Case Study

Online Course Marketing

Effective lead generation strategy results in 245% increase in conversions and created an evergreen sales asset.

Introduction

This case study outlines AHC's experience with the Storm School - A Trade School For Crisis Managers.

These courses were conducted to support virtual exercises and summit events, and is designed to capture information and processes used by state and industry emergency managers to prepare, respond, and recover from disasters.

The AHC was founded in 2005 to promote collaboration between the public and private sectors in responding to all hazards. The AHC is a member-based organization that represents the emergency management, homeland security, and business communities. The AHC's members include state and local government agencies, private sector companies, and non-profit organizations.

All Hazards Consortium (AHC) is a non-profit organization that brings together public and private sector stakeholders to address and mitigate all hazards facing communities across the United States.

Background

In 2021, AHC recognizes the need for rapid training of new personnel in crisis leadership roles. "Go-to" individuals are leaving organizations at an alarming rate, which can have a significant impact on progress and stakeholder perception. Both the private and public sectors face these challenges and require seamless execution and preparedness to meet stakeholders' expectations.

In response, AHC launched the Storm School - a reliable platform for mentorship, learning, and networking to prepare organizations for real-world crises, offering insights from experienced professionals to help clients achieve success.

This unique trade course in the field of crisis management is designed to help organizations better understand the landscape of the subject-matter, regardless of their current level of experience.

STORM School

This instructor group was formed in March 2021 at the private sector's request to improve operational training for crisis managers, comprising former electric sector professionals with 40+ years of experience.

AHC identified a need for a forum that that leverages electric sector experiences, to learn from experts, close knowledge gaps, and ease experience transitions.

View here - Storm School Courses

The courses consist of experienced subject-matter experts and supporting partners.

The courses are open to all AHC members and non-members, with attendance requiring a paid registration.
The courses typically consist of 5–6 modules and multiple videos, each focused on a different aspect of business resiliency.
Topics covered in past courses have included communication strategies, checklists, mitigation efforts, use cases, case studies, and discussion with the instructors.
These express style subject-matter courses were run to give organizations a taste of what to expect if they were as clients of the consultant group. Multiple people from multiple organizations had a chance to experience the courses.

Challenges

The AHC's mission is to promote the coordination of public and private sector resources to enhance the nation's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from all hazards. The AHC achieves this mission by facilitating communication and collaboration between its members and providing them with access to resources and information.

The AHC faced several challenges during its development and implementation, including:

Limited Resources - As a non-profit organization, AHC had limited resources to devote to their course development. The team had to work with a small budget and a limited staff, which made it challenging to develop and execute a comprehensive virtual event.
Technical Difficulties - Given the collaborative nature of the course instructors, AHC had limited experience with media & video production planning and execution. As a result, the team had to overcome several technical challenges, such as ensuring that all participants could access and engage with the courses in a secure members only area.
Limited Reach - Given the specialized audience of the subject-matter courses, AHC faced challenges in attracting and retaining a large audience for their course library to be a viable lead generation solution. The team had to develop effective marketing and outreach strategies to ensure that the course launch reached a broad audience.

I was frustrated with the lack of results we were seeing from our high ticket consultancy. I knew that leadership was important for our organization, but I wasn't sure how to make it work for us.

– Tom Moran

Director, All Hazards Consortium

Solutions

To address limited resources and technical difficulties in planning and executing their online courses, the AHC implemented strategic partnerships with industry experts, and robust marketing strategies through various channels.

They also worked with Tier1 Marketing Solutions to ensure that the technical aspects of the course were seamless and user-friendly.

To overcome these challenges, AHC implemented several solutions, including:

Strategic Partnerships - AHC partnered with several experienced instructors with 40+ years of storm experience that already had established trust. These partnerships helped to increase the courses’ visibility and attract a larger audience.
Collaborative Planning - AHC collaborated with its partners, communication director, and subject-matter experts to plan and develop their course content. This approach allowed the team to leverage expertise and resources from multiple sources and develop a comprehensive and high-quality subject-matter course.
Robust Marketing - Tier1 Marketing Solutions developed a robust marketing strategy to promote AHC courses. The team used various channels, including advertisement (PPC), social media, email marketing, and targeted outreach to relevant prospects, to reach a broad audience.
Technical Support - AHC worked with Tier1 Marketing Solutions to ensure that the technical aspects of the course, such as Learning Management System (LMS) accessibility, course registration and payments were seamless and user-friendly.

Results - Success Stories

The Storm School courses are a valuable resource for AHC's lead generation strategy and stakeholders. Strategic partnerships and collaborative planning were used to develop a high-quality course that attracted attendees and demonstrated expertise, resulting in a 245% increase in client conversions and a 70% completion rate. This highlights the importance of leveraging multiple sources to create valuable content that generates leads and provides value to stakeholders.

Challenges

The AHC's mission is to promote the coordination of public and private sector resources to enhance the nation's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from all hazards. The AHC achieves this mission by facilitating communication and collaboration between its members and providing them with access to resources and information.

The AHC faced several challenges during its development and implementation, including:

Limited Resources - As a non-profit organization, AHC had limited resources to devote to their course development. The team had to work with a small budget and a limited staff, which made it challenging to develop and execute a comprehensive virtual event.
Technical Difficulties - Given the collaborative nature of the course instructors, AHC had limited experience with media & video production planning and execution. As a result, the team had to overcome several technical challenges, such as ensuring that all participants could access and engage with the courses in a secure members only area.
Limited Reach - Given the specialized audience of the subject-matter courses, AHC faced challenges in attracting and retaining a large audience for their course library to be a viable lead generation solution. The team had to develop effective marketing and outreach strategies to ensure that the course launch reached a broad audience.

Increased Lead Generation and Engagement

Leverage Industry Expertise to Create Valuable Resource: 245% increase in client conversions and 70% completion rate

AHC's Storm School platform resulted in a significant increase in client conversions and engagement. The courses, developed through collaborative planning and leveraging strategic partnerships, offered valuable insights from experienced subject-matter experts. The 70% completion rate indicates that attendees found the courses informative and engaging.

Professional development courses can add value to B2B organizations by providing attendees with valuable insights into relevant topics, networking opportunities with like-minded professionals, and enhancing their skill sets. This allowed AHC to build trust and credibility with potential clients, ultimately contributing to the sales process of their high ticket services and products.

Comprehensive and High-Quality Course Content

Collaborative Planning & Strategic Partnerships: Leveraging expertise and resources from multiple sources to create valuable content.

In the highly competitive digital marketplace, building a strong online brand presence is essential for driving sales of high-ticket products and services. AHC's collaborative planning approach and strategic partnerships with industry experts and subject-matter experts to create high-quality courses showcase the value of leveraging multiple sources of expertise to create valuable content that supports the sales process.

The digital format of the course allowed AHC to overcome limited resource challenges and reach a larger audience while reducing costs associated with course creation. Additionally, Tier1 Marketing Solutions' robust marketing campaign helped the course reach a broad audience, resulting in a 23% conversion rate and a 70% replay watch rate.

A Valuable Resource for Prospects & Clients

Online Course as Lead Generation Strategy: Integral part of AHC's lead generation strategy and valuable resource

Online courses can streamline the sales process of high-ticket services and products by enabling prospects to quickly delve into the due diligence process. By reducing the amount of time prospects need to invest in planning to meet with you and learn about your solutions, courses can provide a convenient and efficient way for prospects to gain a deeper understanding of your offerings and move closer to making a purchasing decision.

At the end of the day, the ultimate goal of online brand marketing is to drive revenue for your organization. Our team will work with you to create an online brand strategy that helps you achieve your revenue goals.

Conclusion

Online courses can streamline the sales process of high-ticket services and products by enabling prospects to quickly delve into the due diligence process. By reducing the amount of time prospects need to invest in planning to meet with you and learn about your solutions, courses can provide a convenient and efficient way for prospects to gain a deeper understanding of your offerings and move closer to making a purchasing decision.

At the end of the day, the ultimate goal of online brand marketing is to drive revenue for your organization. Our team will work with you to create an online brand strategy that helps you achieve your revenue goals.