One of the trickiest parts of launching a digital course is knowing where to host it and how to build it out! Y’all may know I’m a BIG fan of Kajabi and have used them to host my online courses for years and years. It’s an incredible business management platform that can help small business owners start turning their knowledge into income. But… there are a few easy-to-make mistakes to avoid when starting a course with Kajabi that I want to share today.
These are things that can happen to anyone, so don’t fret if you’ve experienced one or more. We’re going to walk through what to do and how to avoid them in the future, so you can start sharing (and earning money from) your knowledge like a boss!
What is Kajabi and why do you need it for your online biz?
Kajabi is powerful software that empowers knowledge entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale online businesses. It comes with all the tools you need to create and sell your digital products like online courses, membership sites, and coaching offerings.
Best of all, it includes nearly everything you’d need—a course builder, website, email marketing, sales funnels, and powerful analytics—all in one place, without you having to know how to code. Which is sort of the best thing ever.
This means you can get your business started without having to worry about coding anything or setting up integrations! Plus, it comes with a ton of pre-built templates to speed up the process of getting started. In other words, it’s like a one-stop-shop for digital entrepreneurs looking to share their knowledge and experience with others. Yesssss.
Here are 3 mistakes to avoid when starting a course with Kajabi:
Kajabi is offering my audience a major discount to give their goods a test run and it’s a great way to get the first-hand experience with the software to see if it’s right for your business needs.
To help you get the absolute most out of your Kajabi experience, I want to point out a few common mistakes to avoid.
1. Getting bogged down by imposter syndrome.
Sure, you need a stellar offer to succeed in the online business world. But, just as importantly? You need the confidence to start a business.
Imposter syndrome is real and can be especially common among people who sell products or services based on their own expertise. If you feel wishy-washy about what you want to put out into the world, it’s likely imposter syndrome creeping in and trying to hold you back.
The truth is, we become what we believe. If you think you’re not capable of success, you’re less likely to succeed. Luckily, there are sooo many things that can motivate you, build you up, and combat imposter syndrome.
First, get inspired by the success of others. Plenty of people just like you are successfully running their own businesses on Kajabi centered on their experiences and background. And every one of those successful entrepreneurs had to start from the same place you’re at now. In fact, you can hear some pretty incredible success stories from all types of businesses AND learn more about digital course creation from my very own mentor, Amy Porterfield right here!
According to the Kajabi 2020 Year in Review, the average Kajabi customer made $6,100 per month in revenue. So even during a pandemic, people were able to successfully launch and grow businesses with this platform.
After realizing that someone else can succeed, start building yourself up with the knowledge that if they can do it, so can you! Then, it’s time to start being proactive. What steps can you combat imposter syndrome? It comes down to doing research, preparation, and grit.
Here’s where I recommend starting:
- Research your offering. Collect data about your offering, niche, industry, and target market with market research. See what gaps you can fill and where you can more easily carve out space for yourself.
- Build your audience. To have a successful online business, having a pool of potential customers is a must. Consistently work to grow your audience and show up online so you can develop a steady stream of clients.
- Don’t give up. Find ways to motivate yourself when the going gets tough. Think back to your motivation for starting a business and use that to propel you when you face obstacles.
Maybe you have some knowledge that you know would be useful to others, but you need to refine it. That’s okay if you’re not ready to launch right this moment. Understanding where you are now and having a goal of where you want to be will help you identify the steps you need to take to move forward.
Spend some time laying the groundwork of your business and really laying the foundation in the planning phase. You’ll continually need to do research, create content, refine, and optimize, so getting in the swing of that will serve you long-term.
Then, set a realistic and time-bound goal to work towards. If you choose a deadline for a task, you’re more likely to do it… or at least have something in progress! For example, your goal could be: “I will complete filming my first course video in one week” or “I will start my Kajabi trial in four weeks.” These are something actionable to work toward.
Having the right mindset and putting in some prep work goes a LONG way in overcoming imposter syndrome.
2. Starting before understanding your audience/product.
Starting any business requires some serious preparation. Part of that preparation is knowing the steps to take, the right order for those steps, and executing in that order. If someone wanted to open a restaurant, they wouldn’t take reservations before planning their menu, right?
The same goes for any influencer or entrepreneur who wants to start selling knowledge products. Before diving into a platform like Kajabi, it’s important that you prepare your offering.
This is a helpful high-level framework that I recommend:
- Understand what product you are making
- Identify your audience
- Plan how to market and sell your product
Having your first product ready or in a solid draft before you even create a Kajabi login will ensure you’re ready to focus on getting your Kajabi account set up during your free trial.
You’ll also want to get started on your marketing materials. Plan or create your visual content, social posts, and an editorial calendar. That way when you’re all set up, you can launch more effectively and market your offering from the get-go.
3. Not learning the nuts and bolts before getting started.
Like any new software, Kajabi will take some time to get used to. It took me a few months to feel comfortable with it! But, it’s totally doable.
One way to get familiar faster is to be intentional about getting into the specific and unique parts of Kajabi. I recommend doing this soon after joining. Don’t settle for getting familiar with the broad aspects or hope you’ll figure out the specifics along the way.
What you should do to maximize your experience on Kajabi:
- Get a website domain
- Set up your Stripe and PayPal to collect payment
- Get familiar with the website builder and pages tools
- Understand the Kajabi pipelines
- Import your existing email list
- Set up some email campaigns
- Learn what automations you need to set up
- Utilize Kajabi University to get on-demand video tutorials of all of Kajabi’s features
The online course world can feel tricky to get started in but when you choose a platform that supports and is created for creators like you, it’s far less daunting and almost foolproof! Deciding on a platform can be more than just one decision crossed off your list, it can lay the foundation for the experience your students will enjoy and help give you the confidence to deliver the results that only you can deliver! Once you take the time to get your mind right and prep your new offer, you’ll be ready to roll with Kajabi (and take advantage of their wild 3 months for $99) and share all of your wonderful knowledge with the world!
