First, a reader comment from Mark, CEO of Weldon:

I think finding the balance of helping vs icky opportunism is something a lot of companies are still dealing with. I think if you are authentic and actually help parents, now is a good time

Now, onto today's scheduled message...

In this email, I will teach you to be rich.

Just kidding.

But that's the promise that author and entreprneur Ramit Sethi makes in the title of his book I Will Teach You To Be Rich. And his online courses make similar promises: he teaches people how to start earning money online.

If your BS-detector is going off right now, then you wouldn't be alone. However, after reading his articles, book, and emails for years, and even trying some of his shorter programs, I can say that he is an expert at what he does and is not out to scam people.

Case in point:

He has recently launched a series of "Fireside Chats" on Instagram, corresponding to the launch of his new program called Earnable. Basically, he goes live on Instagram each night sharing business lessons or dong live Q/A, and has been doing this since social distancing really picked up. He says he will continue doing it for as long as all this is going on. He has his wife record him on his phone, and he speaks very naturally and casually. He's occasionally funny, too, and not afraid to look silly. See evidence below...

During the COVID-19 crisis, Ramit Sethi kept selling. At the same time, he added more entertainment and "value" than ever. This is not a perfect transfer to the education industry. But there are lessons to be learned.

Why should you care about any of this?

As I've been mentioning, it's tricky to figure out how to navigate the current situation in the education world. And it may helpful to look outside for ideas and inspiration.

Things to note:

• Ramit is still selling his course, but re-framed all of his messaging to make sure that people are taking care of their financial foundation first before recklessly purchasing an expensive course
• Instead of discounting, he chose to create lots of new content, do live Q/As, and generate more - free - awareness for his business (all while being helpful and useful to his potential customers)
• He is giving people much-needed relief through humor and even silliness

Of course, this is not a copy/paste swipe for your education company. The context is different in many ways.

However, I notice companies like Listenwise and Newsela hosting free live events to support educators during these times. I like that approach.

How is your company adjusting your marketing strategy and messaging right now?

Reply or leave a comment to me know.

Thanks for reading,

Gerard Dawson