The Art of Selling Online Courses

271 Why 170 Followers Was Enough to Sell My Course

• John Ainsworth • Season 1 • Episode 271

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Jeff Alipio had 170 followers when he launched his first course. Most of them were friends and family. He sold to nearly 500 students anyway, almost all of them complete strangers.

Dominik sat down with Jeff, a Philippines-based video editor and course creator with over 15 years in the industry, to talk about how he pulled that off, and why he thinks the obsession with follower count is one of the biggest traps course creators fall into.

What came through clearly in this conversation is how simply Jeff thinks about audience quality versus audience size. He makes the point that a million followers who came to you for prank videos are not going to buy your video editing course, and he built his entire growth strategy around that idea. Facebook ads, targeted tightly, finding the specific people who actually wanted what he was selling.

Jeff also talked through what he teaches inside Video Made Easy, his course for Filipino freelancers starting from zero. It goes well beyond editing basics. There are modules on storytelling, personal branding, profile optimization, and a freelancer mindset section about building a career that AI cannot easily displace.

The end of the conversation got practical. Jeff's advice for anyone who has the skills but hasn't launched yet: stop waiting for the perfect course and start with what you already know. The overthinking is the thing that's actually slowing you down.

Check out Jeff's work:
🌐 https://jefalipio.com/
📸 https://www.instagram.com/jef_alipio/
▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@jeffreyfernandoalipio7209

The Followers Myth

SPEAKER_01

There's this obsession about followers. Most people would say that you need a huge following to launch a course. I only started with 170 followers and I was able to get around almost 500 students to the course. This question isn't about how many followers to have, but I did the right one. Going viral to the wrong audience was a paid build. They keep going viral as the holy grail of business. You may have a million followers, but don't want your father.

SPEAKER_00

Hello and welcome to the Art of Telling online sports. We are here to share winning strategies and secret facts from top performance in the online sports industry. My name is Dominic Dryden and today's guest is Jeff Alicio. Jeff is a Philippine-based freelance video editor, sport creator, and online entrepreneur with over a decade of experience. Since 2010, he has helped global clients build products and elevate their brand to powerful story to video editing. Jeff leads his business with hard off, of course, service and excellence. Beyond editing, he is also passionate about empowering fellow Filipino freelancers to build sustainable careers by acquiting them with future ready skills and growth mindset. When he is an editing stories or building courses, Jeff is also a dedicated family man happily married to his wife, Beth, for 16 years and a proud father to their children, Ethan and Tet. So today we are going to talk about how Jeff told a course to total strangers with just 170 followers and why he says the number never mattered. He will also talk about why he thinks going viral is one of the most overrated goals in the entire business, and also the difference between a million random eyeballs and a few hundred people who will actually buy. Jeff, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. Of course.

Jeff’s Path Into Video Editing

SPEAKER_00

I want to start there before any of the core stuff. So what pulled you into editing in the first place?

SPEAKER_01

Well, at first I it wasn't my profession. I was just doing stuff. But basically, I'm a graphic designer at first. And then I work in a company where we sell cars. And then we are responsible on marketing and uh making those our brands known in our local province. And uh one time they need something to uh uh put it in an A Tri commercial, and yes, uh they asked me if I can edit it, and then basically I started from that thing. Uh I'm a self-taught in a way. So on the fly, I'm learning video editing uh during that time, and uh good thing they liked it. They like it. And that's the start of my video editing journey. Nice. Yeah, nice.

SPEAKER_00

Uh 15 years is a long time doing this one thing. So most people would have burned out or moved on. So what kept you in it so far?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, um there were there are days that will burn you out. Uh I I totally get that. Uh especially if longer hours of editing will really um stress you out. But again, um my my why is so deep, uh if that makes sense. I I I see to it that I understand my why, why I'm doing the that thing. Because if if the my why is clear, then regardless if I'm I'm having a hard time doing some stuff or I'm tired or I stress, um it it pushes me to uh go over the my limits sometimes. Uh and yeah, it's it's quite rewarding to just think about those things. Yeah. There are days that that I would say really are so stressful. Um there are some tasks that are quite challenging to do. But again, um the thing about understanding why is it pushes you to do some things that that you wouldn't think it's possible. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Nice.

Storytelling Editing Beats Simple Cuts

SPEAKER_00

Uh so you describe what you do as uh story-driven editing. And a lot of editors would just say that they cut video, right? So what's the difference between cutting a video and actually telling a story with it?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, um majority of video editors would actually uh define video editing as um cutting stuff, uh removing all the long pause uh gaps and cleaning it up. Uh but for me, uh storytelling is really important when it comes to editing videos. It's because first uh people respond with emotion. And there are times that that without telling the whole context or the whole story, it's hard to get the uh let's say you're converting for sales or whatever, without pick painting the picture uh or crafting a well-thought story. Uh it's hard to bring the viewers to a journey and for them to make a decision. Uh so it's yeah, I I believe that um an editor should understand the goal and then should also understand how to bring the viewers to a journey so that um you are not just actually you uh selling some stuff, let's say you're selling or you're helping a business uh sell their stuff, but actually you make the client sell that stuff to themselves through the storytelling that you're doing. So I believe in storytelling so much.

Teaching Skills To Stay Ahead Of AI

SPEAKER_00

And at some point you went from editing for clients to actually teaching other people how to do it. So that's a real jump. What made you decide to teach it instead of just keep doing what you were doing so far?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, um basically I I saw the pattern on the the trend, uh especially nowadays, there's AI. Um basically we we keep on saying, or a lot of people are saying that um AI won't replace people. Uh but in reality there are actually jobs that are already replaced by AI. Especially AI can do a certain task faster and cheaper for businesses. So um they would prefer to have an AI do some stuff. Uh yes, I understand that those people who are using AI will actually thrive in this uh in this stage or in this uh era of of AI, but um there are jobs that are really affected by AI. So my motivation is to really provide a a platform or uh a skill that that is um I wouldn't say AI proof, but it can thrive in this uh age, in this digital and AI age. So yeah. And and it's really to help my fellow Filipino to find uh somehow to have an option on um what they can do. Uh, because a lot of I've I've known a lot of freelancers and virtual assistants who lost uh they they were um replaced by AI or um because they their skills are not evolving. So the the employers were able to find someone who is more skilled than them. So they were replaced by uh some uh by AI. More, let's say more talented um uh workers or freelancers and be virtual assistants. Video editing is an uh option that they can use to learn and to get clients for yeah, and they can actually use it while they're just doing the things that they're doing right now.

Launching A Course With 170 Followers

SPEAKER_00

Nice. So um this is the part I really want to get to. So when you launch when you launched your first course, you had around 170 people, and you told that most of them were friends and family. So, how did you sell to anyone who wasn't already in your phone?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so yeah, those are the people uh who peted me, that's why I uh uh they they followed. No, no, I'm just kidding. So they are not and it's true that most of them are my friends, follow uh my family's uh I actually run a I I I learned how to market uh myself. Um I've learned how to personal branding, uh so, and then to optimize my profile and at the same time to learn uh organic and Facebook ads. So basically it's the Facebook ads that um that help me to find strangers. There's this uh obsession about uh followers. Most people would say that you need a huge following uh or a massive uh audience for you to launch a course. But as I've as you as you'd mentioned, I only started with 170 followers. Um and I was able to get around uh almost 500 now students who took the course um without really knowing them. They're completely strangers. Uh and thanks to uh the things that I've learned about uh hitting about Facebook ads, and and I was able to target uh to really find the right people who actually need the course. There's this one question that you that a person needs to ask. Um the real question is isn't about uh how many followers that you have, but are they the right the right ones? Um because um you may have a million followers but don't want your product. So it's uh it it's really something that that's uh someone who's thinking of uh launching a course uh g take into consideration that uh yes, uh it's a bonus that you have a huge following, but uh finding the right people who actually need your your product will be the one to um you will benefit from the that thing. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Uh I really like what you mentioned that it's not about how many followers you have, it's whether they're the the right ones. So what does the right ones actually mean to you in this case?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so basically um this the course that I uh that I sell is uh a course, video editing course for beginners. So basically the right ones are those people who actually are have zero knowledge about video editing. They may have edited uh some stuff in their phone, but actually a real project uh using their video editing skills is something that they need, they they want to add in their skill set. So for me, the right people are those who are willing to learn and who are open for anything that uh uh let's say they will get a course and they're willing to apply what they've learned. Uh because there are people who might have uh follow you for what you said in what in a particular video, but don't actually resonate with what you stand for, what what you believe. That's why the right people are those people who actually uh not just like you because of a certain video, but like you for who you are and what you bring to the table. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Nice,

Why Going Viral Can Hurt Sales

SPEAKER_00

nice. So um everyone in this space is usually chasing rich. They pause every day, they feed the algorithm, they go viral. But you basically said that's the wrong game. So why do you think going viral is actually overrated?

SPEAKER_01

Right. Um, I'm sure there are a lot of people who would disagree with that, but uh again, they treat this uh going viral as the holy grail of business. Like you need to go viral for you to uh sell your product or get more uh income uh to have more income because of uh exposure. And yes, I understand that the more people, the more eyeballs uh that can see your product and can see your your stuff uh is better, provided they are the right ones. As I mentioned the previous answer, uh the previous question that you gave me, that uh let's say um you have a million followers, but they they are not, let's say I'm I'm selling a video editing course. Uh they follow me because of the crazy stuff I'm doing, let's say, uh doing some prank or prank videos or whatever, then yeah, there's a possibility that you you will go viral. But when the time comes that you want to sell something, those people who followed you might not actually be the one who will buy your stuff. What you could communicate with your your videos is different from what you're selling. That's why it's very important for you to really know your goals, know your goals. Uh, let's say if um you want to sell us your stuff um and and earn money, going viral to the wrong audience will not pay the bills. So I I I believe in that one. That definitely makes sense.

SPEAKER_00

Uh so let's talk about the course itself.

A Video Editing Roadmap Beyond YouTube

SPEAKER_00

Uh it's called video make these, right? So um there are currently a lot of video editing courses out there. YouTube alone is full of free tutorials. So what does someone get from you that they can get from a free YouTube video, for example?

SPEAKER_01

All right. So first, uh yes, uh I understand that there are a lot of uh video editing tutorials out there, but if you are starting from scratch, you don't know what to where you don't know where where to start, actually. Because uh you don't know what if you're if you're planning to uh do it as your career, um you don't know what are the things that the client that clients are looking for right now. Uh you don't know uh the stuff uh that that makes um a video uh engaging or whatever. So basically what I teach in in the in my video editing course are first the fundamentals of video editing, because you you may have all the uh you may learn all the effects and uh cool stuff, but without understanding the fundamentals, it's hard to craft a video, especially a video with emotion. So, yeah, the fundamentals of video editing and the essential skills that a video editing needs, because um you don't need to learn everything at first. You just need to get the right stuff. You get you just get to learn the essential things that clients are looking for, and then once you have those skills, you build it on top of those skills that you already acquired from learning for uh a course like my course. So yeah, um there's let's let's just put it this way my course actually is a roadmap. Uh instead of them trying to do some stuff without understanding uh what they're learning, they actually waste so more time than actually uh learning it faster with someone who is guiding them. Uh given that I've been I've been in this industry for almost 16 years, I I understand what clients want, I understand what works. So if you have someone who actually been there than that, then that's a bonus.

Extra Value: Branding And AI Tools

SPEAKER_00

You also talked about giving the like over-the-top value to your students. So, what does that look like inside the course practically?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so more than just uh uh teaching them the essential and the fundamental skills about video. The first skill that that is really important for video editors is uh storytelling, which is one of the strengths that I have when it comes to video editing. And I crafted a or I allotted a module module that that talks about storytelling, how you can make your uh videos um more engaging. Um it's like putting your your viewers in a journey that that will make your video memorable. Yeah, so one one skill is is uh video uh sorry, one skill is storytelling. Another thing that um that I added in the course is personal branding for freelancers and virtual assistants, because that's one thing that the most of the freelancers and virtual assistants here, especially here in the Philippines, uh neglect or let's let's say uh don't understand the importance of personal branding. Because it's more than just editing your um it's more than just cutting and and putting effects on a certain uh portion of a video. It's actually you telling the things that you stand for. Uh because once that you branded yourself as a trustworthy person, you already step in the client's mind, if that makes sense. So um let's say they're looking for people who are trustworthy, and then you branded yourself as a person who values trust, who values integrity. Uh so I added that thing, how they can uh basically tell the things that they stand for, and then um put it in whether whether in their resumes, in their website. Um another thing that I added in uh in that module is uh I taught them how to optimize their profile online, whether their Facebook page or uh LinkedIn, how they can actually make or um put the right message so that clients who are looking for a certain uh talent will uh have an understanding what are the things that you do and what are the uh things that you stand for. So at the same time, I also taught them how they can uh have a website um without really spending so much. You can just use Canva and build your website for a start and put all the portfolios that you have. That way you don't just give links to uh to clients, but you actually uh put it in a more presentable way. So those are the things that are simple, but it makes a big difference when you're applying for a job as a virtual assistant and uh freelancer. And more uh bonus module that I added is are the things that I've learned over the years uh as a freelancer, whether finances, whether thinking about the future, thinking about um using the skills that you have as a freelancer to maybe start a business, uh those kind of stuff. Because a lot of freelancers think that they will just edit or or do the stuff that they're doing for their clients forever, without thinking that anytime they can be replaced by uh someone who's better than them or AI. That's why I teach in that um in that module that they need to add skills and app skills. So app skills is uh really elevating what you have right now, what we what you know right now, what you're good at right now, and put it in another level. And then add skills are the things that are not your strength, or maybe you don't have an idea of how to do them, but you you want to learn them and have more opportunities along the way. So yeah. And and then I I've given so much uh assets that they can use in their video editing skills, plus uh the AI tools that I use so you can speed up the process when you're editing.

SPEAKER_00

Sounds great.

Ads, Content, And Email Sequences

SPEAKER_00

So um you've got around 450 people on your email list. Right now, and you're adding somewhere between 20 and 50 per month, mostly through Facebook ads. Is paid the only way you're growing the list right now, or you also have some organic ways of growing your email list?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, mostly uh Facebook ads, but I I um create content. I post uh organic content as well. Um to really again go to let them know the things that I send for. And at the same time to uh most of the time they they relate to what I I post online. Uh the struggles that I I encounter when I was uh in my freelancing journey, the things that I've learned over the years. Uh and um as you grow in this industry, you there are so many things that you learn that uh I'm sharing in that uh uh in my page and and in other places. And yeah, a lot of people are have resonated to to those things that I'm sharing online. And yeah, they they like what I'm uh telling and posting, so they follow me. So basically it's it's organ it's a combination of organic and pay rats.

SPEAKER_00

You talked about hyper focusing on finding the right people. Are you also hyper focusing on the market as well? So are you only posting for uh Filipino market or are you also growing your uh your uh online presence in other markets as well?

SPEAKER_01

Right now I'm focused with Filipino uh market. Um because yeah, my my course is basically in in Filipino. It's it's it's Tagalog and a bit of English because we here in the Philippines we we mix English and Tagalog. Uh so uh basically the the language that I use is uh is uh Taglish, if if I may. We call it Taglish, it's Tagalog and English. Um so yeah, um it's mainly Filipinos. Uh but uh maybe in the future I might add something that that can help other uh nationality.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Uh when you write when you run a promotion right now, so what does that actually look like? Are you sending one email, a few emails, or a full sequence?

SPEAKER_01

It now once that um uh um someone registered to my course, there are a sequence of emails that they will receive. So basically what I do is just add and add value. The things that I'm learning along the way, like AI tools that I'm I've learned that can help video editing, their video editing. So I just send them a quick email uh about this. So that's just another thing that I do. I I when you when you mention about adding value, uh I keep on updating myself, improving my skills, and then sending it to my audience, um sharing them what what uh I've learned so that they it will also benefit them. And uh there are times that I I send emails to really promote my for those people who might have seen the email but haven't responded yet, so I keep on adding emails to really show them the importance of learning this skill. Uh and then yeah, um basically I I don't just actually um help people about video editing, I I make sure that I I'm helping them in whatever journey that they're in in their life. So uh yeah, simple message like that.

SPEAKER_00

Nice. So um you have video made easy as your one offer, your only offer. Has anything stopped you from building a second product or something smaller to get people in the door?

Next Offers: AI Course And Mentoring

SPEAKER_01

No, um yeah, at first uh I'm just testing the market, but now I'm I have uh so many things in line. So the next course that I'm planning to launch is um it's more on AI. Uh it's it's uh AI for video editors. So incorporating AI with video editing. It's more than just learning the stuff, it's really understanding how AI can help you with your script, with your storytelling, with with uh even generating some uh cool stuff with with AI. So uh that's uh another thing on uh um hopefully soon uh I will be able to launch that. Uh another thing is um an in-depth of uh training uh or a course for CapCut and Adobe Premiere Pro. So those are the things that are actually I'm planning along along the way. Uh and then I'm also um um designing my offer uh for mentorship. If there are people who want to hire me and hire me for let's say a month to learn and one one-on-one, it's a one-on-one uh uh thing where I mentor someone, not just about video editing, but actually how they can actually um elevate themselves uh so that they will um put themselves ahead of the competition if you if you may.

SPEAKER_00

Nice, nice.

Start Before Perfection And Wrap Up

SPEAKER_00

Um before I let you go. Um for someone who's great at their craft, hasn't launched anything yet. Do you have like uh one piece of advice? What should they do first?

SPEAKER_01

Um I would like to start by asking question what's stopping you from doing it? Uh because I've asked that question uh a lot of times. Um I have the skills, I know I I can teach someone, but what what are the things that stop me? And what I realize is I overthink too much. Uh and sometimes overthink overthinking things uh overthinking stuff can actually slow you down. Just take the first step. We want to make things so ideal that we we we forget the very important thing, it and that is taking the first step. It's like you are frozen because of overthinking. Uh I forgot the exact quote, but um basically people uh want uh to build a perfect course that they can they can launch, but they forgot to really start with the outline, the things that they know already. And then you can utilize AI. You can utilize what uh if you're having a hard time uh crafting your your outline on what to teach, then you can you can start with here are the things that I know, write them in uh let's say Gemini, ChatGPT, Cloud, uh what whatever um AI platforms you are um comfortable of using. Uh start it from there. Write everything that you know. Who are the people who you want to serve? Write everything that you know, and then I always add this um ask me all the questions uh you need before giving me an answer. And then once that AI will ask me those questions and then answer them, whatever AI will give you will actually ignite something in your mind. And then it's like uh a snowball effect where little by little uh it builds momentum and it's it's like a momentum that keeps on growing, and then you realize, oh, I have a product already. So start with what you know and then build it from there.

SPEAKER_00

Nice, nice. Jeff, thank you very much. This has this has been generally refreshing. Um where should people go to find you and check out Video Made Easy?

SPEAKER_01

Right. For those people who want to commute to get in touch with me or to learn about the things that I do, they can check my website. It's Jeff Alipio.com. And then the easiest way to chat with me is through my Facebook page. It's uh uh Jeff Alipio Official. And then if they want to learn video editing, they can check my video editing course at Jeff Alipio.com slash video made easy. So yeah, and then uh we can chat uh from there and talk about things and and the uh how can I uh help you with uh the things that you're going through right now.

SPEAKER_00

Perfect. Uh thank you very much. Uh that's it for this episode. If you got value from this, and I think you did, head over to datadrivenmarketing.co and check what we have to offer there. Thanks for listening. I'm Dominic, and I'll see you in the next one.