When creating content, be the best answer on the internet. – Andy Crestodina
As an online business owner, creating content is an important part of what I do every day. Good content is essential in bringing people to your website or blog and building your e-mail list. It’s also a way to establish credibility and generate an income. Today I’ll talk about a different way to create content and that is by creating an online course.
I’m defining an online course as one that is delivered entirely online, through videos, webinars, written materials, audio recordings, and more. An information product that can stand on its own or it can be one in a series of training.
Off-line courses have certain advantages such as being able to interact with the instructor and other students and being able to ask questions. It’s also helpful for people who have trouble motivating themselves.
However, online courses are more convenient because they’re usually less expensive and students can learn at their own pace instead having to attend a class every week.
An online course can be created fairly quickly. Here’s a strategy and plan you may wish to follow:
Begin with a blog post: Everything you create, including books, courses, live events, and more can begin with a blog post. This will help you get your ideas out of your head and onto the page, where you can work them into the format(s) that will best meet your goals.
As you get started, think about the person you are creating this for (your target prospect), and then write down these five questions and leave space for your answers.
1. What is the overall topic you want to use in your course?
2. Why is it important to your audience? Why would they be interested in this course?
3. What would success look like for the person who followed your recommendations (in this course)?
4. How can they succeed and what are the steps they need to take to have that success?
5. What’s next (after they finish this course)? How can they go even further? (This might also be a good time to think about creating a series of courses.)
Look for resources to include. Are there people they would benefit from knowing? Can you offer any additional programs, products, books that would help them reach their goals?
Begin this process by writing your sales letter. Write headlines and bullet points while you’re still in the initial outlining stage. It may seem backwards to do it this way, but writing your sales page first will help you stay focused on why you are creating this course. It’ll help you remember to include everything you can think of that would be relevant and helpful.
Look for beta testers before you make your course available to the public. It’s preferable that the beta testers be people in your target market who know and love you and want to help you succeed. You might ask some of the people in your Facebook group or send an invitation to a few of your e-mail subscribers that you know and trust.
You can let them review and try out your product in exchange for honest feedback. Practice with them and be open to their constructive feedback. Be willing to spend the time necessary to make your online course the best it can possibly be.
Put it up for sale. This is the final step in the process of creating an online course. It may feel scary, but once your course is complete it’s time to make it available for purchase. There is nothing like having paid clients to work with, and your topic is sure to enhance their life and business in a meaningful way.
You can use this simple outline as the basis and starting point for everything that you create for your business. Here is a quick summary of the steps. First, decide on a topic that’s relevant and helpful to your audience. Next, determine what you want to help them accomplish. Write out all the steps they need to take. Write your sales page and create the product. Get feedback from your beta testers and after you get the green light, put it up for sale.
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