My ICA is not ready for the course I planned to create. What should I do?

This is actually more common than you might think. A lot of times, when we’re validating our course ideas, we discover we’ve been creating the course we want to teach for the people we want to work with, but those people might not be our actual audience. The good news is, there’s no right or wrong answer here. You get to decide how to move forward.

Here are a few options to consider:

• Stick with the course you want to create. If this is the path you choose, then start building a new audience that is more aligned with your course. Create content that speaks to this new ICA, and start a fresh list where you can tag them appropriately. That’s who you’ll be marketing your course to when it’s time to launch.

• Create a workshop course first. If your audience isn’t quite ready for your full course, consider starting with a workshop course. Inside the Your Start From Scratch Digital Course Track, I walk you through how to create a workshop that delivers what I call a “first step transformation.” You help your audience take the very first step toward the bigger result your full course will eventually deliver. This is a great way to meet your audience where they are and get them into action.

• Use your pre-launch and off-season to prepare your audience. This is a great time to share free content that teaches the foundational skills your students will need in order to succeed in your course. For example, if your course teaches how to build a membership site, you might use your free content to teach the basics of community-building or content planning. That way, when it’s time to promote your paid offer, your audience already has the context and motivation to take the next step with you.

This is your business and your course. Whether you shift your content, your audience, or both, you’ve got options, and clarity is just the first step. Keep going. You’ve got this.