Why are online courses so popular?
Why do people decide to create an online course? What are the benefits? Is all the work worth it? We found three reasons why it could be interesting to share your knowledge.
Show your expertise
First, a training course is perfect for showing that you have mastered a specific topic. Indeed, providing courses means that you know the subject enough to explain it to others. This could prove your professionalism and help you stand out from the competition.
Meet your clients’ needs
A training course can also be used to answer your clients' most common questions. For example, if you offer services and notice that people always have the same issues, why not help them by providing a self-paced adapted course? It can be more effective than one-to-one meetings.
Get a passive revenue
The third important benefit of online courses is that they can become an interesting passive revenue. Indeed, once your content is available online, there is nothing else to do. Therefore, every time someone registers, you will receive a payment. It is an option to consider if you want to diversify your business’ revenues.
What should you think about when creating an online course?
Everyone can create an online course, but remember it requires much work. According to the Calcule Ça website, one hour of course takes an average of 43 hours of work. Yes, it can seem a lot! Consequently, it is essential to have a match plan to be as effective as possible. Let us examine this more closely.
Find the perfect topic
The first step to creating an online course is to find the perfect topic, something that you are passionate about, know a lot about, and will also interest your target audience. You must also ensure that there are enough things to say to have a complete online course about it. It is not necessary to build a course that will last hundreds of hours, but make sure to have enough content. Once again, do not hesitate to inspire yourself with your clients' questions and challenges.
Do a course plan
Next, to help you structure your online course, we suggest you do a course plan. Think about all the content you want to present, then separate it into themes or chapters. Keep notes and do research if needed. Often, people prefer watching shorter videos than longer ones that last several hours.
Create your content
Creating your online course content will be easier with a detailed plan. Start with a short introduction where you can present yourself, and start with your first themes. If you decide to do videos, you will need a camera, a microphone, and editing software. Do not remain static; consider sharing your screen or showing examples to make everything more dynamic.
Host your online course
Once you have all your content, it is time to publish everything online. There are various ways to proceed. You can host your training videos on YouTube, but make them only accessible with a link. You can also decide to use a dedicated tool created especially for online courses. Among the most popular software are Kajabi and Podia.
Verify if everything works well
Before starting to promote your new online course, we recommend you take the time to test it. Check if everything works and if your videos are in the correct order. Also, it could be interesting to ask someone from your entourage or someone interested in your content to try your online course. This way, you will have some feedback and make modifications if needed.
Promote your online course
Congratulations! You have worked hard, and now your online course is available. But what can you do to promote it? Let us give you a few suggestions. First, consider displaying it directly on your website since it remains the basis of your online presence. Next, promote it on your social media pages or use ad campaigns to ensure visibility. Finally, if you are already using newsletters to communicate with your clientele, it could also be wise to mention it there.
Create a new online course
What can you do once you finished to create your first online course? Why not consider another one? For example, if you have made content for beginners, you could provide a new course for more advanced students. You could also think about a complementary topic that could interest those who took your first course. It is something to consider, especially if you are in an off-peak season and enjoyed your experience.
In conclusion, although it requires much work, creating an online course has many benefits. Besides helping you prove that you are an expert, it allows you to meet your clients' needs while earning a passive income. Think about a topic and a plan, and then start creating your content.
If you like editing videos but are not ready to start a complete online course, why not share your knowledge differently? Find out our best tips for creating YouTube videos.