Course Creation PLAYBOOK
Course Creation Workbook
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Foundations
Online Course BasicsWhat’s for YOU?Setting GoalsThe Perfect TopicLearning OutcomesTips for Course Success
Lesson Outline
What is an Online Course?Benefits of an Online CourseAttributes of a Successful Online CourseIs an Online Course Right for You?
What is an Online Course?
An online course is a mini tutoring session or class that you can take from the comfort of your home. These courses can be on a number of different topics, ranging from yoga to calculus.
These courses are created and taught by a number of professionals, which includes PhDs and hobbyists. To put it simply, online courses are often created by academics and hobbyists alike and accessed via a mobile device, tablet, or web browser.
What makes online courses so great is that they can be enjoyed from your home at your own pace. What this means is that you do not have to have a lot of time to take an online course. All you need is a way to access the course and internet connection. You can take it at your own pace, and you do not have to be embarrassed if you are starting from scratch on the topic.
Another great benefit of online courses is that they can be free or cost little. This allows more people to gain a deeper understanding of a topic without spending a lot of money on classes. Additionally, some of these courses even offer certifications, which can be used to boost resumes or experiences.
How online courses work is that a creator uses their knowledge or experience in a particular topic to create lesson plans that are uploaded online. These lesson plans can include worksheets, readings, or video tutorials. They put these resources on a platform or website that potential customers can reach and then use.
Benefits of an Online Course
Online courses are beneficial for a number of reasons. They are beneficial to both the student and the creator. Here is why:
Online courses are beneficial to the students because it allows them easy access to more information. These courses can be used alone to further a student’s knowledge, or they can be used in junction with another class to help the student better understand the topic as a whole. More so, many online courses are free, which allows students to get an education without going into more debt.
At the same time, online courses are very beneficial to the creator as well. The reason for this is that many creators make money on their courses. On average, online course creators make between $1,000 and $5,000 a month on their online courses, but some creators make more than that. In fact, online learning is expected to reach more than $240 billion by 2021.
Is an Online Course Right for You?
With this in mind, you may be wondering, “Is an online course right for me?”
To help you better answer this question, here is a series of questions you should ask yourself:
Am I passionate about a particular topic?
Am I highly knowledgeable or skilled on a particular topic?
Do I want to help other people learn about a skill?
Would I still teach people on this topic even if I wasn’t getting paid?
If you answered yes to all four questions, then creating an online course is right for you. Even if you are unfamiliar with online course creation or technological skills, do not worry. The rest of this guide is designed to help you learn key tricks to creating a financially successful online course.
Lesson Outline
Course GoalsClear GoalsGood vs. Bad?What Are Your Course Goals?
How To Create a Clear and Quantifiable Goal For Your Online Course
In addition to the learning outcomes, you also need to set course goals for yourself.
COURSE GOALS
Course goals are goals that you set for yourself and your online course. They are incredibly important because they will give you a quantifiable direction and allow you to evaluate the success of your online course. In other words, course goals are meant to give you direction and give you something to chase after.
When creating course goals, you want them to be clear and quantifiable. If they are not quantifiable, you will have no way of consistently gauging the success of your online course. Include numbers and hard facts into these course goals.
Let us look at examples of good and bad course goals:
Here is an example of a bad course goal: “Make money from the online course.”
This is a bad course goal because it is not specific.
Though you may make some money and check this goal off your list, it does not give you a clear direction. You want your course goals to give you clear direction so you can accurately gauge the effectiveness of the course.
Here is a better version of that same course goal: “Make $1,000 from this online course,” or “Sell course to 40 customers at $25 each.”
This goal is much better because it is easily measured and will allow you to easily quantify the success of your online course.
Lesson Outline
Topic SelectionWhat’s Right for You?What Are Your Passions?What Are You Knowledgeable About?
Creating the Perfect Topic
To begin creating a successful online course, you must come up with the perfect topic, engaging learning outcomes, and quantifiable course goals for yourself. Without these three things, your online course will lack direction, which makes it less successful and engaging for both you and your students.
Picking the Perfect Topic
The first step to creating an online course is picking the perfect topic. This topic should be one that you are passionate about, knowledgeable on, and in high demand on the market. If the topic fails to meet any one of these three criteria, then it is not the perfect topic.
Here is how to decide on the best topic for your online course:
First and foremost, you must be passionate about the topic you are teaching on. If you are not passionate about it, that will be reflected in your online course. As a result, your course will be bland and boring. If you are not interested in the topic, how can you expect your students to be?
Furthermore, if you plan on doing this type of business long-term and you’re not passionate about the topic, it will lead to burnout and unhappiness.
Ask yourself the following questions to help to figure out where your passions lie:
What do I love doing?
What do I love sharing with other people?
What do other people go to me for?
What do I look forward to doing in my life?
What do I wish other people cared more about?
With these questions, you should create a list of potential course topics based on passion alone.
Additionally, you must be knowledgeable about the topic as well. You can be knowledgeable on a topic either from your educational background, work experience, or hobbies. Just make sure that you are knowledgeable enough that you can create accurate, up-to-date content and answer any questions that may arise.
Here are some questions to figure out your expertise:
What is my degree in?
What skills have I developed through work?
What skills do I already teach others about?
After answering these questions, create a list of topics that you are educated enough to teach on. If there are any topics that fall both under your passions and education lists, then you should move on to the third phase of topic selection: researching the market demand.
The topic must be in high demand in the market. You do not want to select a topic that only you care about. If you do this, your course will be unsuccessful because not many students will be interested in learning about the topic.
Here is how you can test the demand for a topic:
See if there are courses on the same topic
Research future demands of the topic
Presell your course idea
This exercise is simply to brainstorm to get some ideas for your potential online course topic so don’t feel like you need to get it right at the start.
After you research the demand for your topics, select the topic that you are passionate about, educated on, and has the highest market demand.
Learning Outcomes
Create Engaging Learning Outcomes
The next step to creating a successful online course is creating engaging learning outcomes. Learning outcomes are direct yet engaging sentences that tell potential customers exactly what they will learn from your course. If you do not have good learning outcomes, fewer people will purchase your product.
Here’s why:Have you ever looked at a product and were unsure about what the product actually offers you? Chances are, you did not buy that product. The same goes for online courses. If customers do not understand the offerings of your course, they will not buy it.
In order for customers to purchase your course, they must believe that the course offers them something unique that they can use in their lives. More specifically, customers must have a clear idea of what they will get from your course and why they should take yours over another online course.
The best way to convince a customer to take your course is to create engaging and informative learning outcomes.
When drafting your learning outcomes, think about the most important things that the student will take away from the course. You do not want to add filler topics in your learning outcomes. Instead, make sure that the learning outcomes are tailored to the course’s main topic and parallel the course’s title.
As you write course outcomes, you want the sentences to be punchy, informative, and engaging. Make sure to use action verbs and be confident in the phrasing. Do not use filler words. Additionally, be detailed about what the course offers.
Think about answering “What, how, and why?” when creating the course outcomes.
Let’s take a look at some course outcome examples:
Imagine that your online course is about “Time Management.” Here is an example of a bad learning outcome: “Learn how to manage your time.” This learning outcome is bad because it does not tell the reader how they will learn to manage their time. Instead, this learning outcome simply restates the topic of the course.
Here is a better version of the same learning outcome: “Learn how to manage your time by using tested time management techniques such as color-coded agendas.” This learning outcome is better because it tells the reader exactly what they will learn in the course.
Attributes of a Successful Online Course
In order for the creator to make money off their online course, the course must have several attributes. Without these attributes, customers will immediately assume that the online course may not be worth their time or money. Here are the attributes of a successful online course:
Quality Content:
Online courses must have quality content. In other words, the content must be factually accurate and up-to-date. If the content is not relevant, students will not waste their money on it.
Multimedia Use:
Another attribute of a successful online course is the use of multiple media outlets. Since it is online, you have access to a number of different learning tools. And since there are many different types of learners, you should use a variety of multimedia tools in order to reach the most amount of students possible.
Good Pacing:
Another attribute of a successful online course is the use of multiple media outlets. Since it is online, you have access to a number of different learning tools. And since there are many different types of learners, you should use a variety of multimedia tools in order to reach the most amount of students possible.
User-Friendly Setup:
A user-friendly setup is another attribute of successful online courses. You do not want your students confused about where to go or what to do. Instead, they should be able to figure it out themselves because of the user-friendly setup.
Self-Directed:
The final attribute of a successful online course is that it is self-directed. What this means is that the student has to have enough space to be able to go at their own pace and learn the way that they see fit. The reason for this is that most online students are busy and need to be able to tailor the course to their busy lives.
Attributes of a Successful Online Course
In order for the creator to make money off their online course, the course must have several attributes. Without these attributes, customers will immediately assume that the online course may not be worth their time or money. Here are the attributes of a successful online course:
Quality Content:
Online courses must have quality content. In other words, the content must be factually accurate and up-to-date. If the content is not relevant, students will not waste their money on it.
Multimedia Use:
Another attribute of a successful online course is the use of multiple media outlets. Since it is online, you have access to a number of different learning tools. And since there are many different types of learners, you should use a variety of multimedia tools in order to reach the most amount of students possible.
Good Pacing:
Another attribute of a successful online course is the use of multiple media outlets. Since it is online, you have access to a number of different learning tools. And since there are many different types of learners, you should use a variety of multimedia tools in order to reach the most amount of students possible.
User-Friendly Setup:
A user-friendly setup is another attribute of successful online courses. You do not want your students confused about where to go or what to do. Instead, they should be able to figure it out themselves because of the user-friendly setup.
Self-Directed:
The final attribute of a successful online course is that it is self-directed. What this means is that the student has to have enough space to be able to go at their own pace and learn the way that they see fit. The reason for this is that most online students are busy and need to be able to tailor the course to their busy lives.
Tools for Success
Here are Important Links:
Facebook List for Coaches I Like and LOVE: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheLOVEusa/posts/2911377842464929/ Small Group for Coaching Related Posts and Discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheLOVEusa/
Journal Prompts: (If you’d like some!!!)
What is your motto for this year? What is your motto for this course? What do you want to produce this year? What do you hope to obtain in business? What is your income goal for coaching this year?
Quick Tips to Get Started in Business Elements
Here are some tips that will help you get started in the business. More will come during the course so use this to start a list!
If you want to tackle the business side of things…
If you don’t have any self-promotional photos, you may want to arrange a professional photoshoot. For course building, it’s not necessarily a requirement. For business building, it absolutely is. *wink* Keep that in mind. Work on your professional coaching bio. If you are an educator, you’ll have to sell people on who you are and promote yourself regularly. You need to sell YOUR persona. “People buy into you before they buy into your business.” – Mail us your coaching business card by the end of 8 weeks!!! 😉 [POX Box 13202, Jacksonville, FL 32206] Don’t forget your pens, journal, portfolio, calendar, highlighters, sticky notes, and … STICKERS!!!!
Set Up a Stripe account for your business if you have not done so already. Connect your bank account.
Set Up a PayPal account for your business if you have not done so already. Connect your bank account.
̶ ̶S̶e̶t̶ ̶U̶p̶ ̶a̶ ̶S̶q̶u̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶c̶c̶o̶u̶n̶t̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶b̶u̶s̶i̶n̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶a̶l̶r̶e̶a̶d̶y̶.̶ ̶C̶o̶n̶n̶e̶c̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶a̶c̶c̶o̶u̶n̶t̶.̶
Set Up a Cash App account for your business if you have not done so already. Connect your bank account. Sign up for Zoom. A free account will do. Sign up for Google for their Forms for online forms which include appointment bookings, surveys, payment portals, etc. They will help you administer quizzes and such for your students if needed. More importantly, you can administer evaluations this way. Sign up for dropbox to help you stay organized on the go!!! Get yourself an email marketing program. Make plans to engage clients via email. After researching many email service providers, I use GetResponse. I’ve been using them for years! This is my referral link: https://www.getresponse.com/pricing?code=Spring24&a=NmNdMYNngV
How to Make Money with Your Online Course
5 Key Takeaways
Charging Upfront:
Takeaway:
Charging students upfront for your online course is the most straightforward and effective way to ensure that payments are received and to reduce complications later on. This method also aligns with common educational payment practices and encourages future course purchases.
Charging for Certification:
Takeaway:
Offering the course content for free but charging for certification can attract more students initially while generating revenue from those who see value in the certification. This model builds trust and can result in a larger email list and better marketing opportunities.
Pre-Selling Your Course:
Takeaway:
Pre-selling your course before fully developing it allows you to gauge customer interest and validate your course idea. This minimizes the risk of investing time and resources into a course that may not succeed, and can help build an initial subscriber base through pilot lessons.
Building Trust and Alleviating Payment Fears:
Takeaway:
Both charging for certification and pre-selling help to build trust with potential students by reducing their financial risk upfront. This can lead to a greater willingness to pay later for the certification or full course once they see the value being offered.
Creating a Professional and Marketable Course:
Takeaway:
By focusing on the value proposition of your course—such as offering certifications that add professional value—students are more likely to see your course as a worthwhile investment, leading to better marketability and a higher likelihood of future purchases.
These themes collectively aim to equip you with strategies to effectively monetize your online course while building a trustworthy and compelling offering that attracts and retains students.
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Discussion and Review
To ensure you have been IMPACTed and are the way to earning high ticket INCOME, answer the following questions:
What are 3 key lessons for you?What 3 actions will you take based on what you learned?How will this increase your INCOME?How will this increase your IMPACT?What topics are you passionate about?About what are you specifically skilled or knowledgeable?What skills do you want to help people learn?Would you still teach people on this topic even for free?
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