• Who: Dekker Fraser
• Website: dekker.page
• Course Topic: Marketing Training
• Interesting Stats: About one million enrollments in his courses

Who are you and what course have you created?

I’m a marketing instructor with about one million enrollments. I was a Brand Manager for Sony PlayStation and a Vice President of Marketing for a Google accelerator startup. I created 30 courses on marketing topics including product marketing, digital marketing, SaaS marketing, and copywriting.

What market does your online course serve?

I help professionals such as managers, entrepreneurs, and freelancers master marketing acquire more customers for their businesses.

What’s the biggest benefit of taking your course?

Learn how to acquire customers cost effectively.

How did you get into the market?

I followed my friend who was earning six figures as a course creator.

 

Why did you decide to create an online course in the first place?

I love learning and teaching. I particularly enjoy simplifying complex challenges. Course creation is also quite lucrative.

Did you have any moments of doubt before you created/launched it?

My biggest challenge in the beginning was just understanding what an online course was in terms of its basic components.

If so what made you turn it around and do it anyway?

I knew someone who was already successful selling online courses. He taught me that a course–in its most basic form–is just a series of video recordings of your computer screen. Once I dabbled in screen recordings, my confidence in course creation grew.

What’s your online course like?

My typical lecture is a recording of me talking over a Canva presentation, with or without my webcam. Some lectures are  “talking head” recordings of me. I also offer quizzes, downloadable content such as Excel or Word templates, and text-based lectures. Lately I’ve invested more in video editing such as adding b-roll, text, sound effects, and music.

How long did it take you to create your course?

A course can definitely be created in a month. I work in sprints, so I can produce one in a week if necessary.

One of the biggest deterrents to success in course creation is perfectionism. - Dekker Fraser Click To Tweet

It’s better to release something quickly and get real market feedback than to perfect something for months and have it fall flat upon release.

The agile mindset has helped me tremendously.

My process usually starts with creating a Canva presentation for one lecture. I then record myself talking over that slideshow. I prefer to completely finish one little chunk of the course at a time–even if it’s just a 5-minute video recording. I build the course piece-by-piece: a completed video, a slideshow for a lecture, a recording of me setting up an ad campaign, or a video of me talking.

My courses are very long, but I don’t get overwhelmed with thinking about the grand plan. I just focus on completing one component at a time. Later, I’ll reorder, edit, or even delete lectures as I see what students do or do not engage with. Feedback from students is also very helpful.

I don’t advise starting with the introduction to the course because you’ll end up trying to give a general overview for something that isn’t done yet. The content will evolve over time. I suggest starting with the “meat” of the course where you dive right into some juicy, helpful content.

Tell us a little about the process of launching your course and getting your first sale(s).

I distribute free coupons through channels such as Facebook groups. This gives me early feedback on how to improve the course, as well as public reviews and ratings. I do not have big product launches for courses the way I would with something like a video game.

I build momentum gradually, improving the course along the way, and focusing on “always-on” marketing throughout the year. - Dekker Fraser Click To Tweet

Do you have a lead magnet?

I have several lead magnets including a 1-page competitive analysis template and a SaaS marketing playbook. These help build my email list, but they are not an integral part of my marketing strategy. Lead magnets are great for “Dan Kennedy” style direct-response marketing, but I’ve increasingly moved towards mass marketing.

What’s the traffic strategy that works best for you?

I’m investing more in public relations: getting featured in major publications such as MSN with backlinks. Historically I’ve focused on finding out what people are searching for in large volume and building the course and description around keywords. I invest steadily in awareness advertising through YouTube, Reddit, Facebook, and sometimes LinkedIn and other channels.

What online course platform are you using?

Udemy, Teachable, and Gumroad.

Do you like it?

I like them all.

Are there any features you wish it had?

I wish you could easily drop lectures from one course into another.

What made you decide to use your chosen platform over others?

Word-of-mouth recommendations from other course creators.

What other tools do you use to run your online course business?

Screenpal, Canva, LogiCapture, and Google’s tools. I also rely on contractors who use various video/image editing software.

What books or training programs have you found useful on your journey to a successful business owner that others might find valuable too?

How Brands Grow by Dr. Byron Sharp.

Do you have any big mistakes you’ve made along the way that you’d be willing to share?

I went too niche with low-ticket courses: for example, “B2B copywriting.” B2B marketing is a niche in itself, so getting any more narrow than that was not a viable market. Students kept asking about B2C, so I had to expand the course.

I’ve increasingly invested more in big, blockbuster courses and cut out the small, niche ones. If you charge a high price then you can certainly get pretty narrow with your topic. - Dekker Fraser Click To Tweet

Please share some idea of revenue.

I have a six-figure, largely passive income that exceeds what I was making as a global manager in the Fortune 100 corporate world. I have a live-in maid and a very comfortable lifestyle with lots of luxury goods. The online course business is very profitable. Consider Amazon sellers for example: they might be selling millions in revenue, but the majority of that is cost of goods sold. Their net income is only a fraction of their sales.

Please tell us a little about what the money you’ve earned from your course has done for you.

The biggest reward for me is freedom: I work whenever I want, as much I want. I also focus on what I love–learning and teaching–instead of navigating corporate politics. I traveled the world and lived on several continents. I buy lots of luxury products and the latest tech.

In addition to revenue are there any numbers you would like to share?

I have about one million enrollments. These enrollments were built over years, starting when course creation was just my side gig. The biggest driver is researching what is in high demand and then serving that demand. Give the market what it wants, and you will get a lot of enrollments. Then you consider tactics such as getting reviews, SEO, YouTube advertising, etc.

What has creating your course done for you personally?

I have my dream life. I do what I love, when I want, as much as I want. I live where I want and travel wherever I want.

Do you have a story of a transformation from any of your clients?

Off the top of my head, I can think of two people who got six-figure jobs with my help. I got a nice warm, fuzzy feeling knowing that my career is truly helping people transform their lives.

What advice do you have for people just starting out?

Don’t be a perfectionist: crank out some videos and publish quickly. Market feedback is more valuable than patience. - Dekker Fraser Click To Tweet

The key to success is meeting demand–giving the market what it wants. Focus on bite-sized accomplishments that up to long-term success.

Learn more about Dekker Fraser of dekker.page:

• Website: dekker.page
• Udemy
• LinkedIn
• YouTube