#049: What if you could create messaging for your course that truly captures its transformative power and reels in your ideal audience? Look no further! I had the incredible opportunity to chat with Morgan Spencer, a brand and messaging strategist who specialises in helping course creators develop memorable messaging that stands out from the crowd.
In this episode, you will learn:
Don't miss this episode packed with actionable insights and inspiration for course creators, straight from the brilliant mind of Morgan Spencer!
Tune in now.
View the shownotes here:
https://www.louiseblakely.com/49
Enjoy the episode,
Lou xx
#049: What if you could create messaging for your course that truly captures its transformative power and reels in your ideal audience? Look no further! I had the incredible opportunity to chat with Morgan Spencer, a brand and messaging strategist who specialises in helping course creators develop memorable messaging that stands out from the crowd.
In this episode, you will learn:
Don't miss this episode packed with actionable insights and inspiration for course creators, straight from the brilliant mind of Morgan Spencer!
Tune in now.
View the shownotes here:
https://www.louiseblakely.com/49
Enjoy the episode,
Lou xx
Hello and welcome to this episode of the online course creator show. Today I have on the pod a very special guest, morgan Spencer. Now, morgan Spencer is a brand and messaging strategist and fellow podcaster who loves to help course creators and many other business owners create memorable messaging for the future of the brand. Morgan is actually a personal friend of mine. She's one of my besties and I'm constantly blown away by her amazing ability to create amazing messaging. So I've invited her on the podcast so that she can share her wisdom with all of you. Welcome to the show, morgan.
Morgan Spencer:Wow, what an intro. Thanks, lou, so happy to be here today and chat. All things launching and messaging Yes, my favorite topics, Right?
Lou Blakely:So just to jump straight into this episode today, I want to know from you what is your favorite quote.
Morgan Spencer:Okay, so I have quite a few favorite quotes that I love. As you know, i love business education and immersing myself in all business and personal development. One quote that I really love that I came across recently that I have been really drawn to is a famous one by Steve Jobs, which is we're here to make a dent in the universe, and I just love that. it just resonates to me in so many ways, more so about, like, the work that I do in the world and the work that I do with my clients. I think we can take any perspective with that and leave what we will with that message and that quote. But, yeah, like to do big work in the world, to be creative, to be disruptive, to follow our own path, like whatever that is. So, yeah, that's probably my favorite quote at the moment.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, i love that And I think, like, if you're a person that is creating online courses, you do want to create a new future. Yeah, it's not really in. you know, it hasn't been around for that long. It's quite a new thing. So, yeah, i definitely think that relates to what we're talking about here today.
Morgan Spencer:Absolutely.
Lou Blakely:So I wanted to dive straight in and talk about, firstly, what is messaging and how is it different to copywriting and how is it different to branding, because you are a brand and messaging strategist. So what is messaging specifically and how is it different to those other two things?
Morgan Spencer:Yeah, great question.
Morgan Spencer:So the way that I explain messaging and hero messaging that we use and create in our businesses is essentially the overarching, like hero and framework of the messages that we use in our business.
Morgan Spencer:So it's our hero messaging, our taglines, what makes us unique and what we do, and then our content and copywriting is and comes from that messaging. So basically, that the hero framework and then the brand strategy has that core strategic framework of our brand that incorporates a lot of different things. So that's got our tone of voice, our brand values, our customer psychographics, our particular words that we use within our brand and then our messaging is created based on that framework. So the brand strategy would come first, but then the messaging is a really big core part of that. When we look at launching and course creators, the messaging would be the component of the course name, the product name, the differentiators in that course, the words that they use and messaging like the feel of the course, the amount of creativity that's used. So it's that messaging and that feeling that all encompasses everything when it all comes together. So the content, when we look at content that's social media content, email content, website content all comes from that messaging that we've established to begin with.
Lou Blakely:I love that, and something you spoke about there is like the messaging is how you kind of differentiate yourself. I wanted to talk a little bit more about that because I feel, like you know, i work a lot with course creators and like a limiting belief that many course creators have is well, i don't want to do this course or I can't do that course because there's already so many courses on that topic out there, whereas I believe that if people were already doing well on that niche, then there's going to be room for you, right, like, we've got so many like billions of people on the internet now. But you're kind of saying that messaging can be used as the way to be different, even if you're kind of teaching the same thing. So I'd love to know how you approach that.
Morgan Spencer:Yeah, absolutely Honestly, i see every course as an example to really brand that. So you're branding that as like a product or a service, giving it its own personality within your brand suite. So I actually love creating messaging for course creators and launches, specifically because it's such a great chance to be creative creative with the name, creative with the messaging, creative with the positioning, creative with taking, like, a different spin. So if that, like you said, if there are already course creators in your industry who've created a plethora of courses before, that just shows as a market for it. But what can you do? that's different. How can your message stand out? How can you create a name that's really fun?
Morgan Spencer:I'm all about like course names that are really fun and unique. Like I've worked with course creators and named their course names after cocktails, like because that was the positioning of their brand and that was aligned with the customer they were attracting. And then I've worked with other course creators that have had something really fun, completely different context. So the sky is the limit, really, and that is my approach to everything that I do. Like you can do anything that you want.
Morgan Spencer:You can be creative, you can be ballsy, you can be bold. It's just about having fun with the content that you do, and I am very big on using creative names, and I think there's just so many course names out there that are so probably like generic in terms of like what they say, that they do, and I think the biggest way that you can stand out online as a course creator is to be different and to make people like look deeper, like for an interest in the course, because the name is different and it stands out to what's already online, so it's an opportunity for them to become curious. Really, even if they weren't particularly looking for a course, you've caught their eye and you've caught their attention and they explore that and go a bit deeper as well. So it's actually a really good sales tactic too.
Lou Blakely:So do you kind of mean, like with the naming, to like create a name that aligns with their beliefs, or like rally around like a common cause or something like that?
Morgan Spencer:It always based on the brand. So once the brand is created and the overall messaging is created for that particular business, then the naming is an extension of that. So the naming would consider, like lots of different factors, so, who the customer is, what do they value, what are their interests, what is the transformation and what is going to reach them in like the best possible way through that. And my advice to always approach when you're always creative in terms of like the name, you have to really carry that through in the content messaging. So if you're going to name your course after like a particular food or like a particular drink or something like that, that's really creative because that's in line with your brand, you have to really carry that through with the messaging as well. So there has to be that connection and that correlation to both if that makes sense.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, definitely Okay. So today you want share three messaging tips that are going to help the listeners sell out their next course launch. So what's your first tip?
Morgan Spencer:So number one for me is always like the course name. I think the course name holds so much value and so much impact in what you're selling And that comes down to the name itself and the tagline. So the tagline being like the transformation that you're delivering as part of that course, and the name itself, and like carrying those two together, i'd say would be the most important part. And when I create messaging for launches and course creators, it's always the last part of the pie that I write to make sure that you've established everything as part of like the sales messaging process first, and then the name is sprinkled on top after that, because it encapsulates everything in a really distinct way. I think when you're sitting there for any course creator tool is sitting there and they're struggling to name their course sometimes when we're thinking about it too much and it stops us from creating the sales page is because we need to come back to it. We need to let that name like flourish once we've got the messaging pieces together, if that makes sense.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, so what would your advice be to someone who was really struggling coming up with a course name and it was actually stopping them from launching?
Morgan Spencer:Yeah, and course naming and product and service naming can be really tricky. So my biggest piece of advice is to take the time. I always love to have a lot of creative space around something like a course name When I think we're thinking about it too much and we're sitting at our desk trying to come up with a name and it's just like not landing for us because we just need a bit of time to let that sit and let that sink. So, getting really clear on, like the pain points of your client, the transformation that you're delivering, and pulling out keywords and buzzwords that sort of align to that, i feel like the name comes to you throughout that process. Of course, it's easier said than done and that's why people like myself exist to help course creators, but that would be the process that I would go through, in the framework that I would follow, to come up with a name. So take the pressure off yourself.
Lou Blakely:And I love what you said and I think that's so true. I personally feel like I don't get great ideas at my desk. That's just where I do work, but getting out and doing like walking, i think, especially for me is very good ideas.
Morgan Spencer:Every either business name or course name that I've come up with has not been at my desk. It's been when I'm like out and about, whether it's like in nature, going through a walk. Even on holidays, i feel like I have the most creative energy when I'm on holidays. It always comes to me. So take the pressure off yourself and don't focus so much on it. Start developing the course. Start developing like the content and like the framework for the sales page and the transformation and pain points and it will come to you through that process. But give yourself time, space and energy and take the pressure off. Go for a walk, get outside and get that creative streak and you flowing and that will really help with that process.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, and if you just can't quite get there, what do you recommend someone who actually just needs to like? is it something that you would say don't want, you course, until you have the perfect name. Or can you start with a kind of a interim name, i guess, and then create the perfect name later, like say, you've been thinking about it for six months and you still haven't thought of a name? What would you suggest to someone there?
Morgan Spencer:I think, like, given that I'm like a message strategist and copywriter, my my thoughts are always that the name holds so much impact and value in getting that right and really having that transformative experience when you put that, put that out there and put that out there and the results that come from that.
Morgan Spencer:But I also know that, like validation of the offer and getting offers out there is also a really important part of like the process when launching new services and new courses.
Morgan Spencer:So I'd say, like my best piece of advice there would be to encapsulate, like the course offering as much as you can. make sure that you've got a really clear tagline as to what you're delivering with with the course, but don't let the name hold you back. I'd always suggest reaching out to a copywriter or someone that could assist you in that way and give you a little bit of feedback and direction so that you have that confidence. Because when you put your name out there as you probably know, and you put your name out there and you put a course out there, you just want to feel really confident in what you're offering to the world And I think any uncertainty can make you feel like a little bit stuck and unsure with your offering in your course as well. So I definitely would like seek advice with that process if that's something that you struggle with, but also don't be scared to put it out there before you're ready, because that's what launching is all about and making sure that you validate that offer too.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, 100%. I love what you said there about It's kind of like being in alignment with your course name. I think that you have to be. you have to back your course name more than anyone else, really, because you're the one that's going to be talking about it nonstop during your launch. So I think that's a really good point, absolutely.
Morgan Spencer:I would never like rush to put out a course out there with just like any name, just to get it out there, because if you're not aligned to the name at all, then you're not going to have any success with it, because the energy will be filled through your audience through the whole process. So I definitely wouldn't recommend that. But also knowing that getting it out there and testing it is also important part of the process as well, like refining it as you go along too.
Lou Blakely:Definitely Okay cool. So what is your second tip?
Morgan Spencer:So my second tip would be so, as I mentioned previously, i'm very big on the tagline aspect of the name, so that would come through in like the first step. But the second part is my framework is to always tie three pain points in the transformation together and brand them together. Psychologically, it's a really clear way for people to connect with three pain points, rather than having like multiple pain points that they're reading through sales messaging. It becomes quite overwhelming for them. So I like to brand it with like three key pain points that can be used throughout your sales page, social media content, email marketing and it really connects people to those feelings and sensations that they currently are experiencing with their business that you're trying to reap. So that would be my second tip.
Lou Blakely:So would you advise to use the three biggest pain points, or kind of like. you know, if you had maybe come up with 10 pain points, right Yeah, so would you choose the biggest three, or would you choose three that were like similar?
Morgan Spencer:So, with the pain points you want to get clear on, you'd have, like you probably might make note of like five or 10 like major pain points that your customers experiencing.
Morgan Spencer:But when you break them down further, there's usually like three major ones that they can be fallen into categories and they're like the three that you use And then you can further explain that throughout your social media content and your email marketing content and things like that. But you'd have like three, i guess, like big, transformative pain points that they're experiencing. So, to land that, it would be getting very, very clear on where your customers are currently at and what their major pain points are. So it's not going to be every single pain point they're experiencing, because some are going to be quite big and some are going to be quite little. But we really want to focus on like the big ones, like the transformative pain points. So, for example, if someone wants to make more money in their business, like that's going to be a major pain point for them. If someone wants, like, more time and freedom, that's a major pain point for them. So, focusing on like the very big transformative pain points and not like the little things, if that makes sense.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, definitely. Okay, sounds good. I love that tip and it can help with everything back from there with the social media content and all that good stuff. So you mentioned something about the transformation. Can you dive a little bit deeper into that?
Morgan Spencer:Yeah, sure. So when I talk about transformation, it's the transformative experience your customer is going to have when they purchase their course, and making that really clear and also like attainable as well. So if they complete this course, how will they feel? What will they experience? What will their business look like? Will they be happy? Will they have fulfilled the desires that they have? So getting really clear on what those experiences are. It's not so much like the one major transformation I'm going to make a million dollars if I do this course, because we all know that's not going to happen, regardless of what you're selling but it's the feeling that they're going to experience. If they were like, how would it feel to achieve XYZ, how would it feel to experience this new business? How would it feel to have this feeling? So we're breaking the transformation down in many different like emotions and experiences and feelings that make sense.
Lou Blakely:And it's kind of creating the map of where they can expect to go if they do sign up, I think.
Morgan Spencer:Yeah, definitely. I think a good example is like if there was a, if there was like a course or program that helps you gain more freedom in your business, but it also helps you get more profit in your business. It means that you can take Fridays off to have lunch with your friends. You can take a long weekend, you can walk your dog in the middle of the day, like those sort of transformative feelings is what people want, that's what they're currently feeling.
Morgan Spencer:But painting it out for them It's not something that would probably stay out loud, but once you've said it to them they're like yes, yes, that's what I want, that's how I want to feel, that's how I want to see, that's what I want things to be. So it's like painting out those transformative experiences, because there's a lot to transformation. If we think about it from a messaging, like course perspective. There's usually a number of reasons as to why someone signed up to do that course, and most of the time it's not what we think it is Right. So explaining that in a really descriptive way that aligns with how they're currently feeling, which is done through your content, really helps as well, and we usually have to say it a couple of times in a couple of different ways, for them to really think yes, that is so me, yes, that's how I feel.
Lou Blakely:I love that, especially when you talk about, say, if your transformation was around freedom but you never went deeper than that, then there's going to be a lot of people in your audience who don't really. I mean, they just interpret it how they want to interpret it. But if you're talking about you want Fridays off so you can go out for lunch with your girlfriends, like that's so much more specific.
Morgan Spencer:Definitely, because, like, what is freedom? Like financial freedom, time freedom, space freedom, like there's so many different ways you can interpret freedom in your business. So I think explaining that is really important. So, for example, when I just spoke about with the pain points that you'd use in your sales page, for example, you could talk about freedom in that process, like the top points that you're talking about, that pain points, but then throughout the sales page you're explaining freedom.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, I guess that's where it really aligns in with who your actual ideal client is, because the word freedom, for example, is like quite you know, people can interpret it based on what their version of freedom is. But if you're working specifically within females, business owners who are like age 30 to 45 or whatever, then they're going to want a specific type of freedom versus like Definitely A male in their sixties. You know what I mean.
Morgan Spencer:Yeah, I think it just comes with really understanding your audience and where they're at and what kind of feeling feelings they're experiencing, what kind of pain points they're experiencing, and get really specific on that So that going through that process and market research and like testing and like your content and that kind of thing will really help prepare you for your messaging when it comes to your course.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, one of the things that, like I always think about messaging is that it's so powerful because it can actually transform and improve launches. So, like I think, if you're doing your first launch, yes, messaging is important, but also your messaging is going to get better as you get to know your ideal client and probably as you launch.
Morgan Spencer:Yeah, absolutely Definitely. Your messaging should be always evolving. It's like your website. Just because you create this amazing website, it doesn't mean that you'll never have to refine it again, Like it should always be evolving and moving forward as your brand evolves, as your business evolves, as your courses evolve and change. Things are always moving in business, which makes things exciting, yeah.
Lou Blakely:What's your approach for actually finding out more about what messaging does align with your ideal customer? Do you like interview them? What's your process or what do you recommend to people?
Morgan Spencer:I suggest it's very different depending on what the business is in the industry and things like that. A lot of the time it is having a really greater understanding of where your audience is, so through pain points that they've shared with you through response to your content, maybe it's through testimonials and surveys, maybe it's through working with them as well. So it really depends on where you are in the launching process. So I've worked with some course creators who have had a course creating business for some time. So they have that really great understanding of where their business is and where their audience is. But they want to create messaging to take it to that next level in line with where their client is, if that makes sense. They already have that framework and that deeper understanding.
Morgan Spencer:Someone that's starting out from scratch, as someone who's creating their first ever course, that is always going to be a more challenging journey because they're starting from scratch with a fresh audience A lot of the time. If you've gone from done for you and you've gone over to DIY, you have to create a fresh new audience as well, so that creates a little bit of time. So, like the first launch, you're creating something that you know people need because they've communicated that to you, so your messaging is based on that, but then it might change and evolve via next launch and your third launch and your fourth launch etc.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, which I guess ties in to how your messaging always needs to be improving over time and it's going to change a little bit As you get to know what works and what doesn't and what people align with. I guess.
Morgan Spencer:Yeah, definitely.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, cool. So what is your third messaging tip?
Morgan Spencer:So my third one would be content, so how your messaging and your content all comes together. So what words are being used and being consistent with those, what sort of messaging that you're going to use on your different content platforms as well. So like your email marketing, your social media, that kind of thing as well, like how everything sort of like comes together. When you create messaging for a sales page in particular, for example, if you go with a really fun, creative name, you need to be able to bring that together through your messaging. So it needs to be consistent, it needs to all come together. Essentially, you're giving your course of feeling a personality through your words, through your messaging.
Lou Blakely:I think that's a really good way to describe it.
Morgan Spencer:Yeah, and you could even do like your top key, like having keywords that are specifically used to explain your course. So it could be like words, like transformation experience. It could be coming up with fun names that are a reflection of like the course name. It could be profit loving, happy loving, like lots of different. I'm just like throwing words out there, but different examples of like how you want people to feel, that are sort of branded to your course, that are used specifically in your course, that people can remember and refer to.
Lou Blakely:And the more like memorable those are, the better. Yes, definitely So. If someone's just starting out with their messaging, maybe it's their first online course launch. They've just created this amazing idea for a course and they want to dive in and get all their content done, their sales page done. Where do you recommend people start and what are the things that they absolutely must consider?
Morgan Spencer:Yeah, cool. So when someone is starting out in their course creation journey, they've probably got like an established business. Maybe they've been an expert in a particular field, they've got a website, social media, they've got established marketing, maybe they've got a brand strategy, established, tagline, keywords, bio, those sorts of elements really built upon that to then form the structural foundation of your messaging when it comes to creating a course. And I'd also refer back to the three tips that I've shared as well in terms of having your name and your tagline really established, having those pain points and the transformation clear and then following that through with your content as well. So that would be like a really great foundational guide that I'd recommend to anyone who does want to go out it alone and just needs a little bit of help to get started.
Lou Blakely:Yeah. So that ties me into the next thing is really, how do you help people actually like if a course creator comes to you and says I want help with my messaging, what does that look like?
Morgan Spencer:Well, first of all, i love working with course creators and I've worked with quite a few and I just I find it so fun because it really gives me an opportunity to get really creative And also it's such a rewarding experience to me because a lot of course creators that come to me have a vision to create a course, but they're stuck on the message, they're stuck on the name and that's what's been holding them back And it's so great to be able to like help and support them with that small part of it and then see them create a course and then have great success with that. One of my clients actually just had a successful launch and she hit a goal after. I helped her with the messaging and it was so great to see that all come together, which was really rewarding.
Morgan Spencer:But I guess there's a couple of different ways I host on messaging workshops one-on-one messaging workshops. So if it's the basic messaging that you're looking to achieve just through, like the framework and the name and those elements, i offer that through a messaging workshop and I also have messaging VIP days as well. So that's probably like the best way in terms of working with me one-on-one, but I do have plans to launch a workshop later in the year as well, so a more of a group setting workshop. So at the moment they're the different ways that I can work with course creators and I can help with anything from the messaging development to the sales page to the content. So it just really depends on where they're at their current messaging and course.
Lou Blakely:So will you actually do that, like say, instead of working together to write the sales page, you'll actually write the sales page, or kind of, depending on the client.
Morgan Spencer:Yeah, so I can write the sales page 100%. It just depends on where they're at. If they'd like help with the messaging first and then the sales page second, I can either write that for them or I can guide them on how to write it themselves.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, I'm sure there's many course creators who would be very happy to get that off their plate.
Morgan Spencer:I definitely think it's an overwhelming part of launching and creating a course for a lot of people who don't have that messaging background. I really struggle with putting words on paper, so I love that I'm able to just help them with that component and then see them flourish and launch their courses online.
Lou Blakely:Yeah, and I guess I always talk about how courses become an asset Like once they're out, you've got that messaging and you've created the course and you've done that hard work is that you actually get to just sell it over and over and over again. and that's where the real long term benefits come from courses, and I think spending that bit of time at the start on messaging is really key.
Morgan Spencer:Absolutely. One thing that is really a big part of my brand and what I do is creating messaging for the future. My tagline is actually to your brand, to its future, and I believe in creating the future of your brand, your business, your messaging and your course in this instance as well. What is the vision for it? Why did you create this course? Is it so that you can have a Friday's off, spend more time with your family, create an X amount of income through this course? It's knowing the vision of that and meeting your client where they are now, but also taking them through this transformation and journey for the vision and the future that you want to create. Being very vision and future focused when you write messaging is key.
Lou Blakely:Such good advice there, morgan, so where can people find you or connect with you if they want to chat with you about their messaging?
Morgan Spencer:Sorry, i love a good chat in the DM, so come and follow me on Instagram. I'm morganspenserau. I also send regular marketing emails on messaging, branding, idea generation and strategy. So if you'd like to join, simply send me your email on Instagram and connect with me over there. I'm also high at morganspensercomau as my email and I have a branding podcast called Expertini, which is Expertini podcast, so come and join and listen over there to you about to bring season two back, so very exciting.
Lou Blakely:Awesome. Yeah, i'm so grateful that you came on the podcast today. I really hope that our listeners understand more about what messaging is, why it's important and how it's going to help them, along with some really amazing tips on how to actually put it into practice. So thanks, morgan. Thanks so much for coming on.
Morgan Spencer:Thanks so much for having me, lou. It's been great fun as always. See you later.
Lou Blakely:Thanks, course creators and go getters. You're incredible and I hope you enjoyed today's episode. If you haven't done so already, make sure you hit subscribe in your podcast app so you don't miss an episode. If you'd like to find out more about what I offer, head across to loublatelycom. See you next time.