The Way Award-Winning Speaker Kiaundra Jordan helps emerging speakers thrive
When the Los Angeles-based Kiaundra Jackson was awarded a prestigious speaker, she wanted to inspire others to do exactly the same.
The path to her first appearance on stages didn't happen overnight. Jackson describes herself as coming from "humble starting points," and was raised in an unhygienic home in Compton, California. "I experienced a lot of domestic violence, and I was aware that I had to go on a path towards helping others, especially from communities of color," she says.
In order to do this she obtained a license as a counselor for families and marriages. Aspiring to establish her own private practice in Los Angeles, she took an unintentional leap of faith, and quit her full-time job as an agency employee in the year 2017. "I didn't have any money to spare, so I believed in my gut instincts," she says.
To promote her business She began posting content via social media, primarily through the Instagram account. Her following quickly grew, and she discovered she was a fan of appearing on cameras and talking about positive mental and emotional health and healthy relationships. "A number of people began asking if I could talk at their events, and if I could be featured on their podcast," she explains.
Her name was soon recognized as a lot of people within the field of therapists began to ask her how she was landing speaking engagements, appearing on TV, and being mentioned in news articles. She decided to start teaching the public everything she had learned about being a well-known and well-known speaker via online courses.
"Courses are a powerful device," Jackson tells , "especially if you've created a website and people want to get to know them in another capacity."
Alongside being a certified therapist, Jackson is also a prize-winning public television personality, speaker and bestselling author as well as an online course developer. She's been named as "Forbes the Next 1,000" and has appeared on major outlets like CBS, ABC News, Fox, Vice, Women's Health, InStyle, Health Magazine, Forbes, HuffPost as well as many more. The company she operates has been acknowledged by Beyonce and the NAACP. "Even in my sleep I'm able make cash and assist people in getting to the next level to achieve their goals" she adds.
This is how she transformed her knowledge and experience into an online course that is a thriving business model that will help new speakers succeed:
Skip ahead:
- She has six different courses
- She gives low-cost alternatives
- She set up payments plans
- She focuses on her target audience
- She develops web content that is based on what her audience wants
- She is speaking her target's native language.
- She continues to work to improve her mental state.
- She makes her course content available indefinitely
- She joins the community.
- She appears as her real self
She offers six courses
Jackson provides six online classes for new speakers. Although each varies in topic, her main goal is to help people hone their niche and create their signature, keynote talk. "There are so many great sources that I've accumulated over the years, and now I'm able to offer my knowledge to others that are interested in learning," she says.
Online teaching lets Jackson to expand her reach as far as possible. "There are some people that will not be capable of reaching in person," she says. "Having the ability to reach larger areas and to reach larger numbers of people is essential for me. ."
The instructor chose to host her course "because it's simple."
"It did make a lot of sense," she continues. "I needed a platform that offered a user-friendly interface and drag-and drop style. I did not want to hire someone to design classes for me. I wanted to be able to do it on my own by recording the contents, posting it online and putting a price tag upon it, and later selling it. ."
Additionally, she claims that the students she works with give reviews on the ease to navigate. "It's a great experience for both the designer and the end user," she explains.
She provides low-cost options
Jackson is a firm believer in providing accessible prices. Jackson says it was a tight budget when she grew up so she is aware of that it's important to make things affordable. In addition that when she first beginning her professional profession, she did not have much funds saved. In this period, she would tap into all the affordable programs can be provided by other coaches. she would like to help others by doing the same thing they have done by making her course affordable as well.
The majority of her courses cost between $29 and $97 USD. While she does offer higher-priced choices, such as the Get Your C.O.I.N.S Bundle, costing $497, as well as the higher-priced C.O.I.N Crew Academy which is a six-month expensive program designed for young and emerging speakers, most of her courses are located in the price range of less expensive. "I do not want to render available the material to the people are talented and who need the information to change their lives," she writes. "No matter where someone is in their speaking journey you'll be able to discover something that fits their budget ."
Jackson's courses that are less expensive include pre-recorded lessons. Within her academy and bundle there are live parts that include the coaching sessions and Q&A's.
She set up payments plans
For those signing up for C.O.I.N Crew Academy provides options for payment through Stripe as well as PayPal. "When you're in the beginning stages of your career - or in a financial circumstance like the one we're currently in and you may not have the means to pay all the cost in one go," continues Jackson. "Having the option of setting up a payment plan up could make sense for certain people. ."
The money is automatically taken from the account on a particular day, so she doesn't have to think about things manually.
She hones in on her target audience
If it's about price, Jackson believes that there are no correct or incorrect way to price your course; the trick is to figure out the best option for your target audience. "If you're serving a small socioeconomic group, you shouldn't set prices too high as consumers won't buy them," she explains.
"You need to consider whom your audience will be as well as how much they make. You need to know all of the details about the demographics of the people you want to reach because it will help you ."
For Jackson her followers, they are comprised of therapists, mostly women 35 to 45 who follow her on social media and who want to glean from her skill and experience. The majority of them are in the US However, some reside in other countries.
She develops content based on what the audience is looking for.
Understanding your audience help creators price their courses, it also assists them to determine the best type of courses to create.
"I produce content on the basis of the most frequently asked questions from my Instagram users. When I produce content based on what my followers actually want, it's successful ."
In fact, she says that this is the most important factor in her success. "I've designed courses that I thought people wanted however, they did not do very well due to the fact that they were designed out of a selfish perspective being a believer that they were doing what they needed."
The process of creating content for Jackson is straightforward. She creates an outline of the topics she discusses (based on feedback from her fans), sets up her camera and lighting, captures the video and edits them and then uploads them onto . "You might not believe it yet, but I accomplish everything on my own," she shares. "Eventually I'll need additional assistance. However, I'm feeling like it's my little girl. When something has such a close relationship to you, you want to care for it in your own way. ."
After each class, students get a feedback survey that asks them which aspects of the course worked best and what did not work, and what they would have liked Jackson to discuss more. It helps her constantly enhance her material and to best provide her students with the information they need.
She is speaking her target's the language of their audience.
Learning about a creator's audience will also help make marketing more specific, since it lets creators communicate with their audience in their own language. "Your words must resonate with the audience, so they feel that you're speaking to the right people," she explains.
For Jackson the social media platform is the primary way she gets publicity for her digital products. "In my beginnings I didn't intend to market my courses," she explains. "People would just see my blog posts and DM me to ask for more information ."
She is a fan of using Instagram stories to market her courses, particularly because stories permit creators to add links. Also, she loves making reels. "Instead of simply uploading a picture and asking people to buy the course, I like to have something that's unique, entertaining, funny and even a little bit of me in conversation," she explains.
Further, she regularly posts YouTube videos to her channel that cover everything related to relationships, as well as the state of mental health.
She works to improve her mental state.
When asked about the tips she would give course creators on how to promote their own courses on social media, she replies, "be like Nike and simply go for it ."
"I think sometimes we become a bit naive and are worried that others won't want to make a purchase," continues Jackson. "Or you're worried that we're over-promoting or don't have enough marketing ."
If you're a first-time creator and aren't sure where to begin, Jackson advises that they tackle their imposter syndrome and fears. "We live in an information age, which is why Google is our best friend," she says.
"Typically, the uncertainty of where to start isn't the issue; it's fear that hasn't been acknowledged."
Many individuals believe they and their work aren't sufficient. For Jackson the story was evident in her thoughts regarding money. Jackson had to let go of the thoughts that she wasn't enough, and people shouldn't take her money. "People are always willing to spend money when they feel they have the value in it," she explains.
"If your expertise is in anything, either through your studies or from the experience of your own, I think you already have everything the world needs inside yourself," Jackson adds. "The world is just waiting for you to impart your knowledge, expertise as well as your personal knowledge in a way easy for other people to digest. ."
She makes her course content available indefinitely
Jackson permits her customers who purchase her courses access to her content indefinitely. "I believe that sometimes, we consume information in various intervals," she says. "Personally I've purchased courses over a year ago which I haven't yet tapped into, but I know I eventually will ."
In order to help students be accountable, they get a certificate of achievement following the completion of every class. The instructor says her students are thrilled with this option, and often send her images of themselves wearing their certificates. "Even even something as simple as the online certificate can give people motivation to consume and apply the material," she adds.
Her students are also enticed by offering one-on-one public speaking coach and says it helps her students actually implement the lessons they've learned. In addition, once they've completed the course, many students enroll in her subsequent courses.
She joins the community
In order to increase the visibility of the courses she offers, she creates ads on social networks. Additionally, she is a part of Facebook groups such as Black Speakers Network and her personal group, Black Speakers Rock! This is a network composed of people of color who want to go up a notch. "There are hundreds of members in Black Speakers Rock!," she says. "Typically, I market my courses and resources to them since they're individuals who are looking to take advantage of my offerings. ."
Except for her Black Speakers Rock! page, she does not maintain separate communities specifically for her courses. But, she claims that her social media appears to be the community to everything. This includes her Instagram as well as Facebook profiles.
She appears to be her authentic self
The biggest tip Jackson has for web-based creators is to create their own. "There are so many people trying to mimic other people, and you don't have to follow suit," she advises.
"You're unique for a reason, and I'd like to help you focus into your individuality. If you're a particular type of personality - funny and quirky, funny, or whatever it is - allow it to shine. ."
She reminds designers that the majority the process of making online courses involves testing and learning in the beginning. And that's the same with finding your authentic self. "I believe that success really depends on consistency and perseverance and presenting yourself as yourself, and not pretending to be something that you aren't," she adds.
"No matter who you are and no matter how you look there's a community out there that will resonate with you in the same way you are," continues Jackson. "Remember that you're unique to you for a reason, and that the content you create via online courses could change the lives of others ."