In 2021, online courses will be indispensable to any successful PR strategy. Don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered! In this episode, Julie Hood from Course Creators HQ shares the six steps to start your own online course, plus plenty of tips!
In this episode of the Social PR Secrets Podcast, host Lisa Buyer learns from Julie Hood, owner of Course Creators HQ, where she works behind-the-scenes with online marketers, promoting and selling their courses. From choosing a topic to developing a course and successfully sharing it, listen to this episode to learn the basics of online course creation.
The Wow Factor
Some folks like to jump in headfirst and have one big signature course that includes everything they know. Julie says that’s one of the biggest mistakes you could make. She says creators should start with something small they can get up and running fast. Start with a small idea to get your feet wet, she says. But how do you pick the perfect topic? And where do you go from there? Here are Julie’s six steps to building the perfect online course.
#1. Pick the Perfect Topic
To decide if an idea is good enough, Julie recommends an exercise. Separate a sheet of paper into four boxes and take some notes based on the research of your potential topics on each of these four platforms: Facebook groups, Amazon, YouTube, comments, and replies on your platforms.
#2. Put Your Outline Together
Whether you prefer making lists or using post-its you can move around, try to organize your thoughts into four to 6 steps, or lessons. This might seem like too little content, but pick a topic people can get a lot out of in a little time. That way, they’ll come back for more!
#3 Create the Course
For each of the modules, create a cheat sheet. They’re something students can print out, take notes on, all the while getting the main ideas of the lesson. Then, create the audio and/or videos. Julie recommends keeping your lessons under ten minutes to guarantee your course is actually being used.
#4. Host the Course
The quick and easy way, according to Julie, is to upload your courses to Google Drive and share the links with your students. To up your game, you can also use one of the countless course hosting services out there.
#5. Set up a landing or sales page
You want your course to look professional. Whether students have to pay to register or you’re just trying to build your email list using a free course, make sure your webpage is up to your audience’s standards.
#6. Create a Link That’s Easy to Share
With a short and easy link, you’ll be able to share your course on social media or on podcasts you might be a guest on!
Learn more
How do you convert students from free to paid courses? What are the best resources you can use to start an online course? How exactly can you create an outline? Listen to this episode to find out!
“Online courses have the power to make changes in the world” – Julie Hood
Some topics discussed in this episode include:
- Online courses
- Narrowing your topics down
- Organizing
- Brainstorming
- CRM platforms
- Growing Email lists
Contact Julie Hood:
- Julie’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliehoodonline/
- Julie’s Twitter https://twitter.com/juliehood?lang=en
- Course Creators HQ https://coursecreatorshq.com/
References and Links Mentioned
- Worflowy.com https://workflowy.com/
- Teachable https://teachable.com/
- Pretty Links https://wordpress.org/plugins/pretty-link/
- Rebrandly https://www.rebrandly.com/
- ClickMagick https://www.clickmagick.com/
- Missinglettr https://missinglettr.com/
- ConvertKit https://convertkit.com/
- MailerLite https://www.mailerlite.com/
- Drip https://www.drip.com/
- One Funnel Away Challenge https://onefunnelaway.com/challenge-b?affiliate_id=503147&cf_affiliate_id=503147
- Your Best Year Ever https://www.amazon.com/Your-Best-Year-Ever-Achieving/dp/1545900655
- The Life Coach School https://thelifecoachschool.com/
