draws on engagement techniques used by technology companies to keep people returning to their devices. In courses, this means activating rewarding feedback through quick wins, gamification, point systems, and visual or auditory signals.

Q: Why are quick wins important in an online course?

Quick wins let students experience progress early and create a rewarding feedback loop. Reinforcing that progress helps maintain motivation and encourages students to continue through the course.

Q: How can an existing online course be improved?

An existing course can be reframed around a clear mission and supplemented with quick wins, gamification, and feedback that recognizes progress. These changes can increase engagement and completion while reducing refund rates.

Q: How does a cohesive course ecosystem support an educational brand?

A consistent theme and reward system across courses gives students a continuing sense of progress and accomplishment. That cohesion can encourage them to keep learning within the same brand, strengthening customer loyalty and lifetime value.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Marisa Murgatroyd discusses the importance of creating online courses that focus on student transformation rather than just content delivery. By using techniques from Silicon Valley, she aims to engage students in a similar way to addictive apps.

• Courses should have a clear mission, allowing students to visualize their success. Quick wins and gamification techniques, such as point systems and visual/auditory feedback, are crucial for keeping students engaged and motivated.

• Existing courses can be enhanced by integrating these strategies, leading to higher completion rates and customer loyalty. A cohesive course ecosystem with consistent themes and rewards can significantly increase student engagement and brand loyalty.