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How Samantha Smith Created a Successful Knee Replacement Course as a Physical Therapist
- Who: Samantha Smith
- Website: succeedcourses.com
- Course Topic: Knee Recovery
- Interesting Stats: 50k followers on TikTok and 15k on YouTube
Who are you and what course have you created?
I am a physical therapist that specializes in knee replacements.
What market does your online course serve?
I serve patients pre and post knee replacement surgery. I also serve anyone with knee arthritis who is having pain and wants to avoid a future surgery.
What’s the biggest benefit of taking your course?
A lot of times patients receive a “cookie cutter” exercise routine from their physical therapist. Although I am not one-on-one with my clients through my course, my protocol is much different and much more successful. The biggest concern for patients is making sure they reach full range of motion with their knee bending and straightening, achieving good quad strength and decreased pain and stiffness. All of these are accomplished in my course.
How did you get into the market?
As a physical therapist, I noticed that the knee replacement surgery is the hardest surgery for patients. The rehab takes up to a year, but most patients only get coverage from their insurance for 6-10 weeks. Patients are left to continue their rehab by themselves after that or possibly with a personal trainer who does not have the medical background to make good judgment on exercises. There are millions of knee replacements performed each year so I knew there would be people out there looking for help.
Why did you decide to create an online course in the first place?
Creating a course is the most cost effective method for my clients. Regular PT visits with me cost $150- $250 a visit. Not only is it cost effective for my clients, but it is also time efficient for me. I can help so many more people with a course than I can as a physical therapist in my region.
Did you have any moments of doubt before you created/launched it?
Yes. I definitely had doubts it would not sell. I also had a few doubters. Some people told me that it would not sell because there was no market for it. I am so glad I did not listen to them!
If so what made you turn it around and do it anyway?
I really just said “Heck with it. I am going to try this out.” If it didn’t work, the worst that could have happened was I wasted a lot of time writing, recording and editing the course, which did take me a full year to do.
What’s your online course like?
The course is videos along with text. The text supports the video. The videos are anywhere between 2 and 20 minutes long.
How long did it take you to create your course?
The course took a full year to write, record, edit and upload. I wrote an outline of the course first, then I typed all the detailed information out. I constantly came back to my outline and added in new thoughts as I thought of them. Once the outline was completed, I then wrote a word for word script. I made the script sound conversational and casual to appeal to my audience.
The script was edited 50+ times to make sure it was thorough but not boring. Once the course was completed, I took 2 weeks off of my full time job as a Physical Therapist to record all the videos. This was the most time consuming part. After I completed the recordings, I took about 3 months editing including adding text, adding visuals, adding captions and music.
Tell us a little about the process of launching your course and getting your first sale(s).
Before I launched my course, I focused on building my social media accounts including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. I started to build my brand and likeness so people knew who I was. If no one trusts you or knows who you are, you won’t make any sales.
Do you have a lead magnet?
I don’t have a specific lead magnet. I use my social media accounts to market my courses and website.
What’s the traffic strategy that works best for you?
Posting daily about my website and my courses is the best way to gain traffic. YouTube is also a great way to gain traffic. On top of that, I use an SEO company, www.mbbdigi.com , to help drive traffic to my site.
What online course platform are you using?
Do you like it?
Yes!
Are there any features you wish it had?
I wish the communities aspect was better, but I know they are perfecting it. There are always making changes to better the product.
What made you decide to use your chosen platform over others?
I needed a blog, payment integration, courses & coaching, live video access, easy use interface, and easy to build platform. Kajabi has all that I need.
What other tools do you use to run your online course business?
I only use Kajabi and their marketing tools, which for me is only email campaigns.
What books or training programs have you found useful on your journey to a successful business owner that others might find valuable too?
I have not used any programs to help my business. I’ve only been inspired by others who have courses. I use that inspiration to keep working hard on my business.
Do you have any big mistakes you’ve made along the way that you’d be willing to share?
I wish I had my courses professionally recorded from the beginning. All of my courses were recorded with my personal cameras. I wish the lighting, camera angles, and atmosphere was more “professional” looking.
Please tell us a little about what the money you’ve earned from your course has done for you.
The money I have earned from my course website has allowed me to take time off from my full time PT job. I now have more time to be a mom and focus on my course business. - Samantha Smith Click To TweetBefore I was making money on my course website, I was working from 8PM-12AM on my website. I worked a full day 9AM-5PM, picked up my son from school, spent time with him until his bedtime at 8PM, and then I would immediately grab my computer and start brain storming, writing, recording content etc. Now, I have more time to dedicate to my business.
In addition to revenue are there any numbers you would like to share?
How I got to 50k followers on TikTok and 15k on YouTube is by posting consistently. Even if no one is watching, you have to post every day until you start to get a following. If you want to grow on social media, the only way to do this is to post every single day.
What has creating your course done for you personally?
Creating my course has definitely given me a sense of accomplishment.
I know I can do anything I set my mind to. The only reason we don’t succeed is because we give up too quickly. - Samantha Smith Click To TweetThere were so many times I wanted to give up, but I am so glad I didn’t.
Do you have a story of a transformation from any of your clients?
I have had many clients say “This is the best I’ve ever felt” after I advise them. My advice is always given under their direction of their doctor. I always tell my clients to take my advice to their doctor to make sure it is appropriate. Knowing I can directly affect someone from across the country is a very humbling and rewarding feeling.
What advice do you have for people just starting out?
Just do it! Don’t give up and do not quit. Even if it takes you 10 years, just keep working hard.
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