Isn’t it too much of a saturated market? What do I do if someone else out there already has a course just like mine? Why go through all the trouble of creating an online course if there’s already one out there on my topic? 

This is something I hear almost daily among my students in The Course Course as well as in members of my free group, and it’s a huge concern that a lot of would-be course creators have. BUT the good news is that this doesn’t need to be cause for concern at all. 

In fact, if you are in a saturated market, this is actually a good thing. And that is what we’re going to talk about in today’s post!

From many of the course creators I’ve worked with, something that I see popping up over and over again is the fear that a market is “too saturated” to add yet another course into the mix.

The belief goes that because there are already a lot of other courses out there on that same topic, then there’s no reason to create another one. If people need a course on that topic, they’ll go with one of the ones that are already exists. Right? 

Wrong. 

Or at least, that’s the wrong mindset to have when it comes to creating online courses.

Here’s the thing:

Not only is a “saturated market” not a cause for concern, but it’s actually good news. 

(🎦But before we jump into why it’s good news, want to watch this in video form? Check it out at the link here!)

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Saturated Market? Competition is Confirmation

So, what do you do if you feel a market is too saturated, yet you want to create the course anyway? And if you do create that course, how do you stand out from the crowd so you actually get seen… and of course, get sales?

Like I said before, if a lot of other people are creating a course on a similar topic, I think this is actually good news. It shows there’s a market for it. It means your idea has been validated. And it means that if you were to create a course in that topic, you would probably see success. 

That may feel counterintuitive, after all, if a market is really saturated, how could you possibly stand out? But in reality, like I tell my students, competition is confirmation. Confirmation that you are onto something. 

In fact, it’s the newer markets that are less saturated that can actually be a bigger gamble. Especially when you are working in a super specific niche, you are working with less people, meaning less possible students for your course, so you will probably have more challenges when it comes to getting your course out there and finding the people who need it.

How to Stand Out in a Saturated Market

Keep in mind that even if you are teaching on the same or similar topics, the thing that makes those courses different is the teacher — a unique individual with a unique combination of talents, skills, and experiences. And that unique combination of magic can be leveraged to share a unique perspective on a topic that is perhaps not so unique. 

And this isn’t just speculative, I know this from experience:

When I first set out to create my Facebook course, I was going into a very saturated market. Everyone and their mama had a Facebook course. And in fact, it did deter me from creating the course for a little while.

But finally, I chose to jump in. 

Why? Because even though there were tons of Facebook courses from other Facebook experts who were perhaps even more established than I was, people continued to come to me, seeking me out for my perspective, my expertise, and my strategies when it came to Facebook marketing and advertising. 

And I knew that the people coming to me were aware of the other Facebook experts and their Facebook courses, but they still came to me anyway. That showed me that even though there’s a lot of information out there about Facebook marketing, there was something unique about my perspective and that was appealing to enough people for me to justify creating my Facebook course anyway. 

And lo and behold, I launched that Facebook course and it has been responsible for a big portion of our revenue in the last few years. 

(Like, more than a million dollars, so…)

And again, I did that knowing full well that I was entering a saturated market with a lot of other people who had been around a lot longer than me.

But I did it anyway. 

And for you, if you are struggling with those same concerns, then I urge you to do it anyway. 

Sure, you might be teaching on the same or similar topic as someone else, but no one else is you. No one else that has ever been born or will ever be born has your exact combination of talents, skills, and experiences. 

 

And no one can be as good at being you as you are at being you. After all, you are the only you in all the world. 

Now, if you’ve read any of my blog posts before, then some of what I just said was probably a repeat for you. I talk about this stuff a lot because it’s so important and so misunderstood. 

But I know it’s not enough for you just to know that you’re special and unique and that you can leverage that special uniqueness. If you’re going to enter a saturated market, you need to know how to stand out in a practical sense. You need a specific strategy. 

So, if you’re in that position, here is what I would do next:

 

Focus on the transformation, not the topic.

Meaning that, rather than plow ahead and try to come up with a course on a specific topic, instead, get crystal clear on the transformation you’re trying to facilitate for the student. 

Now I know that sounds a little esoteric, maybe you’re rolling your eyes here, so let me give you a specific example of what that means. 

When I went to create my Facebook course, I could have made it on the topic of Facebook marketing. I could have taught people how to use Facebook, how to set up Facebook ads, how to utilize all of the different features, and so on. And I didn’t not do that, but more specifically, my course promise was bigger than that: it was a transformation for the student.

I created my Facebook course with the goal of giving the student a strong foundation in organic strategies so that they could then leverage those for their paid strategies. 

How was this transformation different?

This was quite different from other Facebook courses that just taught about how to set up ads or create content. I got hyper-specific on how I was going to do that, and because my approach gave students such a strong foundation, when they did decide to do ads, they were far more successful than the average person who didn’t follow that kind of system. 

Because I covered this broad range yet with a specific transformation and mind, I saw amazing success with my students. In time, my course was touted as the “only Facebook course you’ll ever need.” Now of course, my students were the ones that said that first, but you’d better bet I grabbed that tagline and used it for almost every launch I did at that course. 

By doing that, I was able to establish myself as an authority and create a consistent connection to my course topic. 

And of course, when you are consistent and then you become perceived as an authority in your field, you will always stand out. You’ll become the go-to. And you won’t have to worry about whether or not your market is too saturated, because you’ve uniquely positioned yourself from the crowd. 

Choosing a Specific Transformation

Now, you can do that in lots of ways, but for me, it’s about getting specific not just on the topic that I’m teaching, but the transformation I’m facilitating for the student. 

Let me share a few more examples:

Like with my program, The Course Course: 

I’m not teaching on the general topic of course creation or launching. It’s not like, “here are some suggestions, some info, some ideas about what someone could do if they wanted to create and launch a course.”

INSTEAD, it’s a complete SYSTEM, and it’s presented with one goal: 

To help a business owner create and launch a profitable online course in 3 weeks (or less). Even in a saturated market.

It’s not a course about evergreening or getting affiliates or creating a custom course website or other more advanced strategies (I have other programs for more advanced course creators who want to go beyond the beta). Instead, The Course Course is about one specific system that’s designed to help someone achieve one specific goal.

It might seem like a subtle difference to some, but it can make a major difference for you as you create the course AND launch the course (and of course, it makes a huge difference to your students, too). 

It’s the difference between a student of yours saying “Here’s what I learned…” vs. “Here’s what I can now DO!”

It’s also so much easier to sell a *transformation* than it is to sell a topic. Right? There’s more perceived value there.

Here are two more examples:

One course topic could be “Essential oils for beginners.”

But a transformation might be “Eliminate toxins in your home by incorporating essential oils.”

Another example of a topic is “Gluten-free baking”

But a possible transformation: “Learn 6 easy recipes that you can use weekly to bake gluten-free breads.”

As you can see, the topic is good, but the transformation is powerful.

It has value. It has application. It’s not just something that can be learned, but something that can be IMPLEMENTED.

And therefore, it becomes FAR more marketable than any other course on a similar topic.

Now, your turn: 

If you don’t have a course OR if you already have a course, what transformation do YOU facilitate? And If you’ve never defined it in this way, how could you change that?

Please share in the comments below! I want to hear more about your courses and who you serve!

P.S. If you want the next step in creating your course, check out our video about why size matters…When it comes to creating and launching an online course. 😉

P.P.S. Also, I have a free gift from me to you! 

Launching an online course is a big undertaking. You NEED a step-by-step schedule so you don’t miss anything important in the launch process. 

That’s why I’m sharing with you my free launch launch calendars — the same ones only previously shared inside my paid programs. Grab the launch calendars for free, right here!

HI, I’M COURTNEY!

I’m here to help you build, grow, and scale your business.

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