Crafting a perfect course name

Let's dive even deeper into course naming.

What makes a great name?

1. Be clear

Generic sucks. Great course names make a promise about the specific outcomes you'll get from a course.

And don't try to be cute and don't use metaphors.

Bad: Learn to Code
Bad: SuperCoder
Good: Build Real-World Apps with Python

2. Focus on results

Include some concrete outcomes in the title! Show students what they'll actually have as a result of taking your course.

Bad: Painting Course
Good: Gallery-Ready Watercolors

3. Make it memorable

If you've got the things above, how about making it memorable? Flashy even?

The secret is to find something that actually covers both.

"Learn to Cook Italian Food" is clear and result-focused.

Let's make this flashy.

"Pasta Perfection at Home"

Fantastico!

4. Think SEO

People use search engines to find things. It could be Google, Bing, or TikTok.

So you could opt to include searchability in your name.

For example, people type words into search engines.

It might be words like:

• How to run Facebook ads.


• How to meditate


• How to run a marathon

If it fits, you might choose to add a search term to either your title, subtitle, or course description.

5. Add numbers

Okay, last tip. Consider adding some numbers to your title.

Let's take our Italian pasta course. "Pasta Perfected."

Great name?

How about "Pasta Perfected: Master 12 Italian Dishes." It's so much better!

Numbers are cool. They stick in our brains and make promises.

Don't believe us? We've got 3 awesome examples.

1. Money

Here's a course name: "Start an Etsy Shop"

What if we add the principles above AND money?

"Side Hustle to $5K/mo: Launching your Etsy Shop"

2. Time

Let's take a cool course name: "Beach Body from Pilates."

Good name?

How about "Pilates Beach Body in 30 Days"?

By adding a time promise, it makes the title better.

3. Steps

Our brains love a good process.

So while "Investing for Financial Freedom in Retirement" is nice, "10 Steps to Retiring with Financial Freedom" is probably better!

The science of course names

Can science help you choose a better course name? Maybe!

Here's what we've discovered on the science of naming.

• Spark emotions: We're bombarded with messaging, but an emotional response catches our attention. If a course name prompts excitement or inspiration, that's good!


• Capture curiosity: It catches our attention. It draws us in. Avoid the generic and take a chance on something that stands out.


• Make it sayable: We don't trust things that are hard to pronounce.


• Get to the point: Adding too much makes our brains tired, and more likely to move on.


• Say it: People like brand names that sound good.

All in all

These ideas can help make your course name stronger, more interesting, and ultimately sell better! You might not be able to check everything on this list, but add what you can.

You'll be amazed at how much more compelling your course becomes.