30 day limited free coupons to 10 unique students or course link?

My course is just live.

I'm wondering which is more advantageous, to give the 30-day free coupon to 10 unique students or just issue the course link (which will not be free and of course, is subject to Udemy's prevailing price)?

I read that giving a free course is not that great, because it does not generate revenue and may result in lousy reviews. On the flip side, it is generates enrolment, especially if no one is enrolling yet. So I'm really not sure and would be grateful for your insights.

Also, how do we "give" the coupons, is it that a coupon link in created and we can copy & past this link into our browser?

Thanks

Comments

  • RandyMinder
    RandyMinder Posts: 671 visionary rank

    There is almost no point in making a course free. What you end up getting are many hundreds of people who acquire your course and most will have no intention of ever actually going through it. They just like free courses. I've seen this over and over. Plus, you cannot send promotional emails to students in free courses.

    If you have a target group of people you can market your course to, that would be interested in your course topic, you can create a free coupon that allows students to acquire the course for free for three days (they can still go through the course at any time). There is no limit as to the number of students that could use this coupon. But, the coupon is only good for three days.

    This builds up a base of users that might leave you a good rating. And, just as importantly, or more so, you will be able to send promotional emails to these students when you release your next course.

  • Lynn
    Lynn Posts: 19 traveler rank

    Noted with thanks. What about the 30 day free coupon -- only for 10 peops -- from your experience, is that better than the 3 day free coupon ?

  • RandyMinder
    RandyMinder Posts: 671 visionary rank

    @Lynn

    That depends. Do you intend to publish additional courses that you will market to existing students? If so I would go with the 3 day unlimited coupon.

    The 30 day coupon for only 10 people just seems weird to me. I'm not sure what purpose it's supposed to be addressing.

  • Lynn
    Lynn Posts: 19 traveler rank

    Yup, intend to publish more courses, God willing.

    I'm also not sure about the 30 day coupon for only 10 people. But it's an option Udemy gave. So I'm weighing between the 2, like which one serves what purpose better. Does anyone else know?

    Perhaps the 30-day one is to limit the number of people who get it free.

    It's like an inverse relationship - more free coupons, no ratings but fewer free coupons, more ratings but less enrolment (?)

  • The 30 day one makes sense to me because i have specific students in mind who i know in real life and i want them to be able to click the link, make an account, and enroll in their own time. If I was marketing to a demographic rather than Linda and Bob, then the 3 day unlimited one makes much more sense.

  • Lynn
    Lynn Posts: 19 traveler rank

    Noted with thanks!

  • Thank you RandyMinder.

  • How can we populate the free coupons? Is it through mails, social media, or both?

  • Lynn
    Lynn Posts: 19 traveler rank

    30-day unlimited, social media is ok but if limited by pax, I think emails do better.

  • I have offered 3 day unlimited coupon to my student community. But just within one day, after around 500 redemptions, it is showing an error - This coupon has exceeded its maximum possible redemptions and can no longer be used. Could someone guide me here?