Why I’m Ditching The High Ticket Course Model

It’s true.

I’m ditching the high-ticket course model.

After 3 years of successfully selling my high-ticket (to me, that’s ~$1k+) signature course …

… I’m over it.

(No shame to anyone who still operates within this business model, I just feel like I’m outgrowing it.)

Here’s why:

1: It feels stale.

After years of running the same evergreen marketing funnel with a free masterclass that leads to a time-limited pitch…

… and seeing this same style of marketing everywhere on my social media feeds…

… I’m just bored of it.

Look, at this point, we ALL know what’s coming after the “free masterclass”…. (Just DM me the word ___ to grab it! 😅)

And I’m just not excited about it anymore.

And this leads me directly into reason #2…

2: Once everyone is doing something… I tend to run the other direction.

I’ve never been a follower….

… and I’m not afraid to do things differently.

It’s something that has served me pretty well in life, honestly.

And right now, my gut is telling me that it’s time for a change.

Time to trust my own ideas and create new marketing strategies that feel aligned with this stage of life and biz 😊

Because….

3: I’m not the same person I was 3 years ago.

When I decided to go all-in on teaching SEO and build an evergreen funnel to promote my course, I was:

• Heavily pregnant (with a broken hand to boot)
• 100% self-employed
• Trying to create space for a self-funded maternity leave
• Online 24/7 with the rest of the locked-down world

None of those things apply right now.

What I needed then is different from what I need now.

And the same is likely true of my audience.

So I’ve decided….

4: I want to reach and serve a broader audience

First, let me be clear.

Having a tight niche was absolutely pivotal to my initial success.

If you’re at square zero, with no following, no offer, and no social proof…

…this doesn’t apply to you (yet).

But let’s take it back…

I began by teaching dietitians 3 things:

• SEO
• Digital income streams
• Email marketing

I noticed that 90% of my people were getting the BEST, most impactful results by learning how to grow an audience first, using SEO.

So I stopped selling my other courses and went all-in on my SEO Made Simple course for food/nutrition/wellness professionals.

But now that I have been running, honing, and improving that course for 5 years, I think I’m hitting a natural ceiling.

Nearly 1,000 people have enrolled at this point.

And let’s be honest… there are only so many dietitians interested in running an online business.

People tell me all the time that their therapist friend, or teacher friend, or blogger friend would benefit from my course.

And that’s true.

But I’m not reaching or marketing to those people.

So I am strongly considering tweaking my messaging to appeal to a wider audience….

…. and changing the business model to be more accessible.

This means I’ll need to push myself to be more visible and reach new audiences with my free content.

(Which is good news for you, cause after I figure out what’s working best, I’ll turn right around and share it with you!)

5: I don’t want to shut people out and feel exclusive

One side-effect of being high-priced is that you naturally exclude people from your offerings.

Right now, the ONLY way to learn SEO from me is via an expensive course…

…and that means my best stuff is not available to everyone who needs or wants it.

Of course, I need to make a living.

But I am feeling the urge to make my main offerings MORE affordable and reach/help MORE people to make up the difference.

6: I want to diversify

Bigger picture, I want to diversify!

Having (most of) my income come from selling one thing for a one-time fee is not sustainable long-term.

It was GREAT for getting traction, honing my messaging, and becoming *known* for something…

… but in my bones, I know it’s time to go beyond that now.

I am currently dreaming and brainstorming ways people can work with me at different price points and with varying levels of access to my direct time.

And for the first time in a while, I’m feeling excited and inspired.

It feels good.

7: I want to create sustainability

My takeaway:

Online courses are great for topics that don’t change that much.

Sure, you may need to make occasional updates, but nothing too crazy.

However… that is NOT the case for SEO at the moment.

A LOT has been changing since AI hit the scene and it’s a full-time job keeping up!

I really enjoy it…

… but, I have to accept that other teaching models may fit better.

I’m obsessed with the community I’ve created.

I’ve simply realized that it’s not sustainable (as a solopreneur) to serve people at a high level for 5+ years on the back of a one-time payment.

8: I just want to make a good living helping people and enjoy my life.

Bottom line…

I want to:

• Make helpful content.
• Create digital offerings that get people results.
• Feel connected with my audience.
• Enjoy my work each day.
• Learn and try new things.
• Be well compensated.
• Have the autonomy to plan my work around my life (and not the other way around.)

I don’t need:

• A huge team.
• Millions of dollars in annual sales (although hey, if it happens, I’ll take it!)
• To squeeze my business into models that don’t feel good to me.
• To get attached to a business model and never evolve.
• To keep up with the joneses of the online world.

As always, I need to keep it simple and authentic to me.

(As should you!)

– Erica