PPC Strategy for Creators, Coaches, and Online Courses

Personal brands and digital educators need different PPC strategies than traditional businesses. You're selling transformation and expertise, not products. Your audiences are smaller but more engaged. Here's how to build effective funnels that turn cold traffic into course students and coaching clients.

Build Educational Funnels, Not Direct Sales

Drive traffic to lead magnets - things like free checklists, mini-courses, or webinar registrations - instead of trying to sell courses directly to cold traffic. Someone who doesn't know you won't spend $497 on your course, but they might download your "5-Step Marketing Checklist."

Use Facebook and YouTube ads for awareness and education - and retarget that warm traffic with Google Search ads when they're actively looking for solutions. Someone who watched your YouTube video about email marketing might search "email marketing course" a week later - the perfect time for an ad.

You’ll want to create urgency-based campaigns around course launches or enrollment periods. "Enroll before Friday to save $200" or "Only 50 spots available." These are the perfect hooks for online courses because they create scarcity around something that’s actually limited.

Optimize for the Full Customer Journey

Track conversions through your course platform - whether it’s Teachable, Kajabi, or Stripe - rather than just relying on Google Analytics. You’ll see actual revenue on these platforms, not just website visits or email signups.

Retarget warm traffic with social proof - think student testimonials, course previews, or behind-the-scenes content. Someone who downloaded your lead magnet but didn't buy needs to see proof that your course works.