Advertising your online course 
If you're running an online course during the COVID-19 pandemic and want as many people as possible to find out about it, we've collated some top tips for getting the word out.
Some of these ideas require a bit of spend, but as you're saving money on printing flyers and any venue or food and drink costs you'd normally incur, it could be worth the investment.
Use eye-catching imagery
Create an advert that grabs people's attention.
Canva is currently running a free trial, and you can use their library of images or upload your own to create a striking invitation to use on social media. This
handy guide gives you a quick overview of how to use the platform.
If you want to add the logo of the course you're running to the ad, simply sign into the
Leader's Area (you'll need to create an account if you don't have one already) to download them.
Try a video invitation
You could film your own, like
St Helen's Bishopsgate have done, or you could use an existing template to promote your series.
Ninefootone are able to tailor
this advert they created for Christ Church Fulwood for your church for £50-60 plus VAT depending on the personalisation you need. Email Jon for more information about this:
jon@ninefootone.co.uk
GoChatter have
custom trailers for Life Explored set up on their site, which you can personalise for £5.
Put some money behind your social media ads
If you’re a Facebook user, you’ve probably seen 'sponsored posts' from companies and charities pop up in your newsfeed. Well, it could be your course appearing in the newsfeeds of people in your community! Here are some of the benefits of Facebook advertising:
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It’s precise: You can target your advert so that it only appears to people living in your local community.
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It’s cheap: You can have your ad seen by 3,000-5,000 people in your town for as little as £30.
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It’s easy: Read on to find out how!
All you need to get started is a personal Facebook account, and a church Facebook page for which you are a manager.
The Good Book Company created a basic step-by-step guide on how to create adverts for church Christmas events, and the same principles apply for advertising your online course:
Download the FREE guide
More about running courses during the pandemic