Regardless of the platform of your selection, the process of creating an online course is fairly similar. They key is in the involvement of your target audience.
These are the common steps to create an online course:
1. Select Topics Of Your Expertise Or Knowledge.
This may be something you have some experience or something you are already training individuals. You may not be the expert in all details, but you can always generate a course at the level of your knowledge for people with less experience than you.
If you have no idea on the subject to train, brainstorm and make a listing of possibilities. The best would be for you to select something that you are familiar.
However, you may also learn the new skill first, then provide the training to others. The course could be about your journey on learning about the topic. People is interested in learning from someone that has passed thought a similar situation.
2. Research Your Concept.
Analyze if your course will be demanded or not. Will individuals locate it useful? Are individuals enthusiastic about the topic and also are they eager to learn from it?
If you currently have a blog, you may want to write a “how to” article on the topic to experience the reaction of your current visitors. If it thrills people and also you locate out that they want to learn more, then you have most likely found a terrific subject for your purposes.
Check who else is providing a similar course and how much in demand are their courses. You may always present it from different angles, and with your personal touch.
3. Identify Your Target Market And Ask Them What They Need.
Do this by speaking directly to your audience or sending surveys. You can use your email list, social media sites, as well as blog sites to locate your possible trainees and also inquire what they would certainly intend to learn. Asking the questions in forums or Facebook groups works also great.
Based on your experience and interests, figure out what you can do to help them and the challenges they encounter. The responses you will get will certainly offer direction to your course.
Recommendation: Be certain to obtain the contact information of the most enthusiastic people that answered your questions and provided inputs, especially if you made use of an interview. Keep them closely involved in your training course and also allow them to understand that they will be the first individuals you will be offering the program to.
4. Detail Your Training Course.
At this stage you have your list of topics, you have studied that there is demand and you understand the challenges and desires of your target market. Now is time to outline the content of your training.
Begin by highlighting the high-level content and defining the actions to perform for its development. Invest substantial time preparing this outline to get it right. Perform a good planning but don’t fall in the perfection that don’t allow you to move forward.
5. Develop And Record Your Course.
Video is one of the simplest ways to delivery your course. You can do a video clip of it with your cellphone, of if you are demonstrating its use on a computer, the you may use PowerPoint slides with your voice over or use a program like Camtasia to record your screen.
Some people think that they need to be completely professional to record a training video. This is not necessarily the case. Many people prefer a regular person like them training on a topic of their interest.
Record it in a loosened-up way. Remember, you don’t require to be ideal as that might be unfavorable. Just be yourself. In case that you slip up, just correct it and proceed. It reveals you are a human and people will certainly value that in you.
6. Create An Introductory Course.
This is your selling material. It details content of the course and explains what individuals will learn. Ensure to describe the benefits of your course and not the features. People want to understand what there for them is. This initial video is a selling tool for you to advertise your training course.
7. Develop Other Materials To Supplement Your Videos.
These can be listings, lays out, referrals, tools, mind maps, etc. These are nice bonuses that people e appreciates and increases the value of your product.
8. Choose The Distribution Channel.
Many people prefer to host their training courses. If you want a simpler route, then consider using one of the distributing services in the market. For example, Udemy may pay you a high percentage of the sales you make with the only deduction being the settlement processing charges. If Udemy makes the sale, you make 50%. However, this is an extra sale for you. Udemy does the work to find the buyers and sell your course for you.
Udemy has lots of overviews on course development and how to submit your training course onto their web site. With them every little thing is documented, and it is really simple to use.
Udemy is probably one of the most popular platforms out there. However, there are many other platforms in the market where you can also distribute your courses. Don’t limit to only one of them.
9. Launch Your Course.
By now you may have developed a list of potential customers who are eagerly waiting for the launch of your course. You can offer a special discount for them. Leverage also the launch functionality of platforms like Udemy. By giving some licenses for free your course may go to the top of the list and more people may engage into your solution
10. Continue Advertising And Marketing Your Program.
That simple way to promote your course is to provide a shorter version of it absolutely free – probably the first chapter. Any time that you have the chance to reach to your target audience, such as being interviewed or visitor blogging, send them to squeeze page where they can review the short version of your training course. After that, you may upsell them to buy your complete version of your training course. Udemy also provides some functionality to release the short version for free and then offer them the upgraded full version.
Developing and launching an online course is a great experience. Regardless the topic of your election, remember to enjoy the process and have in mind your target audience: how can I help my audience to resolve their desires and challenges? By resolving this last question your course will definitely make a difference for them.
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