We earn a commission from partner links on this site. This doesn’t affect our opinions or evaluations.
Updated on
Establishing your academic presence on Thinkific involves establishing your educational platform represents the foundational move towards building an online educational venture. To guarantee your courses achieve widespread success, a robust email marketing strategy is absolutely indispensable.
This is where ConvertKit becomes essential. It’s a robust email marketing tool crafted to help you cultivate leads, send specific emails, and market your courses. But how can one successfully link ConvertKit and Thinkific?
This manual will guide you through the processes to integrate ConvertKit and Thinkific. We will also explore establishing automated workflows and developing impactful email campaigns.
Thinkific stands as a comprehensive online course platform allowing you to construct, market, and distribute online educational programs. It manages essential email communications (such as course enrollment confirmations) and even facilitates sending singular email messages to your enrolled students.
ConvertKit, conversely, is an email marketing service designed to help you cultivate and expand your email subscriber list, as well as develop customized email outreach initiatives using ConvertKit’s sophisticated segmentation and automation tools.
Leveraging the direct integration capability between these two platforms, you can effortlessly transmit your students’ details to ConvertKit, and then proceed to orchestrate and dispatch automated email sequences. This valuable integration is actively employed by more than 4,900 Thinkific-based online schools, positioning it among the most widely adopted Thinkific integrations.
Here are several illustrations of the capabilities enabled by the ConvertKit-Thinkific integration:
Beyond these examples, numerous other methods exist for utilizing ConvertKit to interact with your student base and effectively market your educational offerings.
In this portion of our guide, you will discover a comprehensive, step-by-step process for seamlessly integrating your Thinkific platform with ConvertKit. To commence this procedure, it is necessary to possess an active ConvertKit account. The platform provides a 14-day complimentary trial, enabling you to thoroughly evaluate its functionalities before deciding on a specific pricing structure.
Upon arriving at the website, you will notice an invitation to commence a complimentary trial period. Proceed with the registration process and establish your user account.
The subsequent action involves locating and copying your unique API key. To accomplish this, navigate to your user profile, typically found in the upper right-hand section of the interface, and from the ensuing drop-down list, choose Settings.
Within the Settings interface, opt for the Advanced category; here, within the API segment, your API key will be displayed for your use.
Having secured your API key, proceed to the Thinkific application store. Within your Thinkific control panel, select ‘Apps.’ Beneath your currently installed applications, the ‘Most Popular Apps’ area will be visible. Choose ‘View All’ to be directed to the complete Thinkific App Store.
Upon entering the app marketplace, utilize the search function to locate “ConvertKit.” Once found, navigate to the dedicated page for the ConvertKit application, and then initiate the installation process by selecting the “Install” button.
Following the successful installation of the application, you will be automatically redirected to the application’s configuration area. In this section, you will be able to input the API key that you generated earlier.
You have successfully established a connection between your Thinkific and ConvertKit accounts. The subsequent phase involves creating ConvertKit tags.
Tags function as descriptive labels that can be applied to your contacts within ConvertKit. Consequently, when you import your Thinkific students into ConvertKit, you can utilize these tags to effectively segment your audience and dispatch more precisely targeted communication campaigns.
To generate a new tag, navigate to your ConvertKit dashboard and choose Grow → Subscribers from the main navigation menu. On the right-hand side of this page, you will find the option to “Create a Tag.” Selecting this will prompt a modal window to appear, where you will be asked to assign a descriptive name to your new tag.
Considering that tag labels serve to categorize your contacts, it is advisable to assign them names that are intuitively understandable for your organizational system. For instance, when an individual establishes an account within your Thinkific educational environment, you might apply the tag Registered on Thinkific Platform, and upon their enrollment in a specific course, you could use a tag such as [Course Title] Participant.
With your tags now established, you can return to your Thinkific interface to configure the specific conditions that will automatically assign these tags to students based on predefined trigger actions. To achieve this, navigate to the ‘Apps’ area within Thinkific and select ‘Settings’ adjacent to the ConvertKit application listing.
As you navigate downwards on this configuration page, you will encounter the various trigger events that can be utilized:
With the exception of the initial account creation event, you will possess the capability to assign distinct tags for each of your individual course offerings.
Indeed, these functionalities unlock a vast array of opportunities for your engagement strategies. You have the capability to employ these tags to dispatch personalized email campaigns through ConvertKit, thereby helping to automate their entire journey with your educational content.
To illustrate, if a learner registers for a complimentary preview of one of your courses, you can initiate an automated email series presenting a unique promotional deal to encourage full enrollment in that course. Furthermore, immediately upon their purchase of the course, you can ensure they are seamlessly transitioned out of the promotional email sequence and automatically integrated into the welcoming and introductory email series for new students.
In addition to these event-based triggers, you also possess the ability to transmit detailed transaction data directly to ConvertKit. To enable this feature, simply activate the option designated for Student Payment Tracking found within the ConvertKit Apps configuration section. Activating this specific option will ensure that all pertinent transaction details, encompassing the purchase sum and any discounts applied, are automatically relayed to your ConvertKit account.
This particular functionality within ConvertKit is referred to as Products, and it empowers you to categorize your learners according to the specific educational program they acquired, the aggregate sum they have invested, and various other defining factors.
Furthermore, you can utilize the Purchases feature to design and implement visually structured automated workflows within the platform.
Next, let’s proceed with constructing a visual automation within ConvertKit specifically tailored for your student audience.
We will follow the previously discussed scenario: a student registers for a course offering a complimentary preview, which then enrolls them into a targeted sales sequence.
To initiate this, access your ConvertKit account and navigate to Automate → Visual Automations located in the main header section. On the subsequent page, select New Automation → Start from scratch. Alternatively, you have the option to choose a pre-designed template and modify it to align with your specific requirements.
You will now find yourself within the automation construction interface.
Your initial action is to define an event. For this scenario, the event will be designated as Is Added to a Tag. From the subsequent drop-down menu, you will need to choose the specific tag that corresponds to this trigger.
Finalize this event by saving it, and then click on the Plus icon situated directly beneath the trigger you just configured. From the options presented, choose Action → Email sequence. Should you have a pre-existing email sequence, you can select it at this point. If not, you have the convenience of establishing a brand new
Within ConvertKit, sequences are essentially a collection of individual emails designed to be dispatched sequentially over a period. Your main task is to determine the appropriate time delay to implement between the sending of each successive email.
The email composition tool in ConvertKit shares similarities with other widely used editors, such as the one found in Gmail. It allows for the straightforward insertion of images, various HTML components, textual content, and hyperlinks through simple mouse interactions. After you have completed crafting your emails, ensure you select ‘Save’ to preserve your work.
Next, you can incorporate a step within your automation that will automatically remove users from this particular sequence once they have purchased your course. To achieve this, select the plus icon that appears after the action step you previously configured. Then, choose Event → Tag is Added, and subsequently, pick the specific tag that you have designated for individuals who have bought the course.
This action will effectively remove individuals from the promotional email series as soon as they complete a purchase and the corresponding buyer tag is applied to their profile.
At this point, the only remaining task is to activate the automation by toggling the Live button, typically located in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Once activated, every student who registers for a complimentary preview will automatically receive this carefully crafted sales sequence, designed to encourage them to invest in the complete course.
You can employ this identical methodology to construct various other automated workflows that align with your specific objectives:
Beyond its robust email marketing capabilities, ConvertKit also provides tools for designing opt-in forms to effectively gather leads. Should you wish to incorporate an opt-in form onto the main page or any other specific page of your Thinkific site, you can readily utilize ConvertKit’s form-building features for this purpose.
To begin this process, navigate to your ConvertKit control panel and choose the Landing Pages and Forms option, which can be found under the Grow menu situated at the upper section of the interface.
Select the “Create a Form” option. Following this, you will be prompted to choose the desired display style for your form – options include inline, modal pop-up, slide-in panel, or a persistent sticky bar.
You will then be presented with a variety of pre-designed templates corresponding to your chosen form type. Peruse these options and select the template that best suits your aesthetic and functional needs.
After making your template selection, you will be directed to the form editing interface. Here, you possess the ability to modify almost every aspect of the form, ranging from the textual content and color schemes to the precise conditions under which you prefer the form to become visible on a webpage.
Upon completing your customizations, select “Publish.” This action will trigger a pop-up dialogue box from which you can retrieve the necessary HTML embed code. Copy this provided code snippet and then insert it into a designated text block element within your Thinkific website’s page editor.
And that is all there is to it; your newly created form will now be visible and operational on your Thinkific educational site.
The integration of Thinkific and ConvertKit provides an outstanding approach to segment your student population and distribute precisely targeted content to them, culminating in increased levels of engagement and a notable rise in sales figures.
Additionally, you possess the capability to construct opt-in forms specifically for your Thinkific online presence, a strategy that will substantially contribute to the growth and development of your email marketing list.
If you have not yet incorporated ConvertKit into your operational toolkit, the current moment presents an ideal opportunity to begin! Simply click the button located below to activate a complimentary trial period and commence your journey into automation promptly.
For those who do not yet have a Thinkific profile, you can establish a complimentary account by following this link.
We trust that this comprehensive guide has been beneficial, and we are eager to learn about your intended strategies for utilizing Thinkific and ConvertKit in conjunction. Please share your thoughts and plans in the comments section below!
Yes, ConvertKit is a great tool for course creators. It helps you grow your email list, segment your students, and send targeted content for higher engagement. Plus, it’s easy to set up and use.
You can integrate ConvertKit with Thinkific in three simple steps. Copy your ConvertKit API key, install the ConvertKit app from Thinkific’s app store, and in the app settings, paste the API key.
You can pass new account creation, course sign-ups, free preview enrollments, student purchases, and course completion events from Thinkific to ConvertKit.
Thinkific-ConvertKit integration is available on all Thinkific plans. So, regardless of the plan you subscribe to, you can install the ConvertKit app.
Kaydence Tranter serves as the senior content writer at sellingonlinecoursesguide.com, where she crafts authoritative content that helps course creators build and scale their online education businesses. Her writing expertise helps transform complex course creation and marketing concepts into clear, actionable guidance for the platform's audience.
Selling Online Courses Guide is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. However, this doesn’t influence our reviews or product listings. All opinions are based on our tests and personal experience with a product/service.
Copyright © 2024 by SellCoursesOnline
Kaydence Tranter serves as the senior content writer at sellingonlinecoursesguide.com, where she crafts authoritative content that helps course creators build and scale their online education businesses. Her writing expertise helps transform complex course creation and marketing concepts into clear, actionable guidance for the platform’s audience.
We respect your privacy and will never spam you.
