Drip > Cohort Support
Taylor
The current course drip features are promising, but not at all enough for course creators who run cohorted programs. Here's the use case:
I run a cohort program that is a mixture of self-paced lessons and weekly group coaching calls. Currently, I need to recreate the entire course for every cohort. This has resulted in a NIGHTMARE maintenance program for me. Anytime I update a lesson, I need to update every lesson in every course since participants have access to it for longer periods of time. Let me describe my ideal scenario so that you know why I need to do it this way.
Ideal Scenario
I would prefer to create a SINGLE master course. However, I also need to use drip features on a section by section basis. I would like to be able to create individual bundles for each cohort so that they can be marketed and managed during their respective active time periods. The bundles would include the master course content + the live events. Bundles would allow for tailored dripping of the course content on a section by section basis, at a minimum.
Currently, I can create a bundle similar to this. I could have the master course dripped on a delayed time-based schedule (every 7 days, for instance). However, this doesn't work. I have to account for holidays or other interruptions that might occur within each individual cohort time frame. So, my current master is set based on specific dates. If I change the master time frame for one cohort, it changes it for all. If I use the date feature, either new cohorts will have access to everything because I turn drip on for earlier cohorts, or earlier cohorts have access to nothing until the content is turned on for later cohorts. I need to be able to create custom drip schedules at the bundle level.
To summarize the features:
- Enable section based drip features for courses added to bundles
- Enable custom drip scheduling for the section based drip features in the bundles
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Marra
I, too, have run up against this challenge. My compromise is similar to Dr. Ariele (commenter). I have a main course that drips according to the join date, plus a course that is their facilitated stuff. In my case, the facilitated (including Lives) is 12 weeks, and they have 1 year access to the main content. That means they have to be on separate "plans" (and therefore can't be in the same bundle).
This means that I sign them up on one plan, then manually add them to the other (one for 1yr, one for 12 weeks). I have to sit down and process them all in one batch for the facilitated component so they have the same start date and access. I give them "instant" access to the main course, but that means the drip is "off" depending when they sign up. (I also have to remove them manually from the Live at the end of the 12 weeks, which is another issue..)
Having an option to "hold" the client after signup and have each course or bundle start / open for them at a specified time would be so helpful!
Dr. Ariele
I run cohorts with a mix of live and on demand content (kind of like your Master Course) via a bundle. Here's how I do it (in case this is helpful):
I have an On Demand course that students get permanent access to all at once. Occasionally I make a minor improvement to it, and everyone who has ever enrolled will have access to that new bit.
For the cohort and live component, I create a new course. I name it something like Live Weekly Classes Spring 2025 for Small Group Session. I "assign" one module from the On Demand course for each week.
That cohort course ONLY contains the live upcoming classes and the recordings of their particular small group cohort. I typically unenroll them manually about 2 months after our last live class.
Those two courses are sold as a "Bundle" when I am ready to make the new cohort. The difference is that I don't drip the "Master" Course as you do. Is it really mandatory to drip that content?
Laura
Dr. Ariele, I'm probably going to end up doing what you are, but have had prospective students say they'd prefer all content to be dripped, so that they don't get overwhelmed. It would be perfect if bundles could have start and expiry dates that are not relative to the enrollment date. (Currently, "validity" is only available at the course level, not for bundles, and it is a number of days after enrollment date - no option for fixed end date.) Ideal option: We could promote our bundle during a launch window, then everyone's access would begin and end on the same dates without any manual removal of access.
Dr. Ariele
Laura You could probably do this with an integration somehow. For example, selling via stripe / paypal independently of Zenler. Then taking that list of folks who have paid to enroll in a course and manually enrolling them on the course start date. That would make it easy for you to drip to all at the same time, and end access for all at the same time, regardless of payment date.