How To Market Your Business Through Online Classes: A Q&A With Susannah Conway
July 28th, 2009 | General, Real Women In Business
Last month, I asked e-newsletter subscribers to provide a few sentences on how blogging has improved their business. Susannah Conway was one of the bloggers who responded, and I instantly fell in love with both her blog and her online “Unravelling” classes. (I can’t wait to take the next one!)
I asked her to provide a few tips on marketing a business through online classes, and she graciously responded with the following answers.
The Interview
WM: Where did you get the inspiration for this type of online photography class?
SC: It all started last year when my sister asked if I’d like to create a photography workshop for the adult education centre she worked for. Another tutor was running a more traditional how-to photography class so I wanted to create something that combined my photography background with my own personal journey into self-awareness.
I’d lost my partner in 2005 and the resulting bereavement and healing has been profound over the last few years; I wanted to share the tools I used to heal myself, not only working through grief but also healing the way I viewed my past, my life and where (and who) I wanted to be in the future. As a photographer I knew that the camera was the best tool to use for this work.
WM: What inspired you to give the class online?
SC: A friend of mine suggested it as she hadn’t been able to get to the evening classes. I already had an online presence as I’d been writing a blog since 2006 so with the support of my readers and friends in the blogosphere I launched the course at the beginning of February. I already had a mailing list of people who were interested in the online class and after a few fantastic write-ups from some fellow bloggers, the course just took off in ways I’d never imagined.
WM: Do you use a certain platform or online tools?
SC: I have a password-protected blog (via Typepad) where I post the weekly photo assignments and writing exercises for the class. Students’ photos are shared in a private Flickr group where we also get to know each other on the discussion board attached to the photo pool. I use iMovie to edit my weekly videos before uploading them to Vimeo and posting them to the blog.
WM: Did you have any kinks to work out during the first class?
SC: I was lucky – the first time I ran the course online it all went extremely smoothly. The biggest challenge for me personally was getting over my self-consciousness about speaking on camera. This turned out to be an extra way to bond with the group as they got to see their teacher ’unravel’ live on screen each week!
Each time I lead the course I find ways to improve the material I share, and new ideas to enhance the overall experience. Also, each group brings its own dynamic to the class, and it’s exciting not knowing how the eight weeks will develop.
WM: How have online classes benefited your marketing?
SC: For me it has been the other way around – I have had to learn how to market my e-course, which in many ways has meant learning how to market myself. My marketing activities have primarily been blog-related – I’ve placed ads on key blogs, taken part in Q&As and giveaways and had a fantastic response from past Unravellers blogging about their experiences on the course, which in turn has inspired their readers to sign up. As ever, word of mouth is the best promotion!
Much of my promotional efforts have been to bring new readers to my blog so they can see what I’m all about, learn about my path and perhaps be inspired to do some unraveling themselves. I try to be as transparent as I can be on the blog and honesty is very important to me.
It never feels particularly comfortable having to ‘sell’ your self, so I just try to be as authentic as possible and share myself as much as I can. I really believe in my e-course because everything I teach I have tried, worked through and learned from myself. I am living proof that the ideas I’m sharing work 
WM: Do you have any advice or resources to recommend for other women who are interested in holding classes online?
SC: Yes – teach your class off-line first if you can. Standing in front of a classroom of women was incredibly nerve-racking, but I know that my e-course is all the more effective for having been tested out in the field, as it were. Talking to students face-to-face about how the assignments had affected them and what they had gained from the experience was invaluable in helping me create an e-course that would be powerful and dynamic.
Teaching online is obviously very different to teaching in person but there are ways to get around that lack of personal contact. Videos are essential, I think, as they give a human face to your words and I know my students really appreciate me checking in with them this way, even if I’m only rambling for 10 minutes! Being easily accessible by email is also essential so you can deal with any problems and/or questions your students have as they work through the course.
About The E-courses
The Unravelling e-courses are designed to help you heal the way you see your self and your world, using photography and journalling to access hidden thoughts and dreams, encouraging personal realisations and ultimately acceptance. Susannah is your guide through this process, sharing her insights and wisdom gleaned from a four-year voyage through grief and healing.
Next class starts Monday, September 28, 2009. For more information, and to join the mailing list, visit www.susannahconway.com.
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