In the wake of the pandemic, online courses have gradually become a new trend, boasting unlimited development potential. Due to the ability of online courses to facilitate fragmented learning for subscribers and significantly reduce learning costs compared to physical courses, the demand for online learning is rapidly increasing. Many individuals are seizing the opportunity, initiating their side-hustle stories by offering classes through video courses.
If you are considering launching your online course but are unfamiliar with the process, this article will guide you step by step on how to create a successful course. Alternatively, you can visit the Rakosell website to quickly establish your online teaching platform and monetize your knowledge!
How to Start Online Teaching?
- Define Course Topics and Content
The sustainability of an online course depends entirely on its content and design. Initially, you can choose course topics based on your interests and expertise, and conduct market research using tools like Google Trends to gauge market demand and competitive analysis.
After confirming the course topics, proceed to define the course content. Break down the course outline into smaller units and organize them systematically, ensuring each unit connects seamlessly with previously learned material. This approach not only allows students to absorb knowledge systematically but also enhances user engagement, encouraging students to actively participate in the next lesson.
- Establish Course Objectives
Before officially selling your course, determine the course objectives and create a course declaration. The following questions can help guide your thinking:
- What is the purpose of your course?
- What specific outcomes can students achieve after purchasing the course?
Most importantly, provide students with a quantifiable learning outcome, allowing them to have a clear expectation before making a purchase. For example, compared to the vague result of "learning photography," a more specific and appealing outcome could be "mastering photography techniques, composition, and post-production skills to create an outstanding portfolio."
- Choose Teaching Methods
Common teaching methods include video recording, live streaming, or podcasting, which can be chosen based on the platform you are using and the nature of your course content. Video recording and podcasting offer flexibility in terms of time and space, allowing students to learn anytime, anywhere. For educators, video recording allows for better post-production to achieve enhanced teaching effects and can be uploaded to different platforms. On the other hand, live streaming provides higher real-time interactivity, allowing educators to better understand each student's learning level and help them achieve the intended outcomes.
- Select an Online Teaching Platform — Create a Blog or Use Online Teaching Platforms
You can choose to build your own website to establish your brand image or join third-party teaching platforms.
- Building a Website:
Whether you want to create a professional teaching blog or a brand's official website, you can use website creation platforms such as WordPress or Wix. These platforms are easy to operate, offering API services for payment integration and SEO optimization to help you with sales. Additionally, Rakosell provides a convenient website building and blogging system with good SEO results.
- Online Course Building Platforms:
Online course building platforms already have complete teaching systems and tools, and educators can typically join for free, with the platform charging a monthly fee or commission. The advantage of using a platform is that it comes with a variety of commonly used teaching functions, eliminating the need for educators to find someone to write code for building a website with course functionalities. You can also refer to our recommended online course building platforms from April 2021 to help you understand various options.
- Video Recording
Now that you have a complete online teaching plan, it's time to start creating your teaching materials. Educational videos are typically divided into three main types:
- Screen Recording: Suitable for software tutorials, platform operations, or scenarios that involve switching between different software interfaces. Some user-friendly screen recording programs include Movavi, HitPaw, Free Cam, and OBS, among others.
- PPT Recording for Slide Presentation: If you are not comfortable facing the camera, recording educational videos using PowerPoint presentations can be your preferred choice. You only need to create a presentation in PowerPoint and then click "File" > "Export" > "Create a Video" to convert the presentation into an mp4 format. All embedded music, videos, and animation settings will be recorded as well.
- Video Shooting: For those who want to shoot educational videos, it's necessary to prepare some basic filming equipment, such as a smartphone (most smartphones can shoot in 1080p), a microphone, LED continuous lighting, and a tripod. Additionally, careful consideration should be given to the background to keep it clean and simple, enhancing the quality of the video. Remember, the devil is in the details, and the final step in video production is post-production. You need to add a brand intro and outro, subtitles, and sound effects to the video and then export the file.
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Online Course Marketing — Free (SEO) and Paid Channels
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SEO Marketing
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If you operate your own brand website, you can use SEO optimization to improve your website's ranking in search results. SEO involves adjusting the website based on user search intent and search engine algorithms, making the search engine believe that your online course webpage is the most relevant search result. SEO is relatively cost-effective and has a long-term effect, bringing in higher quality and more convertible traffic. If you want to learn how to optimize your website and increase course sales, you may refer to this SEO tutorial.
- Free Trial Courses
Who would refuse something free? The sales journey for most online teaching courses usually begins with offering free trial courses. Think of a trial course as both a sales and promotional tool that helps potential customers clearly understand the purpose and expected outcomes of the course, ultimately increasing conversion rates. Many educators also upload trial courses to video-sharing platforms like YouTube to increase the course's exposure for promotional purposes.
- Paid Marketing
Paid marketing involves promoting your course to people interested in the topic through online advertising, guiding them to sign up. Search engine marketing (SEM) is one such method. Broadly speaking, SEM involves paying to increase a website's exposure in search engine result pages, boosting click-through rates. You can also use social media to promote content that builds a good reputation, such as successful student cases or endorsements from authoritative figures. This not only increases online sales but also establishes a two-way interaction with potential customers on social media.
Who Is Suitable for the Online Teaching Model?
First and foremost, you need to have more passion and expertise in a specific field than the average person, coupled with the desire to share your knowledge.
Of course, if all teaching on the same topic follows textbook theories, it will lack attractiveness and credibility. Therefore, you must have a unique perspective on the field and have achieved some results that others want to replicate; this is the key to attracting sales! Additionally, there are no shortcuts to wealth creation. To succeed in online teaching, you must also invest some funds in building a website, creating videos, and paying for ads. Lastly, persistence is the key to success!
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