Making an income has been difficult for a lot of people. So, if you’ve been looking for a way to make money from home, there’s no better time than now to learn how to create your online course.
In this article, we’ll be exploring six tips and tricks that will help you get started with making your online courses. There are many benefits when it comes to creating one of these courses, but to do so, you need to know how they work. Hopefully, after reading the following tips and tricks, you’ll feel confident enough in yourself and your abilities that you can start creating your very first online course today.
How to create an online course?
When it comes to creating an online course, you must choose a topic you’re passionate about. This is because you’ll be spending a lot of time developing and promoting the course, so you must enjoy what you’re doing. Not only that, but your students will be able to sense your passion and will be more likely to enroll in your course. It is important to choose a good platform that will provide you with all the necessary tools. This article on Thinkfic will provide you with some basic information on why you should choose a platform that will help you build a course. It has all the necessary tools that you need to get started.
Once you have chosen a platform, the next step is to create a course outline. This will help you stay on track and will provide your students with an idea of what the course entails. It’s also important to be organized and to create a timeline for yourself, this way you’ll know how long the entire process will take. In addition, it’s helpful to create a few modules that can be completed in a shorter amount of time, so that potential students can get a taste of what your course is all about.
After you have created your outline and modules, it’s time to start developing content for your course. This can be done in many ways such as recording videos or writing articles.
Do your research
Picking a topic you’re passionate about also makes the course creation process much easier. After all, if you’re excited to talk about a particular subject, then developing a course around it will be a breeze. The only problem with this is that you need to be an expert in something before you can teach others about it. This is where research comes into play. Researching your topic thoroughly will let you know what kind of information needs to be included and will help you become a subject matter expert on the topic.
Form an outline
As we mentioned before, it’s important to form an outline for your course. Not only will this help you stay on track, but it will also give your students a sneak peek of what the course is about. Organize the outline accordingly, the materials should entail different pieces of information that the student can use in order to complete the course.
Create a timeline
Creating a timeline for your course is important, not only because it lets you know how long the entire process will take, but also because it gives your students an idea of when they can expect the course to be completed.
Make shorter modules
As we alluded to earlier, breaking your course up into shorter modules can be a great way to attract potential students. This is because they will be able to get a taste of what the course is about without having to commit to taking the entire thing. Plus, completing a module in a shorter amount of time will let them know if this type of learning is right for them.
Be organized
Creating a timeline for yourself is a great way to be organized and to ensure that you’re completing all the steps necessary for creating a course. This also goes for developing content. By creating smaller modules, you’ll be able to break down the process into more manageable chunks and will be able to complete them in a shorter amount of time.
Record videos or write articles
When it comes to content development, there are two ways you can go about it; recording videos or writing articles. Both have their benefits, but you must choose the one that best suits your learning style. There are some things to consider when recording videos. For example, if you’re planning on interviewing experts for your course, then make sure you have a way to record video calls or online interviews. However, there are also benefits to writing articles as well. Writing articles will teach students about various topics in an easier way and is great if you want to include external resources within your lessons.
Alright, now that you know how to create an online course, let’s explore some tips and tricks that will help you further develop your skills as an online educator.
Provide value for free
A good way of attracting potential students is by providing valuable content for free. This could be in the form of articles, videos, or even audio recordings. Once you’ve gained their trust, they will be more likely to enroll in your course.
Try preparing an entire marketing campaign on providing bits of information from the course, it may take a bit of planning, but it will be worth the wait. Create campaigns on social media, prepare snippets, maybe even a podcast. There is no limit to how you can utilize a topic from only one course to spread and grow both individually and professionally.
Create a landing page
A great way to market your course is by creating a landing page. This is a one-page website that will let potential students know all about your course and what they can expect from it. In addition, you can use this page to collect email addresses from potential students, which you can later use to market future courses to them.
Growing a subscription list allows you to expand your horizons by marketing future courses you are developing to interested people. It’s an excellent way to build confidence within your community that you’re providing the best content possible for them.
Develop modules together
When it comes to creating, developing, and organizing course material, working with teammates will make the challenging task seem much easier. Collaborating with others is a great way to generate ideas, bounce off of each other’s work, and help out students when they get stuck or need some extra support.
You can do this by sharing documents on Google Docs or using collaboration tools such as Slack or Trello. These are especially useful if there are multiple people involved in updating material for courses due to their segmented updates and direct communication capabilities.
Offer a guarantee
Another great marketing tool is offering a guarantee for your courses. This way, potential students will have peace of mind knowing that they can ask for a refund if they aren’t satisfied with what you’re selling them. In addition, include any restrictions in the fine print to avoid confusion later on. You can add an FAQ page or add comments below your landing page when necessary to ensure there are no further questions from potential customers about refunds and their policies.
Offer a discount
Another way of enticing potential students is by offering them a discount on your course. This will show them that you’re serious about providing quality education and that you’re not just in it for the money.
Set up a payment plan
If some of your potential students are hesitant about paying for your course, a payment plan could be a good solution for possible customers. This way the student can pay off their course in installments and won’t feel as intimidated by the price.
Require an essay from students
If you want to ensure that your potential students are serious about taking your course, then requiring them to write an essay on why they’re interested in the topic is always a good idea. In addition, have them send it over to you so you can get a feel for their writing skills and reasoning behind taking your course.
Creating courses online isn’t difficult when you have the right tools at hand. Using building platforms has many benefits including building landing pages, managing payments, automating marketing campaigns, and so much more!
Include additional material
Another important aspect to think about when creating online courses is including additional materials such as worksheets, reading lists, cheat sheets, bonuses, etc. These extra materials will help students learn more effectively and provide value to your potential students. Just be sure not to include too many materials as it can make your course look cluttered and hard to navigate through.
Finally, always try your best to provide the most value possible for your students. You should care about their progress and well-being more than focusing on profits. Your goal is to help others learn, so do what you can to guide them along the way!
Host a webinar
Webinars are a great way to attract potential students and to promote your course. They allow you to connect with potential students on a personal level, answer any questions they may have, and even provide a sneak peek of the course content.
Conclusion: Thinkific course creation: 6 tips and tricks
Online courses are becoming an increasingly popular way for students to learn new information. It’s a great way to gain new skills, advance your career, or just learn for the sake of learning. By following these six tips and tricks, you can create an online course that is both informative and engaging.