How to Get Your First Online Course Students

Your first course students usually come from people who already know or trust you. Start with your personal and professional network, offer a founding-student price in exchange for feedback, run a free live workshop, show up helpfully in communities where your students gather, partner with people who serve the same audience, and share useful content consistently.

8 ways to find your first students

1. Message your warm network personally. Explain who the course is for and ask for referrals.
2. Founding-student offer: a lower price for the first group in exchange for feedback and testimonials.
3. Free live workshop that teaches one useful thing and invites people to join.
4. Online communities: answer questions generously where your audience gathers, following each community's rules.
5. Partnerships: guest workshops for groups, businesses or creators who serve the same people.
6. Content: posts, videos or newsletters demonstrating your method.
7. Past clients: if you have coached or taught, offer them the course first.
8. A waitlist on a simple landing page, shared everywhere.

Founding-student message

Turn first students into future sales

Support them closely, gather results and testimonials, and ask them to share. See course testimonials and how to launch an online course.