How do you make a promo video for an online course?
Sell the before and after, not the lesson list. Open on the frustration your student has now, show what they will be able to do by the end, say exactly what they get (format, length, start date, price), and end with one action. Make it a 30 to 60 second vertical video with AI scenes, a voiceover and captions, then make three or four more for each stage of the launch. Never promise income or results you cannot prove.
- Veedio’s Course Promo Video Generator opens on the Documentary style, the Rachel voice, Bold captions and Uplifting music.
- On Pro and Studio, a presenter made from your own photo can deliver the promo in your own cloned voice.
- A five-scene promo costs 13 credits with stills; a launch week of four costs 52.
- The FTC has warned businesses that false or unsubstantiated money-making claims can lead to civil penalties.
- The FTC’s Endorsement Guides apply to student testimonials used in ads.
What to show when your course is lessons on a screen
Most course promos fail on the visuals. The product is a set of videos and worksheets, and footage of someone watching a laptop sells nothing. What sells a course is the student’s life before and after: the half-finished painting propped against the wall, then the one they framed; the spreadsheet they dreaded, then the one they built in ten minutes.
Generated scenes are good at exactly this, because the before and after are situations, not your screen. Keep your real course material for one or two frames if you have a strong screenshot or photo, and let the rest of the video show the student’s world.
Then be precise about the offer. People hesitate on courses because they are vague. Say the format, how long it takes, when it starts, what it costs and who it is not for. Precision reads as confidence.
Openers for a course promo
- “You have bought the paints three times. You have never finished a painting.”
- “If you can hold a pencil, you can learn this in six weeks.”
- “This is the course I wish existed when I started.”
- “Most beginners quit at the same step. This course is built around it.”
- “Enrollment opens Monday. Here is exactly what you get.”
- “Last day to join. Here is who this is not for.”
One launch, four videos
| When | Video | Its one job | Ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| A week before | The problem | Name the frustration so the right people lean in | Join the waitlist |
| Day enrollment opens | The offer | Format, length, start date, price, who it is for | Enroll at the link |
| Mid-launch | The objection | Answer the question people keep asking, such as “Do I need experience?” | Enroll or ask me a question |
| Last day | The deadline | Doors close tonight, plus who it is not for | Last chance at the link |
Making the promo
- 1
Write the before and after
One sentence each. Before: “You buy paints and never finish a painting.” After: “You finish one small painting a week and know why it works.” Only promise an after that a typical student can reach.
- 2
List the plain facts of the offer
Format, number of lessons, how long each takes, start date, price, refund terms and who it suits. These are the lines people screenshot.
- 3
Generate the script
Type the before, after and facts into the Course Promo Video Generator. Check the script for any outcome it has made bigger than what you wrote.
- 4
Decide whether you appear
On any plan the promo can be narrated over generated scenes. On Pro or Studio, a presenter made from your own photo can speak the script, in a clone of your own voice.
- 5
Render all four launch videos
Same voice, same style, same ending shape. Five scenes each with stills is 13 credits per video.
- 6
Schedule and publish
Post each on its day to TikTok, Reels and Shorts from the app, and download the MP4s for your sales page and email.
- 7
Disclose and label
If affiliates or past students promote the course for a commission, they must disclose it. Use platform AI labels if any scene looks realistic.
Worked example: a 45-second promo for a beginner watercolour course
6 scenes · about 45 seconds
Scene 1
You have bought the paints three times. You have never finished a painting.
Visual: Documentary-style shot of an unopened watercolour set and a blank pad on a kitchen table, a dusty brush jar, soft evening light.
On screen: Sound familiar?
Scene 2
Loose Water is a six-week course for complete beginners. One short lesson a week, one small painting at the end of each.
Visual: Close shot of a hand making a single confident wash of blue across textured paper, water pooling at the edge.
Scene 3
Week one is just water and one colour. By week six you are painting a simple landscape you planned yourself.
Visual: A small finished watercolour of hills at dusk pinned to a cork board beside earlier practice swatches.
Scene 4
Lessons are video, about twenty minutes each, and you keep them after the course ends.
Visual: A laptop on a desk with a paint palette beside it, warm lamp, a cup of tea, the screen softly blurred.
Scene 5
It is not for experienced painters. It is for people who want to finally start.
Visual: Two hands rinsing a brush in a jar of cloudy water, sunlight through a window behind.
Scene 6
The next cohort starts March third. Enroll at the link in my profile.
Visual: A wall of small framed watercolours in a bright hallway, calm and personal.
On screen: Starts March 3 · link in profile
Before you post: Outcome and income claims are where course marketing gets into trouble. The FTC has put businesses on notice that false or unsubstantiated money-making claims can lead to civil penalties, and its Endorsement Guides treat student testimonials as advertising: an ad should not imply a student’s results are typical unless you can back that up. Promise what the course teaches, not what students will earn.
Mistakes in course promos
- Listing modules instead of showing the change in the student’s life.
- Vague offers: no start date, no length, no price.
- Income promises, or before-and-after results that only your best student reached.
- Footage of someone watching a laptop as the main visual.
- One promo for the whole launch, when each stage needs a different message.
- Hiding who the course is not for. Saying it builds trust with the people it is for.
FAQ
Questions people ask next
How long should a course promo video be?
Thirty to 60 seconds for social. A longer sales video for the course page is a different format; the short promo’s job is to get people to that page.
Can I put my face in the promo without filming?
On Pro and Studio, you can make a presenter from your own photo and clone your own voice, so the promo is delivered by an AI version of you. It is still worth filming one real clip for your sales page.
Can I use student testimonials in the video?
Yes, with permission and in their real words. Do not edit them to change their meaning, and do not present an exceptional result as typical. If the student received anything for the review, disclose it.
Can I say “make money” in a course promo?
Only if you can substantiate it, and the FTC has warned that false earnings claims carry penalties. Safer and more honest: describe the skill the course teaches and what students build.
Can the same promo be posted everywhere?
Yes. A 9:16 video works on TikTok, Reels and Shorts, and Veedio can publish to all three in one step. Make a 16:9 version for a YouTube channel trailer or a sales page.
What does a launch week cost to make?
Full videos need a paid plan, from Starter at $19 monthly with 600 credits. Four five-scene promos with stills use 52 credits in total. The first payment has a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Sources, checked 30 October 2026:
- FTC: Penalty Offenses Concerning Money-Making Opportunities
- FTC: Endorsement Guides, What People Are Asking
- 16 CFR Part 255: Endorsement Guides
- FTC: Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers
Platforms change their rules, so check them before you rely on them.
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