I've already created 6 of them myself (more about my e-courses here) and I already have new ideas in the pipeline. Today I'm telling you that e-courses are a godsend. Not only because they are a great source of extra income, but also because during the e-course creation phase, you refresh your knowledge on the topic you are presenting in the e-course.
You won't believe it, but I gained a lot of additional knowledge while creating the e-course.
My guiding principle and heartfelt desire when creating it was to provide information in a simple way about the topic I decided to present.
What steps are needed for your first e-course:
STEP 1: DECIDE ON A COURSE TOPIC
The first question my clients ask me when I mention an e-course is: "Tanja, tell me how I can get an idea of what an e-course could even contain?"
Let me reassure you, you don't need much time to come up with an idea.
A good e-course doesn't always depend on how your idea will serve others. What's more important is what you want for yourself. Business ideas often come when we overcome personal challenges or trials. An e-course can afghanistan phone number example also be a desire to become a better version of ourselves.
Think about the biggest challenges you've faced in the past and how you overcame them. Think about the solutions you had to find. This could be your first online course!
Here are some more options for finding ideas for what kind of e-course to make:
1. Check what the competition is doing.
2. Ask your existing customers.
3. Look at the "BEST SELLERS" of books for your industry.
4. Read the “QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS” tab on your competitors’ websites.
Ideas are everywhere, only focus, desire and action separate you, until your first e-course.
Once you make your first one, I promise it won't be your last
.STEP 2: PLANNING THE COURSE CONTENT
An e-course can be in the following formats:
Like text on a web page.
Audio version,
Video clip.
Each format has its advantages and disadvantages - I personally prefer to use a combination of written text (in the form of a workbook or manual) and video, but it is up to you how you implement your e-course.
Which medium should YOU choose?
Here are some things to keep in mind when preparing:
How much time do you have available?
Does your course require visual material that people need to see to understand?
Do you have the appropriate equipment?
Do you have enough resources to learn how to use the equipment or hire someone to do it for you?
How much do you want to charge?
Finally, what suits you better at this moment?
If you're not doing well with video right now, don't force yourself into something that puts you under additional strain or puts you on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Use your strengths. I have to add something very important here, don't be too demanding of yourself. If you're a beginner, just have faith.
That's what I did myself and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.STEP 3: DESIGNING THE COURSE CONTENT
When it's time to start preparing the content of an e-course, I always do some brainstorming first.
I take a big piece of paper CONTENT CREATION IDEAS SHEET and write down all the ideas. I write down absolutely everything that comes to mind. I get a lot of ideas in the shower too
then I make sure to write them down as soon as I get out of the shower. Sometimes an idea comes to me on a walk… this is the creative phase where I really let my imagination run wild.Once the first draft starts to take shape on the sheet, I organize the content into modules and create a plan that I like. Once I've done that, it's time to refine the content and start preparing the visual presentation.
Of course, there is also text for recording and text for the workbook or manual.
In between, I also jump online to check which subtopics or steps I missed and if there is anything else that would be useful for my clients.
Creating content is probably the hardest part of creating an online course, but don't let that stop you. Set a time frame and stick to it, don't add too much content, the key is to create quality content.
And finally, remember, you are special. Why not share what you know with others?
Step out of your comfort zone and create your first e-course.